The Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at the University of New Mexico (UNM) is a 12-month, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited program that offers a distinctive opportunity to train in a setting that blends academic excellence with a deep commitment to community care. As the only academic medical center and Level 1 Trauma Center in New Mexico, UNM provides fellows with a dynamic and diverse clinical environment where they learn to care for patients with serious illness through a whole-person, trauma-informed lens.

This one-year fellowship emphasizes the importance of addressing all dimensions of suffering - physical, emotional, spiritual, cultural, and existential. Fellows are immersed in interdisciplinary care, working closely with teams that include physicians, nurses, social workers, spiritual care, and other specialists. Together, they develop care plans that reflect each patient’s values, goals, and lived experiences.

A unique feature of the program is its focus on serving New Mexico’s under-resourced populations, particularly rural Native American communities. As a safety net hospital in a rural and ethnically diverse state, UNM offers fellows the chance to engage deeply with issues of health equity, cultural humility, and social determinants of health. Fellows are encouraged to approach care with curiosity, respect, and a commitment to justice.

Training spans a variety of settings, including inpatient consults at UNM Hospital and the Albuquerque Veterans Affairs Medical Center, outpatient clinic, adult and pediatric hospice, and clinical electives. This breadth ensures that fellows graduate with the clinical skills needed to provide high-quality palliative care across the continuum. In addition to clinical work, fellows participate in scholarly projects, quality improvement initiatives, and community engagement, fostering leadership and academic growth.

Graduates of the UNM fellowship are prepared to lead with compassion, advocate for vulnerable populations, and deliver care that honors the whole person. For those seeking a program that combines rigorous training with a mission-driven approach to medicine, we invite you to apply to our program.