Enhancing the hospice curriculum within the family medicine clerkship.

BACKGROUND Medical schools are improving end-of-life (EOL) care curricula; however, students rarely practice EOL communication skills in a safe learning environment. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to study which curriculum improves students' ability to discuss hospice care. METHODS We conducted a study of six family medicine clerkship blocks; three taught with a didactic curriculum (A) and three with an interactive curriculum (B). RESULTS Students reported improvement in their skill and comfort in discussing hospice care in both groups. Subjectively more students commented on the instructiveness of curriculum B due to role-plays. CONCLUSION A variety of curricular methods helped students' confidence and self-reflection around hospice discussions in a comfortable environment.