Among all specialties of medicine, providing the utmost care for patients is key. Beyond a clinical diagnosis, a patient’s well-being throughout the treatment or management of a condition is a crucial part of providing quality medical care. That is where palliative medicine comes in. From August 24-30, 2025, the OMI hosted a powerful seminar on palliative care for an international group of fellows from 25 different countries spread through Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Around all regions of the globe, fellows and faculty alike share a common understanding of the importance of the quality of life of patients and their loved ones.
To lead the important endeavor of promoting the highest possible quality of care, we welcomed non other the division chief of palliative medicine of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Dr. Steven Z. Pantilat. Comprehensively explaining his field in a statement for UCSF, Dr. Pantilat shares “[…] our focus is to help people with serious illness, live as well as possible for as long as possible.” Not limited to one field, quality care must have a holistic approach, ensuring that the practice is delivered based on evidence and in the best interests of the patient and their families. Most importantly, palliative care involves a strong focus on communication and a genuine connection between healthcare professionals, patients, and their loved ones.
Along with Dr. Pantilat, we were joined by Dr. Kwame Adjepong, and Mrs. Naomi Tzril Saks from UCSF. From the University of Colorado, Dr. Christina Vaughan joined from the department of Neurology. Representing Europe, we welcomed Dr. Katerina Rusinova from the Charles University First Faculty of Medicine of Prague, Czech Republic.
Describing the seminar, Dr. Pantilat states that it “provided a strong foundation in the principles and practice of palliative care – medical care focused on improving the quality of life for people living with serious illness and their loved ones – through interactive presentations, case discussions, and role play. Our goal is to equip each fellow with core skills and knowledge of palliative care that they can integrate into their own practice, teach others, use to grow palliative care services at their home institutions, and serve as a base for additional study.”
Dr. Pantilat further adds the areas covered during the seminar: “Symptom management, decision making and communication, and psychosocial and spiritual support for patients and their loved ones. Throughout our discussions, we also focused on the care of people with neurologic diseases like Parkinson’s disease, ALS, and dementia, of which are rising in prevalence around the world demonstrating that palliative care applies to conditions beyond cancer.”
Besides didactic lectures, the faculty organized communication workshops where fellows could practice their approach to patients and families throughout the week among each other. Participants were divided into five different groups with one faculty member present, where each day they dove into different topics such as breaking bad news, advance care planning, and discussing prognosis. On Tuesday evening, faculty offered an unique opportunity to fellows to share their own stories in an additional session focused on grief and loss. “The fellows told such transformative stories, and everyone shared from their heart. I felt like the room had changed, and we had all become a community and supporters of each other by the end of the evening.”, summarized faculty member Naomi Saks.
The intercalation of lectures, workshops, and discussions open to emotional exchange made the seminar week deeply involving for faculty and fellows. As Dr. Pantilat shares, “the experience has been truly reciprocal as we have learned so much from the fellows.”
We extend a heartwarming thank you to the faculty for their generous contribution. After a great start post summer break, we are excited to continue sharing knowledge and making meaningful connections for the seminars to come!
Thi Thu Giang Nguyen, MD
OMI fellow from Vietnam
Dr. Pantilat taught us not only how to manage physical symptoms but how to truly understand what matters most to our patients. His sessions on breathlessness and the goals of care helped me see palliative care as a conversation grounded in respect, empathy, and clarity.
Denisa Mlcochova, MD
OMI fellow from Czech Republic
I presented my own case report, and I was reminded of how grateful I am to work in a place that offers such a supportive and enriching environment for palliative care. I also feel deep gratitude for all my patients, who continue to teach me so much.
Mary Zumba, MD
OMI fellow from Tanzania
In my country, palliative care is not well established and practiced. I will share the knowledge I gained with my coworkers so that we can better integrate palliative care for patients who need it; not as the end-of-life care, but a care that brings new hope and improves quality of life.
