PracticePC: Interprofessional Continuing Education in Palliative Care for Practicing Clinicians
Palliative care is an interprofessional specialty focused on symptom management, quality of life, relief of distress, and communication so that care decisions are consistent with personal values, for patients who are living with serious illness and their families.
The UCSF Interprofessional Palliative Care Continuing Education Course (Practice-PC) was created in 2015 to address a workforce shortage that is a key limiting factor in the dissemination of palliative care.
Program features:
- In-person interactive learning
- Small interprofessional cohort
- Expert interprofessional faculty, including nursing, physician, social work, and chaplain leads
- Training in core domains of clinical palliative care
- VitalTalk-style in-depth communications training
- Focus on professional wellbeing
- Mentorship from program faculty and peers
Curriculum includes:
- Interprofessional assessment
- Pain and symptom management
- Psychosocial and spiritual wellbeing
- Interprofessional practice
- Ethics and advance care planning
- Palliative care within the health system
- Anticipatory guidance
- Last hours and bereavement
Who Is This Program For?
This program was developed to meet the needs of working professionals from a range of disciplines and work settings across the greater Bay Area. We encourage all professionals to apply, including but not limited to nurses, advanced practice providers, physicians, chaplains, community-based clergy, social workers, pharmacists, nursing aides, case managers, psychologists, therapists, family support coordinators, administrators and interpreters.
Prior participants include professionals who:
- Regularly work with seriously ill patients and want to improve their palliative skills
- Want to develop or lead programs in palliative care
- Champion palliative care in their institutions
- Desire an in-depth introduction to the field
- Plan to transition into the field of palliative care
Format and Schedule
This program is designed as a longitudinal, small group experience over the course of 9 sessions. This format maximizes interaction between students and faculty and among students, and promotes students’ ability to integrate learnings into their clinical practice.
In-Person sessions occur from 9 AM - 5 PM and will be in person at the Partnership Health Plan offices in Fairfield, California, 4605 Business Center Drive, Fairfield, CA 94534, except for March 26, 2027 which will take place at Fernwood Cemetery in Mill Valley, California. Virtual sessions will take place from 9 AM - 1 PM via Zoom.
Don’t let transportation be a barrier! We will do our best to arrange carpools from Amtrak, Bart, Ferry, and other central locations
Tuition
Program Tuition for 2026 - 2027 cohort: $2,500
If you would like to attend the course but the tuition is a barrier, please contact us and we will see if we can assist with finding a partial sponsor for you.
Tuition includes a maximum of 30 hours of continuing education credits. Please contact us with questions.
Application Process and Requirements
We can accommodate approximately 40 participants for the 2026 - 2027 cohort. All health professionals who wish to gain additional training in palliative care are invited to apply. (Prior training in palliative care is not required).
Applicants must have completed the initial degree and required licensure and/or certification for their profession. The cohort selection is based on commitment to the field and planned impact, and to yield a cohort with participants from a range of professions, work locations, and backgrounds.