These conversations are not held very often. Doctors save people. A dying patient equates to failure. We know about the living process. In many cases, it's not clear whether treatment will help.
Aggressive treatments can cause nausea and pain.
CPR can break ribs and puncture lungs. Just five of 126 medical schools have a specific course in caring for the dying. Only one in four has any curriculum on dying. Proposals include clinical rounds through hospices. Next spring, MUSC may start a pilot project of partnering students with terminally ill patients.