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”
Program Year Ending: 2022
Program Year ending 2022
The Importance of Trust
Throughout my time as a hospice volunteer, I have realized that end of life care is a lot more than providing comfort and assistance to a patient in their final stage of life. There are a lot of emotions involved and it is important to understand what the patient wants out of their hospice experience. … Continue reading “The Importance of Trust”
Invaluable Intangibles
Invaluable Intangibles My involvement with the Athena Institute Pre-Med Hospice program has challenged my vision of being a physician in a fast-paced emergency room and reshaped my rigid definition of medicine. Now, I consider my calling to healthcare as more of a call to healing than a call to cure. Reading Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal … Continue reading “Invaluable Intangibles”
Healthcare for the Dying
Having experienced the quality of care provided to relatives in my personal life who had benefitted from hospice care, I was pushed in the initial direction of becoming a volunteer just to give back to an organization that had given so much to the people in my life in their various conditions of dying. Since … Continue reading “Healthcare for the Dying”
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”