When I first learned about Hospice and what it entailed, I experienced a range of emotions. At first, it was something I very much was interested in doing, until others started to refer to the emotional burden it would entail. That was when my interest turned into apprehension, especially as those around me casted doubt … Continue reading “A new side of medicine”
Confronting Death
When I first stepped foot in a hospice facility, I was unsure of what to expect. Although I was accompanied by my supervisor who would be giving me an introduction to my patient, there was this overwhelming sense of dread; it was like a pit in my stomach. “Hospice is where people go to die,” … Continue reading “Confronting Death”
Life Lessons at the End-of-Life
Undoubtedly, there is a general fear and discomfort surrounding death. People are quick to ask why I would ever want to volunteer to visit hospice patients instead of choosing something more uplifting. The answer is simple: The patients I’ve met are more than diagnoses and life expectancy calculations. My experience with hospice has taught me … Continue reading “Life Lessons at the End-of-Life”
The Importance of Hospice Care Experience for Pre-Meds
In the past, I have spent countless hours volunteering in the hospital and working as a medical scribe. I would constantly be surrounded by patients, but have never been able to truly connect with any of these individuals. I would only see them once or twice before they would be discharged. Therefore, when I saw … Continue reading “The Importance of Hospice Care Experience for Pre-Meds”
The Importance of Trust
Throughout my time as a hospice volunteer, I have realized that end of life care is a lot more than providing comfort and assistance to a patient in their final stage of life. There are a lot of emotions involved and it is important to understand what the patient wants out of their hospice experience. … Continue reading “The Importance of Trust”
Invaluable Intangibles
Invaluable Intangibles My involvement with the Athena Institute Pre-Med Hospice program has challenged my vision of being a physician in a fast-paced emergency room and reshaped my rigid definition of medicine. Now, I consider my calling to healthcare as more of a call to healing than a call to cure. Reading Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal … Continue reading “Invaluable Intangibles”
Healthcare for the Dying
Having experienced the quality of care provided to relatives in my personal life who had benefitted from hospice care, I was pushed in the initial direction of becoming a volunteer just to give back to an organization that had given so much to the people in my life in their various conditions of dying. Since … Continue reading “Healthcare for the Dying”
Putting my voice into it: lessons from 2022
The first solo visit I had with Hannah*, I couldn’t get a word in. Literally. It was a Saturday morning and, after some confused wandering through the facility’s winding halls, I arrived at the open door of my patient. She was napping, or at least I thought she had been when I arrived. As is … Continue reading “Putting my voice into it: lessons from 2022”
Reflecting on Passage
Over the past 6 months, I have experienced an entirely new side of medicine and healthcare. Through the connections I formed with my hospice patient, as well as group discussions and reflections throughout this period, I have gained invaluable experience and insight that has allowed me to develop my professional and personal skills. Moreover, my … Continue reading “Reflecting on Passage”
Changing My Perspective
Before I started my journey as a hospice volunteer, I was already set on the idea of medical school. I wanted to learn how people’s bodies worked, how disease affected them, and how I could save them. In a way, I guess you could say that I had a bit of a savior complex, as … Continue reading “Changing My Perspective”