Palliative Medicine: How Meeting the Dyings Turned Me Toward Medicine

I have grown to love and admire the work of physicians who treat terminally ill patients. Though my experiences in the Palliative Care Unit were in defiance to my earlier dreams of curing diseases and saving lives, I have grown to appreciate the practical aspects of a physician’s life. As my romantic views of medicine metamorphosed into pragmatic ones, I began to realize that one can gain satisfaction not only through curing diseases, but also, through helping someone feel better by listening to their stories, and serving as a support as they struggle to grasp their fate. Here in the Palliative Care Unit, I learned that making ethical considerations could become an everyday matter in a physician’s life. “Should we continue with treatment? Or, should we allow the patients to live the remaining days with friends and families without the undesired effect of chemotherapy?” Posing these questions, though uncomfortable, are often part of a physician’s job. Shadowing in the Palliative Care Unit, I began to understand that the role of a physician could extend beyond the pen and the prescription pad. Sometimes, issues such as “who will cook for the frail patient” may become a concern of a physician. As I reflect on my experiences in the Palliative Care Unit, far from turning me away, it got me more interested in confronting the challenges of a physician, and most importantly, I learned the significance of approaching the patient as a whole, and not only as a vessel for illness