This hospice program has provided the perfect pre-medical experience to learn more about end-of-life care and has confirmed my aspirations of working in medicine. Through the video module training, group reflections, and biweekly prompts, I have been able to learn so much about hospice care and what it means to be nearing the end of … Continue reading “How Hospice Care Has Changed My Outlook on Medicine”
Program Year Ending: 2020
Program Year ending 2020
A Journey Beyond Time
Before I began this eye-opening program, I was fairly unfamiliar with hospice care and all the services that it offers. I understood that it was created to help dying patients and their families with a smooth transition from life to death. What I did not understand, however, was the untouchable level of compassion and accommodation … Continue reading “A Journey Beyond Time”
Peace and Understanding
As an aspiring physician, I have spent years learning about the intricate physiological processes that make our bodies function and the ways in which these processes can fail. I have been tested on the scientific aspects of medicine countless times already in my college years and will continue to be tested on them throughout my … Continue reading “Peace and Understanding”
When Two Artists Met
With a peaceful voice and a smile on her face, she looked at me and said, “go ahead and be a doctor.” That day turned out to be my last session with my patient, whom I will call Jane for the sake of privacy, before she passed away.. That day, she was pale and her … Continue reading “When Two Artists Met”
Companionship at All Stages of Life
Throughout the past few months as a hospice volunteer, the most important lesson illustrated to me is the essential nature of companionship at all stages of life. As a young person and college student with a strong family network, it can be easy to take for granted the consistency opportunities for conversation. Unfortunately in the … Continue reading “Companionship at All Stages of Life”
A Thank You Note
When I first met Marianne, I was taken aback. I wondered, had I met this woman before? She was certainly talking to me as if I had. I wondered if she’d mistaken me for someone else she’d met—perhaps a few days ago, but maybe a few months, or even a few decades. But as she … Continue reading “A Thank You Note”
What I Learned While Volunteering with Hospice
I started volunteering with hospice in the fall of 2019 because I wanted to give back after my grandmother was cared for by amazon hospice nurses before passing away in December 2018. I thought that this would be an experience to express gratitude and hopefully make a difference in my patients’ lives. I did not, … Continue reading “What I Learned While Volunteering with Hospice”
Maximizing the Moment
During my experience with hospice, I learned a lot about myself and the way I view death. I only had one patient, whom I felt I got to know well, and I was thankful for the chance to interact with him. I talked with my patient about his past and learned he had many hobbies … Continue reading “Maximizing the Moment”
Embracing Ephemerality
Before I started this program, I hadn’t given much thought to what the end of life is like. I didn’t like to think about death, and frankly, it’s because it scared me. In our culture, death is seen as the shutting of a door, an end to all things that we hold dearest, and something … Continue reading “Embracing Ephemerality”
More to Medicine
Before I became an Ascend Hospice volunteer, I read the book Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. In the book, Dr. Gawande discusses how technological advances in medicine have completely changed the way we think about dying and well, the way we die. I was particularly moved by Dr. Gawande’s mention of the worsening of health … Continue reading “More to Medicine”