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 to Beth, and I learned how powerful your presence can be towards these patients. Although she felt weaker as time went on, she always smiled when she realized I was there with her and I thoroughly enjoyed the random conversations I had with her and I became excited to tell her about how my life was going. Beth passed away at the end of the semester, but I was glad I could be with her a few days before she died, and that was when I witnessed how quickly a patient’s condition can change before death. To live with this grief, I interacted with loved ones and made sure to take care of myself well. Around this time, Prompt 2.2 was released and this prompt was centered on self-care for caregivers. That prompt came in a stressful period and it reminded me to do the things I love despite the grief and exhaustion. Currently I am seeing “Trisha”, a wonderful woman who is so cheerful and attentive and it’s become a highlight of my week visiting her. Trisha has taught me how everlasting love is in your mind. Trisha has trouble with memory, but she constantly remembers the existence of her husband and children who clearly had a strong presence in her life. She does not remember their names, but she still thinks about them and how much she loves them. That memory and feeling of love is something that I want to retain even when my own memory disappears.
Overall, being a Hospice volunteer has strengthened my desire to go to medical school because it taught me that I truly value patient interactions. Establishing these emotional connections has become so rewarding, and I want to learn more about medicine and health to improve the lives of these wonderful souls. I would say that I have gone through a transformation during my time as a volunteer because my days with my patients have taught me that I love being active in healthcare rather than purely studying. Applying the knowledge I’ve learned while establishing connections fosters significant amounts of personal growth. This opportunity will strengthen my medical school applications by conveying your passion for patient level care and it will display your awareness on end of life care. Many of the issues surrounding end of life care such as poor funding, exhausting treatments, and loneliness are not well known so displaying awareness of these issues may make you stand out. During my training, I learned the importance of listening to your patient and understanding their desires and I believe more conversations should be done between the doctor and patient regarding their end of life plan. That training helped me maximize my relationships with my patients because it taught me how to communicate with patients with dementia and in weak conditions. Facilitating this conversation will allow the patient to have a meaningful end to their life.
My experience with the program has been incredibly rewarding, and it has inspired me to search for additional opportunities in patient level care.