Palliative Care Module

  • What you need to do

  • a. As a warm up, read the Palliative Care articles in the October 2006 issue of the RACGP Australian Family Physician (AFP): click here.
  • b. As a personal pre-test, do the AFP Clinical Challenge in that issue based on those articles: click here.
  • c. Mark your own pre-test AFP Clinical Challenge with the answers to be found on the third page of the Clinical Challenge in the November 2006 issue of AFP: click here.
  • d. Please keep this pre-test for upload to your learning portfolio.


  • e. The next step is to consider your learning needs. The ACRRM Curriculum Statement on Palliative Care number 4.15, and, the RACGP Curriculum Statement on Palliative Care as expanded in each section, may assist in this regard. Please download a copy of each. For ACRRM click here. For RACGP click here.
  • f. Now mark all those knowledge, skill and attitudinal objectives and competencies where you believe you have a learning need. This will help form the basis of your learning objectives and ensuing learning plan.


  • g. OK, so far so good, the next step is to decide how far you wish to go with Palliative Medicine training at this time. You have 3 options to consider.
    • i. Option 1 is to undertake and complete the Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach (PEPA) for General Practitioners in the General, Rural or Remote streams.
      For information on PEPA and the three learning components click here. For a link to the PEPA GP Learning Guide and Workbook which sets out the learning activities click here.
      Six months after completing PEPA we would like you to complete the RHSET / Medical Oncology Group of Australia online Palliative Care CME at PriMeD click here.

    • ii. Option two is to undertake a six months special skills clinical attachment in Palliative Medicine with in, out and community patient care as part of a multidisciplinary team. For more information on GPTT special skills posts click here.

      We expect you to complete the RACP Clinical Diploma in Palliative Medicine as part of any six month or longer clinical attachment. For more information on the Diploma click here.

    • iii. Option three is to consider Advanced Rural Skills training. The RACGP National Rural Faculty indicates Palliative Care may be an Advanced Rural Skills post and is in curriculum development click here.

      ACRRM does not accredit Palliative Care for primary rural and remote training, however, extended training in Palliative Care may be constructed as part of a broader Internal Medicine AST. For an ACRRM Q&A (see final Q&A) on this click here.

      For more information on GPTT Advanced Training posts click here.

      We expect you to complete the RACP Clinical Diploma in Palliative Medicine as part of any Advanced Training post. For more information on the Diploma click here.

  • h. Please discuss your learning needs and options with your Medical Educator and the Director of Training as required. We will assist you where possible with training places for PEPA, Special Skills and Advanced Training.