Medical and nursing schools in the United States have traditionally had a limited emphasis on end-of-life care. The present study is a comparison of these 2 professional programs' current offerings on death education. Data were gathered via a mailed survey from the 122 medical schools in 2005 and the 580 baccalaureate nursing programs in 2006.…

The author discusses national survey data showing that seven of 107 medical schools have a full-term course in the area of death and dying, 44 have a minicourse, 42 have a lecture or two, and fourteen have no formal courses. A multidisciplinary approach tends to be stressed by the majority. (JT)

Medical education has offered limited assistance to the medical student encountering death for the first time. Courses on the social and psychological aspects of dying in medical school curricula are examined. (MLW)

Examined medical school education on relating to terminally ill patients based on data from national surveys conducted in 1975, 1985, and 1995. The number of schools offering occasional lectures or short courses on death and dying increased from 80% in 1975 to 82% in 1985 to 90% in 1995. (MDM)

The object of this research is to determine if medical schools in the United States are offering death education. The study is basically reportorial. Rationale for the study and a review of selected literature are stated. An increased emphasis on death education in recent years is found both in the literature and the data presented here. The…

Surveys from 1975 and 1980 of U.S. medical schools' offerings in death education are compared. Changing attitudes of practitioners on death by having medical schools focus on the social-psychological aspects of dying and death as part of their curricula is suggested. Physicians and theologians are proposed as facilitators. (Author/MLW)