Currently, the extent of palliative care instruction varies considerably across and within the three major phases of the physician education and training process. This analysis of current educational efforts in palliative care is based on information obtained from a survey conducted of all United States medical schools, surveys conducted on United States residency programs, and discussions with people involved in the medical education and training process. Results show that physicians receive varying amounts of instruction in palliative care topics as they progress through 4 years of medical school and 3 to 8 years of subsequent specialized training in a residency program. Each of the seven palliative care areas in the survey was required by 56% or more of the 125 medical schools responding. About half of the 7,787 specialty and subspecialty residency programs educated students in end-of-life care. Some of the medical schools offered palliative care as a student elective; some did not offer it at all. Nonetheless, the survey finds that many medical schools show interest in providing additional instruction and training in palliative care. Also covered are the plans of the United States Department of Health and Human Services for funding palliative care projects. Scope and methodology, U.S. medical school survey results, and U.S. Residency Program survey results are appended. (MKA)