Department of Medicine

Palliative Medicine Fellowship

The Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program at IU School of Medicine trains individuals to develop expertise in the care of patients with serious illness and become leaders in the field of palliative care. All Palliative Medicine fellows participate in a blend of monthly clinical rotations and continuity experiences to achieve this goal. Trainees may elect a one-year clinical track or a two-year track to include a Master’s degree in clinical science or a Master’s degree in bioethics.

Clinical Training

This fellowship program is based at Eskenazi Health, which provides care to the vulnerable populations of Marion County. Eskenazi Health’s Palliative Care Program provides inpatient and outpatient consultative services utilizing and expert interdisciplinary team. Throughout the fellowship, trainees work with the interdisciplinary team to provide outpatient consultative services and ambulatory palliative care, including clinic home visit and nursing facility experience.

Curriculum

Core rotations for the program include inpatient consults, including two rotations at Eskenazi Health Consultation Service; one rotation at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center Consultation; one rotation at St. Vincent or IU Health Methodist Hospital Consultation Service; one rotation at the IU Health Methodist Yellow Rose Unit or St. Vincent Inpatient Hospice; a two-week rotation in pediatrics at St. Vincent or Riley Hospital for Children; and one additional selective rotation at any inpatient consultation or hospice experience as chosen by the fellow. One four-week rotation at an outpatient consult, whether a nursing home or dedicated hospice rotation, is required, in addition to four-and-a-half rotations of electives selected by the fellow.

Throughout the year, fellows participate in regular palliative medicine conferences, including didactics, journal club and challenging case discussions. The rich academic environment at IU School of Medicine allows for participation in a wide array of other beneficial conferences, including Fairbanks Center for Medical Ethics presentations, oncology grand rounds, tumor board, and many others.

Fellows who elect the two-year track may pursue a Master’s degree in clinical science or in bioethics.

Global Health Experience

Resource-constrained settings demand palliative care interventions in order to respond to the significant symptom burden caused by cancer, HIV/AIDS and other chronic conditions. Through the IU School of Medicine’s Palliative Medicine Fellowship, physicians have a unique opportunity to practice medicine in Eldoret, Kenya as part of the International Palliative Care elective at the AMPATH Oncology Institute under the guidance of Greg Gramelspacher, MD.