Burnett School of Medicine Curriculum Helps Students, Community Members Navigate Grief
The Burnett School of Medicine Physician Communication team developed a unique curriculum to train medical students how to help patients and their family members process grief.
FORT WORTH – Ava Hekmati is learning how fragile life can be during her medical education training.
“Finding the balance between the relationship with death in the medical field and my personal life has been something I’m still trying to understand,” said Hekmati, a third-year medical student at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University.
The Burnett School of Medicine Physician Communication team developed a unique curriculum to train medical students on how to help patients and their family members process grief. Through discussions, reflection and small-group breakout sessions, students explore how empathy and self-awareness can strengthen patient care in the community while supporting their own well-being.
“As a school of medicine, we are committed to serving others in ways that support patients, their families and the broader communities in which they live,” said Erin Nelson, Psy.D., Associate Dean of Physician Communication.
One of the main ideas discussed is the concept of a “good death” and a “bad death.”
“This course has made me think of my own death in the future,” Jordan Chung, MS-2, said. “I think this helps me think of the life I do want to live.”
The innovative curriculum is also being adapted for community organizations such as Make-A-Wish North Texas.
“While much of the physician communication curriculum for our students focuses on patient care,” Dr. Nelson said. “Its core elements — human connection, empathy, teamwork and communication — are universally applicable and can translate effectively across allied professions.”
Dr. Nelson and her team recently shared some grief management concepts with Make-A-Wish staff members.
Make-A-Wish staff often face many emotional challenges when working with children and parents who are experiencing the emotional intensity of illness and loss, according to Patrick O’Malley, Ph.D, Assistant Professor at Burnett School of Medicine.
“They become attached to their clients and they experience loss when a child dies,” Dr. O’Malley said. “As with our medical students, we want to help the staff balance the drive for excellence with the imperfections we all bring to what we do.”