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Interpreting palliative care conversations can be stressful due to the emotions and complex terminology involved, as well as the emphasis on fostering patient autonomy and disclosing prognosis transparently. To improve the quality of care for patients speaking different languages, a palliative care physician and social worker approached the director of interpreter services offering to provide sessions to address vicarious trauma. With interpreter input, they developed a series of monthly Dialogues in Palliative Care. This paper recounts how this supportive educational endeavor became a holistic approach to medical interpreters' occupational safety and health. The relationship between the clinicians and interpreters enabled a smooth transition to weekly emotional support for the interpreters and the modeling of a culture of care during the Covid-19 pandemic. Interpreters are integral members of the health care team and are uniquely vulnerable to emotional stress. They deserve a work environment that mitigates vicarious trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Participants will self-report an enhanced ability to describe preclinical medical and dental students' reactions to early observed encounters with seriously ill and dying patients. 2. Participants will self-report the ability to appraise and apply interprofessional approaches to supporting student wellness in the context of early clinical exposure. Preclinical medical and dental student responses to early observed clinical encounters with seriously ill and dying patients reveal opportunities for faculty to support student wellness. Interprofessional HPM clinician-educators utilize approaches involving validating, educating, and empowering learners following early experiences. Lessons learned from these approaches can inform faculty development around the lived student experience and strategies for proactively supporting student wellness. Previous work highlights the value of preclinical medical student exposure to the practice of hospice and palliative medicine (HPM) and indicates that students may experience strong or unanticipated emotion in early encounters with seriously ill or dying patients. To explore the nature of students' processing of early interactions with seriously ill patients and their families, as well as opportunities for HPM clinician-educators to support student wellness in the context of these experiences. In 2023, 167 first-year medical and dental students at a large urban medical school were assigned a written reflection following a half-day faculty-mentored HPM shadowing experience and debriefing session. An HPM clinician-educator (physician, nurse, social worker, or chaplain) provided a written response to each reflection. Qualitative analysis was utilized to identify themes arising from both student reflections and clinician-educator responses. 150/167 students (90%) submitted reflections; 150/150 reflections (100%) were provided written responses by an HPM clinician-educator. Three primary student content themes were revealed: 1) strong emotions related to witnessing difficult circumstances (e.g., uncontrolled symptoms; imminently dying patients; personally resonant situations), 2) acquisition of new HPM knowledge (e.g., palliative care is not reserved only for end of life), and 3) impact of the experience on anticipated future patient care (e.g., inspiration to build meaningful connections with patients). Primary faculty response themes included: 1) validation of emotion/strategies for self-care, 2) reinforcement of/expanded detail on HPM principles, and 3) sharing personal insights and opportunities for continued professional development. Students' written reflections suggest common themes in processing observations of clinical encounters with seriously ill and dying patients. HPM clinician-educators across professions shared an approach to supporting student wellness that involved validating, educating, and empowering. Lessons learned could inform faculty development around the lived student experience and opportunities to proactively support student wellness. Resilience / Well being / Interdisciplinary Teamwork / Professionalism [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]