Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship

The curriculum is innovative and comprehensive, and strongly emphasizes all of the following educational domains:

• The hospice and palliative approach to care
• Death and coping
• Psychosocial and spiritual support
• Bereavement support for the family
• Pain assessment and management in cancer and non-cancer patients
• Assessment and management of non-pain symptoms
• Medical co-morbidities and complications with life-threatening diseases
• Optimizing quality of life
• Communication
• Ethical and legal decision making
• Quality improvement and research methodology in populations with serious illnesses
• Caring for a diverse patient population with an emphasis on equity and inclusivity

Learn more.

The Department of Internal Medicine (DOIM) Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine is committed to creating and cultivating a diverse and inclusive community that provides our faculty, learners, and staff with the opportunities and support they need to thrive. Visit the DOIM Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Well-Being to learn more.

Where We Stand

The University of Michigan is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status.

We realize we must both acknowledge and speak out against all forms of racism, discrimination, and bias in our environments in our institutions, communities, and society. Not only is it the right thing to do but it is critically important that we in the GME community prioritize holistic and unbiased recruitment and selection of our applicants in order to ensure a diverse workforce and medical community.

What We Are Doing

Programmatic and divisional leadership are required to attend Strategies and Tactics for Recruiting to Improve Diversity and Excellence (STRIDE) workshop. Additionally, all faculty and staff in the Department of Internal Medicine were required to take Unconscious Bias training, which we have continued to ensure each cohort of fellows attends annually.

In addition to opportunities to get involved with the House Officer Diversity Network and the Office for Health Equality and Inclusion, the Department of Internal Medicine has developed its own Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Well-Being committee that welcomes Hospice and Palliative Medicine trainees.

Finally, we are committed to having hard conversations and to finding the time to allow trainees to participate in events and activities that matter to them and us; supporting both diversity and inclusivity.

Wellness Program

The Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship and Michigan Medicine are committed to promoting the holistic well-being of its house officers and actively strives to support resident families to foster a feeling of community and connection within the program. Several supports are available to our HPM fellows, and include: 

• Wellness lectures incorporated into our regular HPM didactic lecture series. Themes include burnout, suicide prevention, empathy, and appropriate boundary setting. 
• Office of Counseling and Workplace Resilience: The Office of Counseling and Workplace Resilience serves the mental and emotional health needs of Michigan Medicine faculty and staff. They provide free-of-charge and confidential counseling, consultation, coaching and stress debriefing services to help faculty and staff develop strength and resilience in their personal and professional lives. They also offer a number of programs designed to help individuals and departments reduce burnout, compassion fatigue, and to foster resilience. 
• House Officer Mental Health Program: The Michigan Medicine House Officer Mental Health Program has been in existence since 1996, providing a range of mental health services to a large number of house officers in all disciplines. They are committed to supporting house officers during this significant, rewarding, and often stressful stage of life. They complete over 70 new evaluations annually, evaluating and treating a broad spectrum of mental health needs, including: depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, ADHD, stress management, interpersonal difficulties, and work-life balance issues, to name a few. Additional wellness resources for House Officers at Michigan Medicine can be found here.
• House Officer Well-Being Resources: The Michigan Medicine Wellness Office House Officer Well-Being Resources site is a helpful tool, both in the recruitment of house officers, as well as to support the well-being of existing house officers.
• Facilitated Peer-Networking Sessions: Throughout the year, our HPM fellows regularly participate in a guided peer-support session, to allow for reflection and debriefing on the clinical work being done, and support one another during their fellowship training.

Apply through ERAS

Program Requirements

• Must have completed an ACGME approved residency program or osteopathic equivalent in one of the following disciplines: internal medicine, family medicine, neurology, or physical medicine & rehabilitation. Individual consideration will be given for persons trained in surgery, pediatrics, anesthesiology, radiation oncology, emergency medicine, or psychiatry.
• ECFMG certification for foreign medical graduates.
• Three recommendation letters, including one from the Program Director or Department Chair, that should be addressed directly to our Program Director. Letters should indicate that the applicant is personally known to the letter writer, and should include an assessment of medical knowledge and clinical skills.
• CV
• Personal statement reflecting commitment to hospice and palliative medicine
• No minimum USMLE score requirement, but we do appreciate receiving copies of your scores
• The University of Michigan GME utilizes the list of Medical Schools Recognized by Medical Board of California for eligibility in our fellowship program

Michigan Medicine will host all fellowship interviews virtually as the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has recommended.

Application FAQ

• When are applications due?
  While our program does accept applications through the UM fellowship website we encourage applicants to apply through ERAS.  ERAS typically opens in Mid-July and continues to accept applications until our program fills all of our positions for the following year.  The Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship program is now participating in the NRMP Match.  Therefore, it is highly encouraged that all applicants apply prior to the Match deadline which is typically in early November.
• Do you sponsor J1 visas? Yes.
• Do you sponsor H1B1 Visas? No.
• Do you accept foreign medical graduates? Yes.
• Is this an accredited program? Yes.
• Does your program participate in the "Match" process? Yes.
• Do you provide housing? We do not offer housing, but the House Officer Association has information on rentals available.

Please send your questions to [email protected].