Laughter is the Best Medicine
This essay offers a personal reflection on hospice care and celebration of life from the perspective of a medical student addressing her late grandmother.
It is indisputably difficult to be a physician as we often must attempt to balance biology, ethics and financial health in an effort to provide patients with the best care possible. In this column, however, Shivani chooses to focus on the patients whose experiences are inevitably and inherently based on inexperience and are sometimes overshadowed by the technical aspects of medicine. Therefore, she tries to step into their shoes as they navigate their illnesses and struggle to interpret their interactions with their care team. Through these reflections, she has learned the power of empathy, the importance of listening and the value of understanding a patient’s experience. Shivani hopes that sharing these stories will encourage providers to see the world from their patient’s eyes, affording everyone the care and compassion that they deserve.
This essay offers a personal reflection on hospice care and celebration of life from the perspective of a medical student addressing her late grandmother.
Medical student Shivani Sundaram underscores the daily struggles and reality faced by those with dementia and memory disorders through a recognizably “normal” conversation.