Are you interested in a medical career but not sure what you can specialise in? Perhaps being a Palliative Care
Doctor is the career for you!
We have gathered all of the insider information on what it means to be a palliative care doctor including what an ordinary day looks like, the future of this career, career prospects and so much more.
那你还在等什么？让我们直接进来！
见到弗兰克博士Brennan
What is a Palliative Care Doctor?
Steps to Becoming a Palliative Care Doctor
未来的前景
Best Thing & Worst Thing
Advice for Aspiring Palliative Care Doctors
见到弗兰克博士Brennan
弗兰克·布伦南博士是a palliative care physician based in Sydney。他与一个团队合作helps care for patients with cancer, kidney disease and motor neurone disease.
Frank currently works atCalvary Hospital in Kogarahand is澳大利亚勋章（AM）的成员for his service in palliative medicine and medical education.
除了他的医疗生涯，弗兰克还written a series of stories drawn from his work that were broadcast on ABC Radio National.
您是如何最终担任这个角色的？
弗兰克回忆起从小就对药物感兴趣after experiencing a very emotional death in his family.
He says, “As I did medicine, palliative care was only starting to develop.As it began to be taught I got curious about the field and started training in the specialisation.”
研究和经验
弗兰克研究了postgraduate degree in medicineat university before later specialising in palliative care.
To be a palliative care physician您必须首先完成研究生医学学位。Graduates will then通常是初级医生几年。
There are two routes to specialising in palliative care:
-
- Physician training with special exams, followed by advanced training OR
- 在另一项学科中工作，例如一般练习，然后进行三年的高级培训
You can find out more about specialist physician training requirements in Australiahere。
图片来自澳大利亚皇家医师学院
What made you want to work in this industry?
“我的故事可以追溯到我十几岁的时候。When I was thirteen years old my brother Tom, who was only eleven years old, died of bone cancer.他的诊断和死亡之间只有三个月。”弗兰克分享道。
“For me, witnessing how quickly things changed for Tom, the care he received and also the effect that his death had on my parents [led me to my career].Obviously this was a very sad time and a time for grief, but also I started thinking about what a doctor could do and what is the role of a doctor. That was really the origin of me beginning to think of doing medicine.”
What is a Palliative Care Doctor?
A palliative care doctor’s main role is “caring for a patient and their family where the patient has a serious illness which will probably lead to their death,” Frank says.
很大程度上，姑息治疗医生将是照顾患有癌症，心脏病，肺或肾脏疾病或运动神经元疾病的患者。
Frank’s job is tohelp the patient and their family in providing physical comfort as well as addressing the emotional and spiritual dimensions of dying.
Palliative care physicians与护士，物理治疗师，职业治疗师，营养师，社会工作者和牧师护理人员团队合作to look at how the people are feeling and how they are experiencing things.
Roles and Responsibilities
During a typical day, a palliative care physician willvisit each of their patients in hospital or a hospice and check on how they are feeling and going.They will alsocheck in with the family to see if they have any concerns about what is unfolding and ensure that they are also looking after themselves以及他们的身心健康。
姑息治疗医生是负责在诊所看到疼痛或恶心的人。They also visit people in their own homes to make sure things are going okay and to address any significant issues.
Frank finds visiting people in their own home very fulfilling, as he isable to fully support these patients in what is, to them, a comfortable and familiar setting.
Which industries can this career be found in?
Palliative care doctors work in thehealth care and social assistance industry.
研究is another aspect of palliative care that is rapidly changing and developing overtime.
What jobs do people sometimes confuse this with?
Although palliative care is not often confused with other jobs, it is人们普遍认为，姑息治疗仅适用于死于癌症的人。
姑息治疗实际上可以从诊断出任何疾病的诊断之时，使任何患者受益。
Characteristics and Qualities
Frank says that您需要的主要技能在姑息治疗医生的职业中如下：
| Skills | 描述 |
|---|---|
| 对人类的广泛意识 | Frank says, “As doctors we’re very trained about the physical aspects of the human body, but in palliative care our perspective becomes very broad in terms of not only physically how the person is, but also emotionally and spiritually how they’re feeling.” |
| A high focus on comfort | High level skills dealing with symptoms like pain, nausea and shortness of breath. |
| 卓越的沟通 | Being able to sit with people who are upset, distressed or grieving and being able to listen to them and care for them. |
| Caring for a dying person | Knowing what to do when a patient is dying and being very attentive to the aspects of death. |
| 同情 | 深入了解患者及其家人的经历，以提供最佳的护理。 |
“人们对我说，这一定是每天都很艰难的工作，and it is and it would truly be very difficult if I was witnessing suffering over and over again without being able to do anything about it…the essence of our work brings us to a sense of professional contribution, knowing that we’re helping people helps us a lot and so does knowing that we are helping the patient and their famil是的，”弗兰克说。
Steps to Becoming a Palliative Care Doctor
What should you study?
如前所述，完成研究生医学学位后有two routes that lead to specialising in palliative care.
There are高中毕业后可以直接申请的一些本科医学课程， 包含：
Clickhereto find out more about the undergraduate and postgraduate pathways to get into medicine.
作为姑息治疗医生需要高水平的医疗技能，但也需要非常发达的人际交往能力这往往来自一个人的生活经历。
弗兰克承认you must be a certain kind of person to have a successful career in palliative care.
How long does it take to become a Palliative Care Doctor?
After completing a four to six year medical degree, prospective palliative care physicians must在姑息医学医生的监督下，完成了三年的全日制培训。
It can certainly take a while before you are recognised as a certified palliative care physician!
Find out more about training pathways for palliative care doctorshere。
What will this career look like in the future?
像大多数医学领域一样，随着研究不断发展，姑息治疗是一个有趣的领域。
这个职业如何需求？
According to工作前景，姑息治疗是澳大利亚最大，增长最快的行业的一部分。
Requiring a very high skill set,专门从事姑息治疗的医生总是需求量很高, and needed to help patients struggling with life-shortening illnesses.
薪水
| 薪水 | 未来的增长 | 技能水平等级 |
|---|---|---|
| $258,000+ | 在接下来的5年中温和 | 技巧非常高 |
有影响力的趋势
According to the NSW government, there are五个通用原则姑息治疗，我们在下面总结了：
-
- Principle 1:Care is patient, family and carer centred
- 原理2：Care provided is based on assessed need
- 原理3：患者，家庭和护理人员可以使用本地和网络服务以满足他们的需求
- 原理4：护理是基于证据的，临床和文化安全有效的
- 原理5：Care is integrated and coordinated
- 原理6：Care is equitable
要了解有关姑息治疗的六个原则的更多信息here。
The Future of this Industry
弗兰克认为,缓和医疗行业s expanding in quite a few ways. He says that historically, palliative care was devoted to cancer patients but isnow rapidly unfolding to include other life-shortening illnesses like motor neurone disease.
He also believes thatthere is lots of scope for developing palliative care internationally, particularly in third world countries and where humanitarian disasters have occurred。他说，姑息治疗行业鼓励这个新的重点和感兴趣的领域。
Best Thing & Worst Thing
What do you enjoy most about this job?
Frank says thatit is very rewarding for him to be able to make a big difference in the lives of dying patients.
他说见证患者与家人之间非常温柔的时刻是有意义的, and that, “witnessing the grace of people in the midst of very trying circumstances, and witnessing that very closely, is a great privilege.”
What do you feel is the toughest part of this job?
弗兰克承认他的工作中最艰难的方面是与年轻人在一起，因为他们几乎没有开始生活。
He finds it especially difficult when young people have small children themselves, who may not remember their mother or father.In these situations, Frank and his team would encourage that person to keep memory boxes or write letters for their children to be read at big life events, as a way of maintaining that connection with them.
Advice for Aspiring Palliative Care Doctors
What do you wish you had known before you started working in this career?
“I would have liked to have known thatyou don’t need to be completely perfect in the beginning, that you can mature and understand better as time goes on,” Frank reflects.
He encourages prospective palliative care doctors to对自己更加温柔，并向他们的团队寻求支持。他也强调自我保健，休息时间和工作兴趣的重要性。
Why should people consider taking on this career?
弗兰克建议学生keep an open mind in terms of what they might like to do as a career并始终追求他们的利益或激情。
他说specialising in palliative medicine is a particularly rewarding career path for a physicianbut emphasises that palliative care is “certainly not for everyone.”
Job Flexibility
姑息治疗医生通常工作时间，通常从上午8点至下午5点, with the palliative care team taking turns being on call with nursing staff to provide advice on patients experiencing difficulties.
Frank says that鼓励年假并且在这项工作中很重要有时间为自己，在需要的地方休息一下。
What is the workplace culture like?
The workplace culture experienced by palliative care doctors is excellent.
弗兰克说，作为一个团队，palliative care workers are aware of the stressful aspects of their work and provide plenty of support to one anotherthrough humour and gathering socially outside of work as well.
在团队之外，没有人完全知道是姑息治疗医生的需要，所以重要的是要在团队内建立一个建立的网络和连接。
Kellie Maloneyis a driven and passionate writer who likes to flex her creative muscle on the daily. Currently, she also works as a Junior Content Writer at ClassBento, a rapidly growing startup that she is super proud to be a part of. When she is not writing for ClassBento or Art of Smart Education, Kellie can be found writing trashy poetry, cooking (barely) edible food or watching YouTube videos.
