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. 2020 May-Jun;33(3):481-483.
doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2020.03.190291.

The Unexpected Volunteer

Henry Bair  1
Affiliations
Free article

The Unexpected Volunteer

Henry Bair. J Am Board Fam Med. 2020 May-Jun.
Free article

Abstract

In this narrative account, the author, a medical student, describes his encounters with several inpatients at a community hospital. He becomes acquainted with a patient's son, who, initially withdrawn, over the course of his mother's hospitalizations transforms into a compassionate volunteer. This change is made especially evident when the author meets another patient who recognizes the volunteer and reveals his very different past.

Keywords: Community Hospitals; Empathy; Inpatients; Medical Students; Volunteers.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: The author does not have any conflicts of interest with the subject matter in the manuscript.

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