The Care You Provide and the Care Provided to You

Through the 2021-2022 school year, I have been able to volunteer with two different patients. In the fall I briefly (only one visit in person) volunteered with “Patient 1”. This was my first in person experience with Heartland Hospice and came after about a year of remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was … Continue reading “The Care You Provide and the Care Provided to You”


Having deeper thoughts about death

Even though I did not get to visit any patients for Hospice, I was able to learn a lot from doing the reflections. I think this experience has allowed me to engage in very deep thoughts about aging and dying. I learned that aging and dying are the only “unfixables” thus they are problems the … Continue reading “Having deeper thoughts about death”



Finding a Cure

Unfortunately, due to the lasting effects of the pandemic, I was unable to meet with any patients and help them and their families through their hospice journeys. However, all that I have learned going through the training process has led me to think differently about the medical field and my values as a future member … Continue reading “Finding a Cure”


A new understanding of biomedicine

The notion that death and old age are beyond our control, and that sometimes we need to let go sounds archaic– Of course, it does. We live in a world that is highly technocentric, and the thought that “we are all going to age and die one day” has lost its value. This value loss … Continue reading “A new understanding of biomedicine”


Reflections of a Second year Athena Institute Hospice volunteer

This year was my second year as part of the Athena Institute Pre-Med Volunteer program. I have already graduated, and this past year, I applied to medical school. I put extra effort into reflecting about my experience as part of the Athena program so that I could articulate it well in my application and at … Continue reading “Reflections of a Second year Athena Institute Hospice volunteer”


A new side of medicine

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”