Table 1 Surveys on undergraduate education in palliative medicine from 2006 to 2012

Response rates of medical faculties (n = 36)

18

50.0

30

83.3

31

86.1

32

88.9

Chair in palliative medicine

5

4

8

8

- Anesthesiology

5

27.8

9

30.0

8

25.8

10

31.3

- internal medicine

7

38.9

9

30.0

13

41.9

10

31.3

- neurology

2

11.1

2

6.7

2

6.5

4

12.5

- general / family practice

0

0

4

13.3

3

9.7

3

9.4

- pediatrics

0

0

0

0

1

3.2

2

6.3

- neurosurgery

0

0

1

3.3

0

0

0

0

- psycho-social care

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

3.1

- psychosomatic medicine

0

0

0

0

1

3.2

1

3.1

- radiation therapy

1

5.6

1

3.3

1

3.2

1

3.1

- Dermatology

1

5.6

0

0

0

0

0

0

- medical history

1

5.6

1

3.3

0

0

0

0

- philosophy

0

0

1

3.3

0

0

0

0

- unknown

1

5.6

2

6.7

2

6.5

0

0

- specialized palliative care units (PCUs)

5

27.8

12

40.0

24

77.4

23

71.9

- access to PCUs at academic teaching hospitals

10

55.6

21

70.0

18

58.1

12

37.5

- specialized palliative home care team^a

–

–

–

–

13

41.9

20

62.5

- complete 16 weeks of final year training

2

11.1

5

16.7

7

22.6

8

25

- short-term rotation into palliative medicine

0

0

8

26.7

11

35.5

19

59.4

- lectures

3

16.7

5

16.7

15

48.4

30

93.8

- bedside-teaching^b

–

–

–

–

12

38.7

15

46.9

- optional in-depth courses^c

10

55.6

19

63.3

21

67.7

6

18.8

- actors as patients

–

–

–

–

8

25.8

17

53.1

- e-learning

–

–

–

–

2

6.5

7

21.9

- mandatory examination

5

27.8

3

10.0

–

–

–

–

- Multiple Choice^b

–

–

–

–

10

32.3

27

84.4

- OSCE^b

–

–

–

–

3

9.7

4

12.5

- oral examination^b

–

–

–

–

2

6.5

6

18.8

- thesis^b

–

–

–

–

1

3.2

5

15.6