Before deciding to become a hospice volunteer, I would say that my view towards death was a strong portrayal of how society views death – something that should be avoided at all costs. But, through the unique readings and meetings with other hospice volunteers, my views towards death have shifted dramatically. Although I wasn’t able to develop a deep relationship with any of the hospice patients, I did learn a lot about them by implementing the techniques that we had learned. I distinctly remember the first time I met patient “J.P.” Despite his weakened condition we were still able to have a great conversation together. One of the stand-out parts of the conversation was that “J.P.” used to be an art teacher, and the beautiful painting of the Pittsburgh skyline hung up across from him was made by one of his students. This painting was something very special to him and he loved to talk about the student that made it – who was 5 years old. Watching “J.P.”’s pride shine through as he described the painting to me really illustrated how I should view death. Sure, death might be one of the two “unfixables”, but that doesn’t mean it has to be sad and depressing. As healthcare providers, if a patient is deteriorating to the point where it is clear that death might be imminent, it is important to discuss with the patient to understand what can be done to ensure a happy death. Every individual is unique and it is important to consider that when providing treatment. Just because one patient might want to be getting treatment until the very end, doesn’t mean that another patient would want that too. The article written by Haider Javed Warraich stood out to me. The way it detailed how biological systems want a death that doesn’t harm the other cells around them and importantly, how an absence of death can cause dramatic health problems. The line that stood out to me the most was the last one – “for though humanity aspires to achieve immortality, our cells teach us that a life without death is the most unnatural fate of all.” I think this quote was the final straw in my changing viewpoint. Death is a natural process and should be treated like it. The hospice program has helped me mature as an individual and learn a valuable lesson that I hope to take with me as I pursue my career in medicine. It has helped me realize that while the medical field is important and we should be helping patients with their medical conditions, at some point doctors must also acknowledge that additional treatment might not be beneficial to patients. I think this is where the value of the hospice program really stems from. It taught me that death isn’t something that should necessarily be feared. It is a normal part of life that must be taken into account. If I were to describe the value of this program for a medical school application, I would say that it has taught me that while life should always be valued, quality of life is a massive proponent of living. Living has a different definition for every individual based on their experiences and future medical providers need to understand that and provide treatment that allows the individual to live life to their definition. Sometimes it might be better to enjoy the time you have left, rather than pursue treatments that only make life more difficult. Through the one year of hospice that I’ve participated in, I’ve learned more about what death means than I could have ever imagined, and it’s made me want to become a doctor that can have the challenging discussion with a patient. I want them to understand all the options available to them even if it means ending treatment. I look forward to continuing to mature as a person by volunteering at hospice next year and learning more from the patients I visit.