My Experience Volunteering for Hospice

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 Importance of Being Ready

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 Good Physician’s Battle with Death

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”


The Value of Life and Death

During my time with hospice, I was able to learn a lot about what it truly means to die a happy death. I enjoyed the enlightenment on this topic and its importance in applying it to my own life. Along the way I have gained a variety of lessons that I wish to implement in … Continue reading “The Value of Life and Death”


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”


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”


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”


Putting my voice into it: lessons from 2022

The first solo visit I had with Hannah*, I couldn’t get a word in. Literally. It was a Saturday morning and, after some confused wandering through the facility’s winding halls, I arrived at the open door of my patient. She was napping, or at least I thought she had been when I arrived. As is … Continue reading “Putting my voice into it: lessons from 2022”


Reflecting on Passage

Over the past 6 months, I have experienced an entirely new side of medicine and healthcare. Through the connections I formed with my hospice patient, as well as group discussions and reflections throughout this period, I have gained invaluable experience and insight that has allowed me to develop my professional and personal skills. Moreover, my … Continue reading “Reflecting on Passage”


Changing My Perspective

Before I started my journey as a hospice volunteer, I was already set on the idea of medical school. I wanted to learn how people’s bodies worked, how disease affected them, and how I could save them. In a way, I guess you could say that I had a bit of a savior complex, as … Continue reading “Changing My Perspective”