Even though I am no longer planning on working in direct patient care, I find great value in my experiences this year in hospice care. Many of the skills I have learned from this experience have accumulated with each visit I made. Whatever path I choose, these values and skills will be at the forefront … Continue reading “My Growth in Healthcare”
Time Is A Gift
I first met Peter who was a patient suffering from Parkinson’s Disease back in September. The first time I met Peter, I had extreme difficulty speaking to him and understanding the words he spoke. I remember, right after that visit, I had utterly convinced myself that Peter would be a difficult patient to visit and … Continue reading “Time Is A Gift”
Looking the Inevitable in the Eyes
Before I had even returned to school, I had instilled the idea of the “two unfixables” – these being, according to Atul Gawande, aging and dying – into my mind. I knew that signing up to be a hospice volunteer would place onto me heavy responsibilities, one of them being to accept the prevalence of … Continue reading “Looking the Inevitable in the Eyes”
Thoughts from a Hospice Volunteer
I was initially unsure about joining this program due to my preconceived opinions on death and avoidance in topics surrounding death. I thought all doctors were to avoid death at all cost, and if this rule wasn’t abided, a doctor would be considered a failure. As it turned out, I was not the only person … Continue reading “Thoughts from a Hospice Volunteer”
What Patients Need Most: Empathy
This past summer after I was accepted into this program, I was on the other side of Hospice care. I watched one of my close cousins battle cancer and eventually she was put on hospice. Within just a week on hospice, she passed. After that, I was extremely nervous about doing this program because I … Continue reading “What Patients Need Most: Empathy”
Moments of Grace
As we played Evening Bells for “Jane”, I could see it touch her soul in a way words could not express, and tears begin to fall. “Jane”, in her late 90s, has a quiet strength and a deep love for music, particularly opera. Evening Bells is her favorite song—a piece that reminds her of simpler, … Continue reading “Moments of Grace”
How Volunteering in Hospice Transformed My Perspective
During my time volunteering in hospice care, I had the privilege of forming a meaningful relationship with one of my first patients, a former basketball coach. For the purposes of privacy protection, I’ll call him John. He was a warm and pleasant man, and our interactions developed into a bond similar to that of a … Continue reading “How Volunteering in Hospice Transformed My Perspective”
The Simplicity in Life’s Complexities
I have always been eager to learn, and I truly value how individual and unique the lives of humans are. We are all so complex and so beyond complete understanding of one another, so when I began my Hospice journey in September of 2024, I was most excited to sit down and hear of the … Continue reading “The Simplicity in Life’s Complexities”
Learning to Be Flexible
My most meaningful Hospice patient relationship was with my first one, who I will call Mary. Mary has been my patient throughout the entire time that I have been in the Athena Program. She has been my biggest lesson during my time as a hospice volunteer. When I first started in September, I was ready … Continue reading “Learning to Be Flexible”
An Eternal Experience
Becoming a volunteer through the Athena Institute Pre-Med Hospice Volunteer program has greatly shaped my approach to patient care as well as life in general. By meeting with hospice patients at a local nursing home, I have learned much from their experiences and have gained so many new perspectives. In the assignments and the reflection … Continue reading “An Eternal Experience”