When given the opportunity to volunteer with hospice patients at the Wayne Center in Wayne, PA, I was eager to help but also a little apprehensive. My mind was fresh with the death of my grandfather, who had been diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy just years earlier, a degenerative neurological disease with no known cure. … Continue reading “Hospice Reflection”
A New Perspective
Upon first arriving at the care center, I was a bit apprehensive. Although I had received training in how to interact with the patients, the idea of actually engaging a real patient face-to-face suddenly seemed rather daunting. After all, what could I really do that would make any difference in the life of someone at … Continue reading “A New Perspective”
Cultural Collisions and Reconciliation
Throughout this year, I got the opportunity to visit patients in a hospice, meet families, nurses and others who help to make the hospice run smoothly. However, my most meaningful relationship was when I was interacting with my second patient. Since we shared a similar background in where we’ve grown up and our culture, it … Continue reading “Cultural Collisions and Reconciliation”
How My Hospice Experience Has Influenced My View on Medicine
Death does not come easy to me. I don’t think it should for anyone, but as a future doctor I know that I death is something I will be experiencing time and time again. I believe that most doctors aren’t comfortable with death. Talking about death and dealing with a dying patient is hard. It … Continue reading “How My Hospice Experience Has Influenced My View on Medicine”
A New Perspective
I was lucky enough to be with my patient throughout the entirety of the semester. Although she rarely remembered my name and the details of my background, I could tell that she recognized my face and was happy to see me. This recognition and appreciation of my presence made this experience incredibly worthwhile, especially because … Continue reading “A New Perspective”
My Hospice Experience
During my time at Villanova, I sought an interdisciplinary education focused on multiculturalism in order to become a well-rounded medical professional. My background in Cultural Studies and Healthcare Ethics contribute to my broad understanding of cultural difference. These experiences have helped me to be knowledgeable and affable around many different types of people and in … Continue reading “My Hospice Experience”
She had worked in a nursing home for a significant portion of her life
I only knew Mrs. T for a short time before she passed. My knowledge of her was constrained to such a small context. I knew Mrs. T as someone who enjoyed sitting in the sunroom just by the nurse’s station, as someone who was not afraid to ask for a hug, and as someone who … Continue reading “She had worked in a nursing home for a significant portion of her life”
I immensely enjoyed doing my best to bring comfort to the patients I visited
At the beginning of this program, I was unsure of exactly what to expect. I was passionate about gaining experience with a different aspect of medicine. Death is not commonly discussed, especially at the undergraduate level, but is an inherent part of life, and of life-saving. During the training and orientation prior to the volunteering, … Continue reading “I immensely enjoyed doing my best to bring comfort to the patients I visited”
My experiences reaffirmed my desire to be “a really weird doctor”
I always knew that the patients in hospice would pass away. After all, that’s why they were admitted to the program. But it was still a shock to me when I heard that ‘Mabel’ died before I could visit her as I had planned to do the next day. I had realized from our last … Continue reading “My experiences reaffirmed my desire to be “a really weird doctor””
Death should not prevent a physician from interacting and giving emotional support to a patient
I was often told that one of the hardest challenges a medical practitioner will face is the death of their patients. A physician must accept that no matter how skilled they are or how hard they try, there will be a number of patients that they cannot save. This grim reality did not deter me … Continue reading “Death should not prevent a physician from interacting and giving emotional support to a patient”