While JJ was a medical student, the authors worked on a two-part study of the stories of "good death" as they were told by palliative care patients, caregivers, physicians and nurses. In this personal reflection, de Jong (JJ), now a family practitioner and Clarke (LC), an artist and educator in medicine and health care, consider the value of such "story work" in the development of key skills for a physician. While this is the experience of two individuals, the conclusions have relevance for those engaging in story work within the context of medicine, medical education and the health care community.