Death Education Curricula in U.S. Medical Schools

Although medical students deal extensively with dying patients during their clinical rotations, little is known about the content of death-education curricula in U.S. medical schools. Senior class presidents were surveyed for information about the formal training they received on death and dying during medical school. Fifty-four percent reported receiving 3 hr or less of required class time on the subject. The theories of Kiibler-Ross were most often taught, although the works of Weisman, Saunders, and Westburg were occasionally presented. More than one third (37%) of the respondents reported that their medical school training was ineffective in preparing them to deal with dying patients. We conclude that medical schools need to improve both the quantity and quality of instruction in the area of death education.