Implementation of a Palliative Surgical Oncology Rotation to Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship Training.

Abstract

Palliative care is an important component of global oncology care, and palliative surgical oncology is becoming an increasingly significant part of surgical oncology practice. Fellows in complex general surgical oncology (CGSO) can anticipate palliative surgical oncology to represent approximately 25-30% of their practice. As such, education in this area is critical during CGSO Fellowship to properly prepare the trainees to enter their practice. Unfortunately, there is evidence to suggest the training in surgical palliative care is not as deliberate as necessary to achieve these training goals. We have developed a palliative surgical oncology rotation that is meant to address gaps in the training of CGSO Fellows. We have followed Kern's six-step approach to curriculum development. This manuscript outlines our steps and the approach we have used in this rotation. The rotation outline is aligned with competencies and learning objectives. Implementation of a structured palliative care rotation can be implemented in a CGSO training program. This rotation outline is a starting point for our program and can stimulate innovation to address this important learning opportunity.