UPDATE: PCEP 2024 will be held in-person.
PCEP is designed for palliative care specialists, champions, and educators, as well as generalist and specialist physicians and nurses who wish to gain additional competencies in palliative care. PCEP enhances clinicians' skills in communication, teaching, and clinical practice.
Palliative care specialists charged with new program initiatives and who would benefit from mentoring are also encouraged to attend.
The pediatric track highlights the unique aspects of palliative care for children.
Please note that mastery of spoken and written English is essential for successful participation in PCEP. Candidates from countries for whom English is not the primary language may be interviewed to determine fluency.
Applications
Applications Will Open: July 1, 2023
Applications Close: Applications are now closed
Admission Decisions: early-October
Course Dates
PCEP Part 1: December 10-15, 2023
PCEP Part 2: April 28-May 3, 2024
PCEP Part 1 and Part 2 will be held in-person.
Course description
Palliative care is an essential component of medical care for patients with serious illness. The field is growing rapidly, presenting healthcare institutions and systems with challenges about how to meet the need with high quality care. Palliative Care Education and Practice (PCEP) is a comprehensive course delivered by expert palliative care clinicians and educators who create a warm, welcoming environment conducive to deep learning and growth. PCEP provides physicians, nurses, and social workers a structure to efficiently acquire the skills and perspectives necessary to influence this changing health care environment. At the conclusion of PCEP, participants will have acquired significant skills in the clinical practice and teaching of comprehensive, interdisciplinary palliative care, as well as having gained expertise in leading and managing improvements in palliative care education and practice at their own institutions.
Part 1 of PCEP consists of 6 days of intensive learning, followed by a 4-month interim during which participants work on an individual project and contribute to online discussions of problematic, clinical, educational, or program development cases presented by other participants. Part 2 consists of 6 days of continued experiential learning, training, and consolidation. Teaching is learner-centered and takes place in a variety of interactive formats including: small groups, large group discussions, demonstration interviews, and panel discussions. Participants have the opportunity to develop action plans for change at their institutions and to practice and receive feedback about their teaching and change strategies. Many opportunities for informal interchange are available. The pediatric track will highlight the unique aspects of pediatric palliative care.
You may apply for either the adult track or the pediatric track. Adult and pediatric track participants attend joint sessions except where noted in the schedule. The pediatric track will highlight the unique aspects of pediatric palliative care.
How will PCEP enhance my career?
At the conclusion of PCEP, participants will have acquired:
- Significant skills in the clinical practice and teaching of comprehensive, interdisciplinary palliative care
- Expertise in leading and managing improvements in palliative care education and practice at their own institutions
How is PCEP taught?
Part 1 consists of six days of intensive learning, followed by a six-month interim during which participants work on an individual project and contribute to online discussions of problematic, clinical, educational, or program development cases. Part 2 consists of six days of continued experiential learning, training, and consolidation.
Learning formats
Teaching is learner-centered and takes place in a variety of interactive formats including: small group work, large group discussions, demonstration interviews, and panel discussions.
Participants have the opportunity to develop action plans for change at their institutions and to practice and receive feedback about their teaching and change strategies. Many opportunities for informal interchange are available.
Learning objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:
- Demonstrate increased knowledge in the key competencies of palliative care, including advanced pain and symptom management
- Apply new communication skills to the complex care of seriously ill patients
- Teach fundamental palliative care principles to learners from a variety of healthcare settings
- Develop palliative care curricula using principles of adult learning styles, new teaching methodologies, and goal-directed feedback
- Integrate palliative care clinical programs into a wide variety of healthcare settings by assessing institutional structure and culture, evaluating readiness to change, and developing palliative care programs with strategies for continuity
Who should attend?
PCEP is designed for palliative care specialists, champions, and educators, as well as generalist and specialist physicians, nurses and social workers who wish to gain additional competencies in palliative care. PCEP enhances clinicians’ skills in communication, teaching, and clinical practice.
Palliative care specialists charged with new program initiatives and who would benefit from mentoring are also encouraged to attend.
The pediatric track highlights the unique aspects of palliative care for children.
Please note that mastery of spoken and written English is essential for successful participation in PCEP. Candidates from countries for whom English is not the primary language may be interviewed to determine fluency.
Special thanks
We are grateful to the Open Society Foundations' Project on Death in America and Jane Weingarten and the late Dr. Charles Weingarten for their long-term commitment to scholarship funding. Special appreciation to the J. Andrew Billings, MD Memorial Fund. Additional scholarship assistance, and support for our "patients-as-teachers" program, is provided by Partners HealthCare, Inc., and JoJo's Education Fund.
Competencies
This course is designed to meet the following competencies:
American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)/Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies:
- Medical Knowledge
- Patient Care and Procedural Skills
Institute of Medicine (IOM) competencies:
- Provide Patient-Centered Care
- Employ Evidence-Based Practice
- Apply Quality Improvement
Accreditation
Physicians
The Harvard Medical School is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Harvard Medical School designates this live activity for a maximum of Fall 31.25 and Spring 32.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) ™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
MOC
MOC Medical Knowledge Points with the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)
American Board of Pediatrics (ABPeds) Part 2 Points
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to Fall 31.25 and Spring 32.50 MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the activity, with individual assessments of the participant and feedback to the participant, enables the participant to earn Fall 31.25 and Spring 32.50 MOC points in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABP MOC credit.
Risk Management
This activity meets the criteria of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine:
Fall
1.75 credit(s) of Opioid Education and Pain Management Training
19.75 credit(s) of End-of-Life Care Education
Spring
2.25 credit(s) of Opioid Education and Pain Management Training
22.50 credit(s) of End-of-Life Care Education
The application is now closed.
Applications Will Open: July 1
Applications Will Close: Applications are now closed
Admission Decisions: early-October
Application information
Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Applications will not be accepted for a single session.
Please note that mastery of spoken and written English is essential for successful participation in PCEP. Candidates from countries for whom English is not the primary language may be interviewed to determine fluency.
All applicants will be informed of their status in mid-October.
To apply to PCEP, please submit:
- A letter from an institutional leader (your department chair, division chief, hospital CEO, or other similar leader) indicating a commitment to you and to your career goals; institutional and financial support for your project; and, support for your availability to participate fully in the course.
- Curriculum vitae
- A completed application form
Submission instructions
Complete the online application form and either upload your supporting materials directly to your application or email your supporting materials to pallcare@partners.org.
Questions? Call 617-582-7859.
Registration information
Once you have been accepted into the course, you will receive instructions on how to register. Please note that in addition to tuition, the following fees will apply:
$10: Processing (non-refundable service fee)
$30: Wire transfer (non-refundable banking fee). This fee only applies if you pay your tuition via wire transfer.
All fees are shown in USD.
Registration by credit card (VISA, MasterCard, or American Express) or check can be made through Harvard Medical School's secure online registration system.
Registration by check (draft on a United States bank), please make payable to Harvard Medical School. Learners who choose to pay by check will be prompted to download an online form to send in with a payment.
Telephone or fax registration is not accepted.
Registration with cash payment is not permitted.
Upon receipt of your paid registration, you will receive an email confirmation.
Your email address is used for critical information about the course including: registration confirmation, evaluation distribution, and certificate delivery. Please be sure to include an email address you check daily or frequently.
Tuition
Tuition Fee: $8,995
Tuition is paid in full before the course begins and covers the entire course. Once you have been accepted into the program you will receive payment instructions.
You must attend both sessions to complete the course.
Tuition is due in full before the start of the course.
Scholarship opportunities
We are only able to offer a small number of competitive, partial scholarships for pediatric applicants, international applicants and clinicians from Western Massachusetts. Scholarship recipients will be selected for their leadership abilities and their project’s potential impact. For applicants who are interested in applying for these competitive spots, please indicate your interest in the appropriate section of the application.
Scholarship acknowledgments
We are grateful to the scholarship assistance, and support for our "patients-as-teachers" program, provided by the Pflueger-Smith Fund for Palliative Care, Partners HealthCare, Inc., the Jacqueline S. Alaimo Palliative Care Fund, and JoJo's Education Fund.
Refund policy
Refunds, less an administrative fee of $575, will be issued for all cancellations received prior to the cancellation deadline. Refund requests must be received by postal mail or email. No refunds will be issued should cancellation occur after the cancellation deadline. “No shows” are subject to the full course fee. No refunds will be issued once the program has started.
Course location
PCEP 2024 Parts 1 and 2 will be held in-person.
Please note
Due to the intense nature of the course, we request that you keep most evenings free for program preparation and activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I hear back from you about my application?
When we receive your materials, you will receive a confirmation email from us letting you know that we have received everything or if we are still waiting for something to review your application. You will be notified via email of your status in early or mid-October.
If my colleague and I are both applying to the course, can we send in one application?
While you and your colleague may be coming to the course with the same project and/or goals, we will be reviewing the applications separately. There are some instances when we can only accept one person from the team. With this, it is important for each individual to apply separately, but mention that your colleague (include name) is also applying.
Is the tuition due at one time?
Yes. Participants can pay via credit card or check prior to the start of the course. Cash is not accepted. Please note that if you pay by wire, you must include an additional $30 (U.S.) to cover the bank wire fees.
I am a Fellow; can I apply for this program?
Unfortunately, we do not accept Fellows to this program.
Can you tell me more about the project?
The project should be something that you are already working on or have been charged to do at your institution. Do not try to create something special for the course. The idea is to be able to bring this project with you and get feedback from faculty and your project group members, as well as apply what you are learning in the course to your everyday work. Projects have ranged from developing a palliative care program, to developing a curriculum for fellows/medical students, to research and quality improvement projects related to palliative medicine/service.
What is the schedule like for the course?
The schedule is very full. Due to the intense nature of the course, we request that you keep most evenings free for program preparation and activities. You must be able to participate for the full two weeks and participate in the online discussion in the six-month interim. You also must complete the course in order. The curriculum is continuous, so you cannot start with Part 2 and conclude with Part 1.
How many people are accepted and how many people apply?
The application process is competitive. We typically receive over 120 applicants each year for 72 spots; up to 35 spots are allocated to the Pediatric Track.