School: Swarthmore

The first thing that came out of my mouth every Friday at 3 pm was, “Hey “Joseph”, what are you working on today?” Little did I know that behind that bathroom door lay a world of colorful glass and profound wisdom, waiting to shape my understanding of life and purpose. “Joseph”, a 93-year-old man I … Continue reading “Through the Stained Glass: Lessons in Life and Purpose from Hospice Care”

The ability to make a connection with someone and listen to their story, passions, and experiences has always been a favorite of mine. Though my time with my patient “Thomas” was short, it was one of my favorite experiences of this school year. “Thomas” was a wonderful and caring soul! The love and energy he … Continue reading “Year-End Reflection”

“Mom, I’m going to be a hospice volunteer next year.” I was met with worried eyes and a solemn face. “’Mira’, isn’t that going to be burdensome? I mean, you’ll have to deal with death.” Yes, but so does everyone. When I decided to become a hospice volunteer, I knew that it certainly wouldn’t be … Continue reading “The Conclusion”

In my culture, discussing death is taboo. These conversations are typically reserved for older individuals. Young people like me are obliged to avoid this topic due to its perceived scariness. However, my perspective on this difficult subject has changed drastically after volunteering in the Athena hospice program. For instance, through the program’s training, group discussions, … Continue reading “Shifting Perspective on Death: Good Death”

Going into this Hospice experience I lacked confidence and felt uncertainty over my ability to provide patients comfort and then deal with their looming death on my own. Every visit I have with my patient – “Rebecca” – has allowed me to realize that my shortcomings were only a reflection of preconceived notions. Going in … Continue reading “End-of-life Care Does Not Look the Same for Everyone”

I have had three patients during my time under Compassus. During the fall semester, I spent many hours getting to know “Beth” and “Rachel”. Rachel had the most beautiful laugh and although communicating was difficult, I was able to learn so many fascinating things about her life before she graduated from hospice. I became close … Continue reading “Growth of a New Passion”

My first visit to a hospice facility was at a well-funded center filled with attentive staff, decorations on the wall, and patients in common rooms laughing and talking. The air was filled with joy and could have been mistaken for a hotel at first glance. Every patient had their own room filled with personal belongings … Continue reading “Finding Color”

Unfortunately, I was not assigned a patient throughout my time as a volunteer at Athena Institute Hospice. Consequently, I can not write about any Hospice related patient interactions. Nonetheless, I am able to reflect on some meaningful information that I learned over the course of the program. For instance, learning about hospice care through the … Continue reading “My Experience Volunteering for Hospice”

The hospice experience through the Athena Institute is one that will forever change my perspective. As introduced by Dr. Atul Gawande, the first fear that a doctor will experience is the fear that they will not be able to most effectively treat a patient or solve their problem. Although this worry did cross my mind … Continue reading “The Importance of Being Ready”

The Hospice experience in itself was unexpected but enlightening. Although I was not able to form a meaningful relationship with a Hospice patient due to scheduling circumstances, the prompts and meetings provided the framework to comprehend the faults within the indoctrinated mentality to use medicine as a means to prevent death. Doctors are trained to … Continue reading “The Good Physician’s Battle with Death”