ISM- INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS

Student Name:
Printed Name of Person
Interviewed:
Role of Individual:

Marc Roettger

Period:

1st

Lisa Freeman

Business Address:

X Mentor _/__Other Professional #1 ___Other Professional #2

Lay Volunteer with Hospital Chaplains at Houston Methodist Hospital
Certified Candidate for Ordained Minister in the United Methodist Church
6565 Fannin, Houston, Texas 77030

Phone Number:

713-858-1270 Personal Phone Number

Date of Interview:

April 18, 2016

Place of Business:

Type of Interview: __/_ In Person ___ Telephone* __ Email*

*Documentation Required (Attach E-mail to Interview Verification Page)

1. For someone working in your field, please describe the fantasies versus realities of the job.
(fantasy vs. reality)
As a Lay Volunteer, it is easy to think that everyone is receptive to you. In a perfect world most patients
would be easy to approach, have the same values, belief system, and would smile at you. Another fantasy would
be that everyone gets to go home healthy. Reality is you will never know what personal struggle you will
encounter. In my visitations there is a mix of Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, and Jewish. A great part of the
patients have noted in their information as No Religious Preference. I have been fortunate to encounter a
person that did not want me in their room. They never said anything and stared at me with piercing eyes as the
caretaker quickly replied that they would be okay. At the same time while I walked out of the room I felt
embarrassed, but then I realized he is in the crisis.
I have also learned the responsibilities of a vocational Hospital Chaplain are working in response to
emergencies at the hospital. Besides just offering ministerial helps, the Chaplain is needed to bring peace and
understanding to a stressful health emergency. There are times chaplains will be needed in a tense situation with
an agitated individual. Many times it is not about talking to someone, it is more about encouragement, listening
in peace as a caring compassionate person. I learned also from college classes Medical Anthropology and
Psychology that a person needs to be heard in order to fully feel encouragement during a health crisis.
2. What is your current educational level? What continuing education and training are required?
(educational level and requirements)
At this time

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I have a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.

I have been an Exploring Candidate in the United Methodist Church for a year and have been
mentored by a group of Methodist ministers.
I have been recommended to the level Certified Candidate in Ministry and will be attending
Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University.
The requirements of a Hospital Chaplain are Masters of Divinity, Ordination and Clinical Pastoral
Education (CPE). (CPE is a residency as a Chaplain in a hospital or hospice for one year.)

To apply as a Lay Volunteer at The Houston Methodist Hospital it was required that I write a paper
describing my experiences with hospitals and health care and how I applied my faith to each situation. I
interviewed with the chaplains and was accepted into the Lay Volunteer training at the hospital. This lasted a
month and shadowed with a Chaplain at the hospital. After training they assigned me to work with cancer
patients, due to my work experience with Oncologist and Hematologist office.
The Spiritual Care Department offers quarterly continuing education classes, such as further training with
the hospital procedures of hospitality, how to visit with a patient that list No Religious Preference and other
informative topics.
3. Please describe the typical day to day activities of someone working in your field.
(day-to-day activities)

My supervisor Chaplain Chuck Hawkins will prepare a visitation roll of patients at the cancer floor in the
Methodist Hospital. The patient list is from 10 to 18 patients.

I will prepare by reviewing the patients information, age, religion, and how long they have been in the
hospital.

Visit all patients on the roll. This includes the Isolation Wing for transplants and regular patient rooms.
The staff recognizes some patients need to talk and the Head Nurse will make special request for patients
that are having a rough day with health or family situations.

Each visit consist of :

Introduction. Small gestures of hospitality. Inquire of how they are doing.

We were told in the training session that most patients will think you are a chaplain. They will give you
their health history, hopes, and disappointments.

Depending on the visit I will ask if I can pray for them before I leave the room.

My visits can last from 3 minutes to 45 minutes. I am not on a time schedule. Priority is the patient and
making sure they know they are cared for and given respect.

4. How secure are you in your current position? What do you think is the future of your field?
(job security)
Security as a volunteer is always positive.
As for the actual future of chaplains working with patients, I am optimistic and I am cautious. The
current status of church attendance goes down as some people explore faith. This down side of attendance may be
reflected with individuals in need of spiritual care as they search for the answer of why they have a disease.
However when people face illness and possibility of the end of life, the human nature becomes active in
searching for help and a meaning for life. The healthcare team is there to take care of the physical needs. A
chaplain is there through talk therapy and encouragement.

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5. What is a typical (average or lowest to highest) salary of someone working in your field?
(salary)
$31,000.00 to $64,000.00 a year.

6. What potential for growth is there in your field?

(growth potential)
First of all I am not pursuing Chaplaincy for growth in my field. Success is measured differently when
you are there to assist individuals find hope and see grace in their life. If I have helped one person, that is a
success. As a Christian, I see growth as constant. This is a ministry of my heart. The medical team is there to
help with physical health, I am there to help mentally support the individual through the crisis.
Outside of my philosophy on becoming a chaplain, there is a chance to grow within a corporation as:
Training chaplain for volunteers
Teaching CPE classes to resident chaplains.
Becoming a Director of Spiritual Care at a Hospital.
***Questions 7-10 will be created by the ISM student.
7. What got you interested in your particular field?
Through personal experience I have found a deep love and devotion to help assist individual through
health problems. I have sat with loved ones as they have passed away. I have visited friends in hospice and
reached out to help a couple know how to talk to each other about death. I was my mothers caretaker for eight
years. The most important thing I learned is that I needed God in my life to help me through it all. When you see
the desperate tired look in a mother and fathers eyes while living at a hospital during their childs health scare, it
makes you want to help.
Now I feel God put it on my heart to be of help to those individuals through encouragement, mental
breaks, talk therapy and just listening.

8. What was the most difficult obstacle for you to overcome getting into your field?
My self-doubt was a huge obstacle. But I believe you have to learn from mistakes and apply them to your
life to help overcome the next hurdle. I now see a gift that I have to help patients and caregivers during crisis.

9. Is this a job you plan on doing for the rest of your working life?
This is my dream job.
Let me explain through my experience.
I had the honor of listening to a mother that had a bone marrow transplant, vomiting, weak, crying and
depressed. She had been through chemo that was designed to destroy her bone marrow; she was still losing her
hair. Along with her physical pain, she was mentally sorrowful and afraid that she would not see her son
Revised Fall 2013

graduate. I spent 40 minutes with her listening about how the medicine made her sick. She told me about her son
and his hopes for college. The patient cried as she told me about searching for God at various churches. Before I
left, I prayed for her cares and concerns. I got to visit her the next week, she was doing better and ready to go
home.
I also had the honor of visiting with a young male that was healthy and followed a strict health diet. He
began losing weight and went to the doctor. His doctor could not find a heartbeat. After emergency medical test
they found he had a tumor between his heart and lungs. They quickly put him on Life Flight for surgery to
remove the tumor that was blocking his lungs and pushing on his heart. He is actually feeling peaceful. He has
not been a part of organized religion. But he does feel there is a God and that God will help him in these days of
deep crisis.
As a volunteer, I only get to visit with these patients once a week. As a chaplain I can continually visit
the patients and find ways to offer more encouragement and lead them to find help outside of the hospital.

10. How many hours per week do you put into your job?

I volunteer one day a week with Houston Methodist Hospital. My hour of visitation starts at
1:00pm and can last for hours or just 30 minutes.
Once I become a Chaplain, I will work under normal working hours of 40 hours a week. There
will be some overtime. But when you follow your heart in a dream job, you are happy to do the work.

Interview Summary
What information from this interview will you select for your page typed,
bulleted list of research informationto be used in your presentation?

Revised Fall 2013