Something I didn't expect when I started medical school—the importance of negotiation and 'selling'. Doctors are constantly negotiating with patients, which includes 'selling' them on a particular diagnostic or treatment plan. Those who do this best meet that patient halfway. They empathize with the patient's situation while estimating their health literacy (which requires knowing your patient) and think creatively how to present options in a logical, understandable way. And that simple sentence encompasses what 7 years of training is largely about.