As a doctor of almost 40 years, US internal medicine specialist Dr Ron Naito started to suspect he may have pancreatic cancer from his symptoms and test results.

But his own doctors made such a poor job of telling him the diagnosis, that he’s devoting his final months of life to teaching students the skills of delivering bad news.

Dr Naito retired from his practice in Portland, Oregon, in August 2018, on the day he finally learned he had Stage IV pancreatic cancer.

He was given his diagnosis in a “less than ideal” way, according to a statement on the website of the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, where the doctor is mentoring medical students.