PROFESSIONDoctors to the dying: Helping patients at the end becomes a growing specialtyPalliative care attracts many physicians who see it as a noble calling.By Larry Beresford, AMNews correspondent. Jan. 26, 2004. When David Weissman, MD, entered the field of palliative care in 1991, there were few training programs. Dr. Weissman had a background in oncology and pain advocacy work with the Wisconsin Cancer Pain Initiative, so he just jumped right in. Now, less than 15 years later, he is a national leader in an emerging specialty. Dr. Weissman coordinates the Palliative Care Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. He is responsible for a consultation service, an outpatient clinic, a dedicated inpatient unit and an educational and research program. He advises medical fellows and directs the online End of Life/Palliative Education Resource Center and the National Residency End-of-Life Education Project, which has introduced end-of-life curriculum into 320 primary care residency programs nationwide since 1999. He even edits a professional journal, The Journal of Palliative Medicine. He is now routinely contacted by students and residents interested in exploring palliative care as a career. "A senior medical student recently called me to set up a one-on-one meeting. He's interested in finding out where the field is going: Will he find jobs? How much will he get paid?" Dr. Weissman says. "I'll tell him that there are way more jobs in palliative care right now than people trained to fill them." Such positions typically pay somewhat below the midpoint of physician salaries, "but I also tell students it's a noble calling." Medical pioneers in end-of-life care, which includes hospice and hospital-based palliative care, often were driven by personal experiences and extolled for their compassion to dying patients. Today, growing awareness of the field, expanded fellowship opportunities and full-time positions are mainstreaming the specialty as a more viable career choice for young doctors. [...]Full text of AMNews content is available to AMA members and paid subscribers.
Copyright 2004 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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