The fellowship program is structured along the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Through a series of clinical rotations, didactics, participation in scholarly activities, and varying seminars, the fellow will:

  • Satisfy the requirements to sit for the ABIM Hospice and Palliative Medicine board certification exam.
  • Develop expertise in assessment and management of symptoms related to chronic and life-limiting illness and provide high-quality end-of-life care.
  • Master the knowledge of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and commit to life-long learning.
  • Employ effective communication skills in interaction with patients, families, and other healthcare professionals.
  • Incorporate and support interdisciplinary team-care in future clinical venues.
  • Appreciate a supportive environment where professionalism, ethical principles, and teamwork are promoted and valued.

Palliative Medicine Research and Education Opportunities

Dr. Jennifer Gabbard, director of the Serious Illness and Palliative Medicine Research Group, shares about research and education opportunities at Wake Forest. Topics include: focus on evidence based medicine including journal club and research series, emphasis on education including 4th year clerkship and rotations for students and residents, teaching opportunities for fellows, description of palliative medicine research center, pathways for research fellowship year, and examples of current research at Wake Forest.

Clinical Rotations

The clinical curriculum is organized into quarters and includes:

  • 4-5 months of inpatient palliative care consults and inpatient palliative care unit
  • 6 weeks of inpatient hospice
  • 4 weeks home hospice
  • 4 weeks research/scholarly time
  • 4 weeks of long-term care
  • 4 weeks of elective time
  • 2 weeks of anesthesia pain and addiction medicine
  • 3 weeks of pediatric palliative care
  • 1 week of oncology and radiation oncology
  • 1 week of geriatrics and neurology

Over the 12-month fellowship program, rotations occur at locations that include:

  • Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
  • Brenner Children's Hospital
  • Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center
  • Hospice of the Piedmont
  • Trellis Supportive Care
  • Bermuda Village
  • Amedisys Hospice

Fellows also will have a longitudinal continuity clinic embedded within the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Academic pathways

Fellows can choose between a one-year clinical Hospice and Palliative Fellowship track, a two-year Research Track (which includes one-year clinical year and one year research year), or can consider doing fellowships in both Geriatrics and Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Conferences and Didactics

Didactics and non-clinical experiences are organized into academic half-days each Wednesday afternoon following the completion of the Greatest Hits Journal Club and foundational lectures in communication and pain management, starting in August. These experiences include, and are not limited to:

  • Case conference
  • Journal Club
  • Psychosocial-spiritual case conference
  • Narrative medicine
  • Aging Conference, the Section Grand Rounds
  • Joint GeriPal Core Lectures
  • Core Palliative Didactic Lectures