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Molly E. Collins, MD, FACP
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- Clinical Locations
- About
- Education and Training
- Patient Stories
- Research Profile
- Publications
Clinical Locations
Primary Location
Fox Chase Cancer Center
333 Cottman Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19111
About
Director of Medical Education, Supportive Oncology and Palliative Care Program
Assistant Professor, Department of Hematology/Oncology
NCCN, Distress Management Panel Member
Treatment Focus
Supportive and Palliative Care; Cancer Pain Management
Treatment Philosophy
I was incredibly excited to join Fox Chase Cancer Center after completing my fellowship in Hospice & Palliative Medicine in the Harvard Interdisciplinary Program in 2016. Fox Chase has a reputation for excellence in providing innovative, patient-focused cancer care, and I was struck by the warmth of its faculty and staff. It was clear that I would fit in well with the superb interdisciplinary palliative care team, who work hand-in-hand with other clinicians to provide supportive and palliative care while patients pursue top-notch cancer treatments.
I was drawn to a palliative care philosophy from an early age. Helping to care for relatives at home with hospice taught me the importance of a holistic approach to care that relieved symptoms and addressed the family as much as the patient. After studying the history of medicine as an undergraduate and volunteering in a hospice, I knew I would eventually pursue a career in palliative care. During medical school, even as my interest in palliative medicine deepened, I developed a love of outpatient medicine. In particular, primary care championed many of the same principles that I cared about: holistic care, quality of life, respect for autonomy, and communication. This led me to pursue a primary care residency in internal medicine and subsequently work as a primary care physician for several years.
To me, palliative care captures the essence of medicine at its best: we listen carefully to our patients’ values and provide care that best respects these values. As a specialist in palliative care, I partner with patients’ care teams to optimize quality of life by alleviating cancer- and treatment-related symptoms, helping patients and their families navigate tough decisions, and supporting them through serious illness. I am also eager to train the next generation of palliative care clinicians and will be the program director of a Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship beginning in 2018. This work is my calling, and it is a true honor and privilege to help people as they encounter serious illness.
Education and Training
Educational Background
- Fellow, Harvard Interprofessional Palliative Care Program, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 2015-2016
- Intern and Resident, Internal Medicine, Primary Care Program, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 2009-2012
- MD, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 2009
- BA, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 2004
Certifications
- American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 2016
- American Board of Internal Medicine, 2012
Memberships
- American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
- American College of Physicians
Honors & Awards
- Jefferson Ambulatory Attending Award, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 2014
- C. William Hanson II Prize for Outstanding Primary Care Resident, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2012
- Excellence in Care of the Older Adult House Officer Award, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2011
- Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, Harvard Medical School, 2009
Patient Stories
Joseph Daly
Brain & Spinal Tumors
Joseph Daly
Brain & Spinal Tumors
I’m an active guy. I like to fish, play golf, travel, dance, and go off-roading. When something goes wrong, rather than sitting around feeling bad, I do anything in my power to remedy the situation. In 2013, this philosophy was severely tested when I was diagnosed with a rare cancer.
Research Profile
Research Interests
Palliative Medicine; Patient-Physician Communication; Medical Education
Publications
Selected Publications
Collins ME, Block SD, Arnold RM, Christakis NA. On the prospects for a blame-free medical culture. Social Science & Medicine. 2009; 69(9): 1287-1290.
Collins ME, Block SD, Arnold RM, Christakis NA. Responsibility and reflection: Understanding our responses to perceived errors. A response to Woodward, Lemer and Wu. Social Science & Medicine. 2009; 69(9): 1294-1295.
Sung AD, Collins ME, Smith, AK, Sanders AM, Quinn MA, Block SD, Arnold RM. Crying: Experiences and attitudes of third year medical students and interns. Teaching & Learning in Medicine. 2009; 21(3): 180-187.
Collins M, Crowley R, Karlawish JHT, Casarett DJ. Are depressed patients more likely to share health care decisions with others? Journal of Palliative Medicine. 2004; 7(4): 527-532.
Clinical Locations
Primary Location
Fox Chase Cancer Center
333 Cottman Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19111
Director of Medical Education, Supportive Oncology and Palliative Care Program
Assistant Professor, Department of Hematology/Oncology
NCCN, Distress Management Panel Member
Treatment Focus
Supportive and Palliative Care; Cancer Pain Management
Treatment Philosophy
I was incredibly excited to join Fox Chase Cancer Center after completing my fellowship in Hospice & Palliative Medicine in the Harvard Interdisciplinary Program in 2016. Fox Chase has a reputation for excellence in providing innovative, patient-focused cancer care, and I was struck by the warmth of its faculty and staff. It was clear that I would fit in well with the superb interdisciplinary palliative care team, who work hand-in-hand with other clinicians to provide supportive and palliative care while patients pursue top-notch cancer treatments.
I was drawn to a palliative care philosophy from an early age. Helping to care for relatives at home with hospice taught me the importance of a holistic approach to care that relieved symptoms and addressed the family as much as the patient. After studying the history of medicine as an undergraduate and volunteering in a hospice, I knew I would eventually pursue a career in palliative care. During medical school, even as my interest in palliative medicine deepened, I developed a love of outpatient medicine. In particular, primary care championed many of the same principles that I cared about: holistic care, quality of life, respect for autonomy, and communication. This led me to pursue a primary care residency in internal medicine and subsequently work as a primary care physician for several years.
To me, palliative care captures the essence of medicine at its best: we listen carefully to our patients’ values and provide care that best respects these values. As a specialist in palliative care, I partner with patients’ care teams to optimize quality of life by alleviating cancer- and treatment-related symptoms, helping patients and their families navigate tough decisions, and supporting them through serious illness. I am also eager to train the next generation of palliative care clinicians and will be the program director of a Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship beginning in 2018. This work is my calling, and it is a true honor and privilege to help people as they encounter serious illness.
Education
Educational Background
- Fellow, Harvard Interprofessional Palliative Care Program, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 2015-2016
- Intern and Resident, Internal Medicine, Primary Care Program, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 2009-2012
- MD, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 2009
- BA, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 2004
Certifications
- American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 2016
- American Board of Internal Medicine, 2012
Memberships
- American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
- American College of Physicians
Honors & Awards
- Jefferson Ambulatory Attending Award, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 2014
- C. William Hanson II Prize for Outstanding Primary Care Resident, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2012
- Excellence in Care of the Older Adult House Officer Award, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2011
- Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, Harvard Medical School, 2009
Research Profile
Research Interests
Palliative Medicine; Patient-Physician Communication; Medical Education
Publications
Selected Publications
Collins ME, Block SD, Arnold RM, Christakis NA. On the prospects for a blame-free medical culture. Social Science & Medicine. 2009; 69(9): 1287-1290.
Collins ME, Block SD, Arnold RM, Christakis NA. Responsibility and reflection: Understanding our responses to perceived errors. A response to Woodward, Lemer and Wu. Social Science & Medicine. 2009; 69(9): 1294-1295.
Sung AD, Collins ME, Smith, AK, Sanders AM, Quinn MA, Block SD, Arnold RM. Crying: Experiences and attitudes of third year medical students and interns. Teaching & Learning in Medicine. 2009; 21(3): 180-187.
Collins M, Crowley R, Karlawish JHT, Casarett DJ. Are depressed patients more likely to share health care decisions with others? Journal of Palliative Medicine. 2004; 7(4): 527-532.
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