Values and Uncertainty at End of Life: A Standardized Patient Case for Preclinical Medical Students.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Physician learners desire more and higher-quality education on end-of-life care. Challenges include the inherent difficulties of clinical uncertainty and how to provide meaningful experiences for early learners. This standardized patient (SP) encounter features a patient facing a newly terminal diagnosis. The patient's goals and values are not specific, and the encounter has an open-ended resolution. This low-stakes formative exercise was administered to preclinical medical students.

Methods

Designed as part of a broader research project on using humanities to teach end-of-life care to medical students, our case was administered to 178 second-year students (98% of the class) as a required part of their simulation curriculum. Students (n = 171, 96%, consen

SUBMITTER: Jenkins R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11876469 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature