School: Bucknell

In the U.S., people are constantly working and moving, never stopping to accept that one day they will slow down drastically as they approach the end of their life. Overall, I think my single hospice experience has taught me to live how I want and to slow down and appreciate the small moments I have … Continue reading “Learning to Slow Down in a Death-Defying Culture”

I’m leaving the last visit with my patient before spring break. I’m holding her hand, as she requests during visits. Being partially blind and deaf, she likes to feel reassured by feeling someone else’s presence by her side. “Are you coming back?” she questions me. “Yes,” I responded, “I’ll be back in another two weeks”. … Continue reading “The True Root of Hospice Care – Social Connection”

At the end of the fall semester last year a patient who we’ve been with for over a year passed away. At first it was hard because we were close to her and her family. After she passed we were given another patient who ended up passing around one to two weeks after we met … Continue reading “My Hospice Experience”

Through the Athena Hospice Volunteer Program, I was fortunate to spend meaningful time with two patients. The first was a patient suffering from cardiac and neurological complications, who shared inspirational experiences with me. She expressed how, in her early life, she pursued higher education and became the first occupational therapist at her hospital. After settling … Continue reading “Mortality & Morality: My Hospice Volunteerism Experience”

Through my experience as a Hospice volunteer over the past year, I have connected with my patients, grown in my understanding of what patient care truly means, and I recognize myself as a more well-rounded pre-medical student. I have been seeing my current patient since August of last year and have grown quite fond of … Continue reading “How Hospice Changed My Understanding of Patient Care”

Engaging in the Athena Pre-Med Hospice Volunteering Program has been an incredibly humbling and eye-opening experience that has helped shape the way I view patient care. Working with hospice patients has both confirmed my desire to go into medicine and shown me some of the emotional challenges that come along with caring for the sick … Continue reading “A New Perspective: My Growth & Experience as A Hospice Volunteer”

I knew long ago that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine, but my initial understanding of what such a career would entail was, in retrospect, incredibly lacking. While I had a basic understanding of what end-of-life care might involve in the practical sense, I did not know what it would look like. For … Continue reading “Quiet Moments and Retrospection”

When I first walked into a hospice facility, I expected something somber and static. I expected to find a place where the air felt thick and grief surrounded me. What I found instead, in the form of a 99-year-old woman named “LC”, was a profound lesson in the art of being present, and a reaffirmation … Continue reading “Hospice: The Other Side of Medicine”

Having a meaningful Hospice patient relationship has similarities to being a good physician, because of the kindness and compassion needed to provide the best care for their patients and to provide them and their family comfort regardless of the situation. It’s important to have a good balance of compassion as you always want to care … Continue reading “Final Reflection and Thoughts”