ABSTRACT
The hospice philosophy was an important medical development of the seventies and eighties. In the major South African cities, excellent hospice programs have been established to cater primarily to the needs of the suburbs. Hospice in South Africa has followed the traditional method of training a large number of volunteers and of contributing to the teaching and training of nurses. The focus is centered on an outreach to the impoverished townships where the need for hospice care is critical. In order to facilitate attitudinal change, the University of Cape Town initiated a practical course whereby medical and paramedical students were introduced to communities unfamiliar to them. The academic handbook for medical students describes the first year Human Biology course as follows: The Human Biology course as a whole has the objective of trying to demonstrate to students that the context of humanity is not only biological, but also historical, ecological and social. Community excursions were carefully planned and closely monitored.
