Survey of oncology fellows’ end-of-life training

8032 Background: Caring for the dying is a core competency for oncology practice, yet no rigorous assessment of oncology fellowship training in end-of-life (EOL) has been undertaken. We aimed to assess the education, knowledge, and preparation of oncology fellows in EOL care and to compare EOL training with other aspects of fellowship training. Methods: A convenience sample of 120 ASCO 2004 pre-conference attendees responded to a 112-item questionnaire, which assessed fellows’ attitudes, training, experience, knowledge and preparation in key EOL care topics. Results: Respondents were: 51% male; 58% White, 26% Asian; 20% first year, 38% second year and 28% third year fellows. Overall, 20% had completed a hospice or palliative care rotation. Education - EOL v. Overall: Fellows rated EOL education less highly than their general fellowship training (Mean: 2.6 [+/- 1.2] v. 2.4 [+/- 1.0]; p < .001). Fellows viewed attendings as more expert in non-EOL than EOL care, such as, managing spinal cord compression vers...