Basic Training in Palliative Medicine for Internal Medicine Residents: Pilot Testing of a Canadian Model in Switzerland

Background: In Switzerland, palliative care (PC) clinical training is well established at undergraduate and specialist postgraduate levels. However, postgraduate nonspecialist training curricula are less documented. Local Problem: A structured curriculum for nonspecialist rotation within internal medicine (IM) in specialized PC wards is lacking. Objective: To pilot two versions of a PC nonspecialist curriculum for IM residents in Swiss PC units. Methods: In the pilot phase, two curricula—short immersion (3–10 weeks, based on the University of Toronto's Internal-Medicine PC Rotation) and standard nonspecialist (11–18 weeks, based on the Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physician Competencies)—were assessed using a mixed-method online survey. One university and two nonuniversity sites participated. The analysis was descriptive. Results: