Ochsner Clinic Foundation Program

The Ochsner Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program offers a unique opportunity for fellows to develop comprehensive skills in various settings, including a quaternary care center, community hospitals, and local hospice agencies. This multidisciplinary program prepares candidates for diverse palliative care environments by providing exposure to inpatient consult services, dedicated hospice and palliative inpatient units, and robust outpatient clinics that conduct both in-person and virtual visits 1.

Fellows are integrated into a multidisciplinary team encompassing physicians from multiple specialties, including internal medicine, emergency medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, and geriatrics, along with advanced practice providers and licensed clinical social workers who specialize in palliative care. Additionally, a dedicated board-certified chaplain adds to the holistic approach to patient care within the program 1.

Curriculum and Training

The fellowship curriculum focuses on a robust didactic learning experience, which includes formal lectures, a journal club, and attendance at national conferences. These educational components are designed to ensure fellows achieve proficiency in complex symptom management and navigate challenging discussions around goals of care with patients and families 1.

Training Sites

The Ochsner Medical Center, located in New Orleans, serves as the primary training site and is recognized as a leading healthcare hub for the Gulf South region. Other notable training facilities include Ochsner Baptist, Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner, and Northshore Medical Complex. Each site is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, offering a comprehensive array of services and serving different patient care needs 5.

Mission and Goals

The mission of the Hospice and Palliative Care Fellowship aligns with Ochsner Health's commitment to serving, healing, leading, educating, and innovating in healthcare. The program seeks to enhance the quality of life and mitigate suffering for patients facing serious illnesses through state-of-the-art, compassionate, interdisciplinary, and integrated care 4.

Application Information

The application process for the fellowship utilizes the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Specific eligibility requirements include graduates from accredited medical schools in the U.S. or Canada within the past five years, or international medical graduates meeting certain conditions, such as having a valid ECFMG certificate and at least one year of clinical experience in the United States. It is preferable for applicants to be in possession of a J-1 visa or Permanent Residency 2.

Visa Support

The program is capable of sponsoring candidates holding J-1 visas, which are commonly utilized for fellows and residents in graduate medical education programs in the United States. This support is crucial for international medical graduates looking to train in the U.S. healthcare system 2.

Competitiveness

The Ochsner Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship is regarded as competitive due to its comprehensive training and exposure to various clinical settings and specialties. While the program can be highly competitive, it actively welcomes applications from osteopathic physicians and international medical graduates, making it friendly toward a diverse applicant pool 2.