Why did you decide to work in palliative care?
Palliative care allows me to care for patients the way I have always wanted to – by advocating for the patient and ensuring their values remain at the focal point of all care decisions. I count it an immense privilege to enter into some of the most personal and sacred moments of a patient’s life, to be fully present with them, and to use my training as a pharmacist to help alleviate a degree of suffering. I also love the “outside-the-box” challenge that inevitably comes along with this work – there is always something new to learn, and always a degree of creativity in thinking through how to best meet a patient’s needs.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Seeing the same patients months after month, celebrating the “wins” with them and grieving the losses.
The interdisciplinary teamwork of the UNC palliative care team is also a huge highlight for me – working with such a committed team that knows how to celebrate the wins together and grieve the losses together make this work a privilege.
What do you enjoy most about living in the Triangle area?
What’s not to love? There are food and restaurant options galore, lots of lovely parks to run or bike, and we are only 2 hours from the beach! There is always something to do outside and always something new to be explored.
