Training and preparation of 5th year medical students on terminally ill patients
Keywords:
palliative care; terminal illness; undergraduateAbstract
Introduction: Palliative care is a multidisciplinary approach that seeks to prevent and alleviate pain and suffering—whether physical, social, psychological, or spiritual—in terminally ill patients and their families.
Objective: To identify the level of training and preparation of fifth-year medical students regarding terminally ill patients.
Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, quantitative study was conducted with 20 fifth-year medical students in the municipality of Bartolomé Masó Márquez, Granma province. The study period was between September and October 2025. Primary data were extracted from a structured survey comprising three sections: demographic data, training, and professional practice. The results were entered into an Excel 2010 database. The information was processed and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results were expressed as absolute frequencies and percentages and presented in tables.
Results: 90% of the students were in the 22-24 age group, and 75% were female. 100% reported having received specific training in face-to-face courses. 85% perceived their training in caring for terminally ill patients as insufficient, and 75% felt ill-prepared.
Conclusions: Fifth-year medical students perceive deficiencies in their training and preparation regarding the care of terminally ill patients.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Aleida Santamarina Fernández, Irina López Sánchez, Marcia Santamarina Fernández, Alberto Sánchez Ríos Sánchez Ríos, Nerys Lena Tamayo Sire, Marinés Quiñones Ponce
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May 15, 2026
