Core Practice of Palliative Care

Core Practice of Palliative Care is a new course that will provide primary palliative care education for adult and pediatric interprofessional clinicians of all specialties. The course has been designed and led by an interprofessional team of adult and pediatric clinicians and is intended for all members of a palliative care team. This is an opportunity to join a generous learning community, build skills and knowledge in a rigorous and efficient three days, and to learn with exceptional faculty from across the Harvard Medical School network.

Offered through the Harvard Medical School Center for Palliative Care, this is an intensive, three-day immersive course designed to meet the evolving educational needs and practice realities of interprofessional clinicians who care for patients with serious illness. Building on the longstanding legacy of Palliative Care Education and Practice (PCEP), this redesigned course represents the second part of a three-course series. It follows Foundations of Palliative Care, offered in October 2025 (in person) and January 2026 (virtual).  

Core Practice of Palliative Care emphasizes deliberate skill expansion and applied practice through case-based discussions, role-playing with simulated patients, and guided reflection. Participants will have multiple opportunities for supported practice with structured feedback, allowing them to expand and hone essential the primary palliative care skills required across care settings. Participants will strengthen their confidence in comprehensive assessment and management of patients and families living with serious illness, while broadening their interprofessional community, deepening self-reflection, and cultivating sustainability in their work. Clinicians will leave with practical skills and strategies they can immediately apply to day-to-day clinical practice.

Course domains include:

• Whole-Person Assessment and Management 
• Serious Illness Communication
• Community Building and Self-Reflection

Core Practice of Palliative Care is designed for patient-facing clinicians from across disciplines and specialties who seek to expand and strengthen their palliative care skills. It is ideal for clinicians interested in enhancing their primary palliative care skills, palliative care champions, clinicians joining palliative care teams without prior fellowship training, and fellowship-trained clinicians seeking to refresh, deepen, and sustain their skills.

We strongly encourage palliative care teams to participate together and to benefit from having a shared experience and developing a common language. Group discounts are available – please contact us at pallcare@partners.org to learn more.

Learners are not required to have taken Foundations in Palliative Care to enroll in this course, though a clinical background and experience caring for seriously ill patients and their families is strongly recommended.