Over the course of this hospice program, I have found that hospice care offers a unique perspective on life and the importance of human connection. While hospice is often associated with death and grief, I have found that it is also a space full of love and hope. Through spending time with those nearing the end of their lives and talking with peer volunteers, I came to understand death with an entirely new perspective. In Dr. Atul Gawande’s documentary on Being Mortal, there was a gentleman that described his last days on earth as some of his favorite days, being surrounded by those he loves and coming to terms with death. This changed what death meant for me. I previously saw death as something that most people feared and avoided, but seeing how the man in the video, as well as my patients during volunteering, didn’t seem to fear death allowed me to see that it was not something to be scared of. Reflecting on my experience in this program reveals to me how supporting individuals during one of their most vulnerable moments of their lives can be humbling, full of hope, and deeply meaningful.
Through conversations with my patients, I’ve learned that most of them have a similar opinion on what truly matters in life. As they sit nearing the end of their life and I am closer to the beginning of mine, many of them have told me to not dwell on little things. When asked about my week, I would often talk about exams or assignments coming up but when my patients talked about their week, they would focus on who came to visit and old stories of how much that person meant to them. It seemed that we had very different priorities and I learned that I might be focusing on the wrong things.
Working with hospice patients has made me truly realize how short life is. People spend so much time focusing on their careers in the pursuit of becoming successful, that we often forget what really matters. After these months of visiting hospice patients, I’ve learned that connecting with those around us is an aspect of life that really matters and often gets overlooked. Many patients have told me that they look forward to when I visit and that they really enjoy seeing us volunteers. Though I had only known them for a couple months, it was so encouraging to know that I’d made an impact in their lives and my human connection mattered to them.
Hospice volunteering has been such a valuable experience for my future career goals. I have learned that patient care extends far beyond clinical treatment, and the main goals of a physician become presence, empathy, and learning. Spending time with hospice patients has allowed me to understand the significance of being present and listening to patients and exposed me to difficult topics about mortality while helping me navigate losing patients. Dr. Gawande states that being a good physician involves more than being competent academically, but includes how they can interact with others and learn from mistakes. It is impossible to avoid death, but a good physician will work to ensure that their patients receive the best possible care, even if that means helping them through the journey of death.