Instruction on death and dying for the medical student.

With instruction on death and dying beginning to be included in the curricula of many medical schools and the likelihood that this development will spread, it is timely to examine the best ways in which the subject can be taught. The most important need at this stage is the creation of objectives. Nine objectives have been briefly outlined which have either been reported on by teachers in the field or which seem to be pertinent to death education. The focus on objectives rests on the premise that the format and content of courses will follow largely from the goals that are selected. Questions of who should teach death and dying, when it should be taught and what format should be used, are discussed.