University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School Program

The Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin is designed to cultivate physician leaders who have the competency to address both individual patient care and the broader systemic challenges in healthcare. This fellowship underscores the importance of holistic education by integrating comprehensive clinical training with a focus on health equity, leadership, and well-being throughout the fellowship experience.

Program Overview

The fellowship comprises a one-year Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited training program aiming to develop leaders in hospice and palliative care. Fellows will engage in a longitudinal curriculum that actively prepares them for a diverse range of practice settings including inpatient, outpatient, hospice, and palliative care environments. The program incorporates a year-long board-focused didactic curriculum.

Curriculum

The curriculum of the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship is robust and multi-faceted. It integrates various components crucial for graduating competent palliative care specialists:

Rotations

Fellows rotate through multiple distinguished training sites, including:

• Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas: As the primary teaching hospital, fellows gain exposure to multidisciplinary teams and a diverse patient population.
• Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin: Fellows spend time in this tertiary care and community hospital, where they encounter an expansive spectrum of medical conditions, including specialized cardiac care.
• Hospice Austin: Involvement in hospice care is facilitated via designated rotations at Christopher House, the region's only inpatient hospice unit.
• Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas: Here, fellows learn about pediatric palliative care within a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center.
• Central Texas Veterans Health Care System: Fellows provide longitudinal outpatient training at Austin's largest standalone VA clinic, gaining insight into veteran-specific healthcare needs.

Didactic Learning

Academic learning is complemented by practical session engagements exemplified through:

• Weekly fellows' didactic conferences and monthly system-wide learning rounds.
• Access to a health equity curriculum developed in collaboration with University of Texas institutions.
• Schwartz Rounds focused on reflective practice to address the emotional complexities faced in patient care.

Leadership Training

Fellows participate in a specific leadership block that fosters skills in quality improvement. This training is supplemented with coaching sessions tailored to individual leadership styles and quality improvement projects.

Training Facilities

The program’s clinical training occurs at multiple renowned facilities in Austin, thus expanding fellows' perspectives on care delivery:

• Dell Seton Medical Center
• Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin
• Hospice Austin
• Dell Children's Medical Center

Application Process

The application for the fellowship is coordinated through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS), and it adheres to the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Required materials include:

• Common application form with a comprehensive curriculum vitae.
• Three letters of recommendation, including one from the current residency program director.
• Official medical school transcript and USMLE transcripts (Steps 1, 2, and 3).
• A personal statement articulating motivations for pursuing hospice and palliative care.

Visa and Competitiveness

The program supports J-1 or H-1B visa sponsorship for international medical graduates (IMGs). The selection process for the fellowship is competitive, open to both DOs and IMGs, fostering an inclusive environment to enrich the fellowship experience.

Wellness and Support

To combat physician burnout, the fellowship offers wellness sessions that give fellows practical tools to manage stressors associated with the demands of medical training, thereby promoting personal satisfaction and joy within the profession.

Unique Aspects

One of the distinguishing features of this fellowship is the opportunity for fellows to engage in depth with health equity topics and social determinants of health. This integrated approach ensures that graduates not only become skilled practitioners but also advocates for systemic change within healthcare communities.

As future leaders, fellows can expect mentorship, collaborative projects with other palliative care fellows across state institutions, and continuous involvement in significant quality improvement initiatives.