<p>If I could, I would recommend that aspiring physicians volunteer at a hospice. Remember that the whole premise of medicine is to prevent or delay death. But we never learn what death is until we experience the death of our loved ones. IMO, doctors should begin their training in reverse by helping those in the last few days of life. It is quite sobering to learn how to manage the pain, family dynamics and the end stages of diseases. I think it would help redirect the perspectives of most CC aspiring physicians to what is truly important. After you’ve learned how to speak to dying patients, you learn how to really care for your typical patient. I am at a loss to find the words to convey the education you get from the experience. Either I am really getting old or things finally started to click in the past year with the hospice patients I care for. I am sure your local hospice would welcome your time.</p>