Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the questions that we are regularly asked. If this doesn’t provide you with the information you are looking for, please contact us using the link alongside. We will do our best to answer your question promptly.
- Why study palliative medicine/care?
- Why study by distance learning?
- Do I need to work in palliative care to study on the programme?
Why study palliative medicine/care?
Throughout your professional career you will care for the dying or incurable patient and the clinical skills needed here are highly specific and require effective application. Many of the skills employed by palliative care specialists are highly applicable to other specialties and an educational programme that gives you these skills will be equally valuable whether palliative care is a routine feature or just an occasional component of your role.
Cardiff University offers a comprehensive distance-learning programme with residential study periods and a substantial audio-visual component, which has a 21-year record of success. It will teach you best practice in pain management, symptom control, ethics, understanding and applying research evidence, effective communication skills, and inter-professional working. In addition to cancer-specific issues, it examines the psychological and social care aspects of patients with chronic disease. [Return to top of page]
Why study by distance learning?
Distance learning is effective. If you don’t want to take a break from your clinical practice, it is an ideal way to learn. It also fits in well with part-time work or family responsibilities.
Compared to other educational programmes (such as part-time study at a local centre) it is often better value, without the time implications of commuting and it doesn’t need you to commit to a regular pattern of attendance. It allows you to pace your learning and match it to your own requirements. You also don’t need to worry whether your job will still be available to you at the end of the course, or whether you will need to find another. [Return to top of page]
Do I need to work in palliative care to study on the programme?
No. It is important for you to realise that you do not have to be working in a hospice or other palliative care setting in order to complete your studies, as long as you have access to suitable patients for your case reflections. You may find that there are appropriate patients in your normal clinical practice to allow you to do this. [Return to top of page]