PA Certificate in Palliative and Serious Illness Care

Designed for physician assistants (PAs), this innovative online palliative care course delivers the latest, evidence-based content to enhance your practice and deliver the best care to individuals with serious illnesses.

Palliative Training for Physician Assistants

PAs are a natural fit for providing hospice and palliative care. They work as trusted clinicians to deliver compassionate care to patients and families at every stage of health, including serious illness. Delivering care focused on addressing the physical and psychosocial symptoms of serious illness requires a deeper level of training. 

This 12-week course prepares PAs in any practice setting to deliver high-quality palliative care to individuals with chronic or advanced illnesses. An innovative format combines comprehensive self-paced didactic content with weekly live-online Grand Rounds sessions for case presentations and discussion. (Students must attend at least 9 of 12 live sessions to earn CME.)

• Identify patients who need and could benefit from palliative care
• Communicate with seriously ill patients about their disease trajectory, using prognostication tools and resources
• Assess and treat the most common physical symptoms of serious disease, including pain and nausea
• Identify spiritual and psychosocial distress and connect patients with community resources
• Recognize cultural differences and practice radical respect when treating patients with serious illness
• Integrate palliative care services into a primary care practice
• Establish billing processes and performance measures for palliative care services
• Use self-care strategies to build resilience and avoid burnout
• Weekly live “Grand Rounds” with fellow students and an expert PA instructor. Learn about the PA role in palliative care, real-life case studies, and engage in interactive discussions. (Grand Rounds are 90 min. Zoom sessions; students must attend at least 9 of 12 to earn CME; contact us to inquire about day/time.)

• This activity has been reviewed by the AAPA Review Panel and is compliant with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 72.5 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation. Approval is valid from 9/1/2022 to 11/27/2022. AAPA reference number: CME-207608.
• The Doctors Company designates this activity for a maximum of 72.5 AMA PRA Category 1.0 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of The Doctors Company and the CSU Shiley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care. The Doctors Company is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Students enrolling in this course should be PAs in any specialty or practice area.

Cancellations may be made up to the day before the first day of the course; a refund will be issued minus an administrative fee of $35. No refunds are possible for withdrawals once the course starts.