<p>The medical humanities developed in the second half of the 20th century in response to challenges of mechanisation and dehumanisation in medicine. Humanities disciplines like literature and art and social sciences like anthropology and sociology served to ameliorate reductionistic tendencies in medicine and ensured that medical trainees developed a deeper understanding of patient experiences and perspectives. The medical humanities bequeathed to medicine a capacity for self-critique and highlighted ways in which medicine could provide more humane care to patients. One challenge, however, that remains inadequately addressed is the task of providing a solid humanistic formation to physician trainees who are preparing to care for patients at the end-of-life. This essay thus considers the role of medical humanities in the formation of physician trainees who will care for dying patients. We seek to identify specific ways in which we improve the humanistic formation of doctors so as to prepare them to care for dying patients. We close with recommendations for how to adapt medical education and training so as to include a more robust immersion in medical humanities content focused on death and dying.</p>