If anyone had asked me in 2013 where I would be in ten years, I never would have guessed where I am today. I started performing as a theater actor when I was four years old under the guidance of my father, who has worked as a professional actor in Boston my whole life. Eventually, I pursued that dream through a BFA degree, small roles in film and television, and a short-term contract with a touring Shakespeare company. In 2015, I moved to Colorado where I acted as a Standardized Patient for the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. My background in theater primed me for my eventual role as a Communication Facilitator and Coach. That job brought me into the center of Emergency Medicine simulations working alongside precepting Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, and Physician Associates. In 2018, I became a National Registry EMT and set my sights on becoming an Emergency Medicine Physician Associate.
Fast forward to 2023. By night, I work as an EMT in a Level 1 Emergency Department and study Microbiology flashcards between patients. I pour over irregular cardiac rhythm strips and quiz myself on potential diagnoses after triaging incoming patients. By day, I take classes at the University of North Carolina and run my two kids between school, soccer and taekwondo. I foster orphaned kittens for Beautiful Together Animal Sanctuary and throw pottery pieces on the wheel at my community clay studio. But I’m not a superhero, I’m a person who needs excitement and variety to succeed at any one of my roles. I would be remiss not to mention that I have an incredibly supportive spouse and a close-knit group of lifelong friends to keep me together when I start spinning out.
The original idea for this blog came to me in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic brought public health information and misinformation into the front of popular discourse. I was and still am frustrated with how inaccessible evidence-based health information can be, and how easily people are fooled by those who misrepresent themselves and their data. My Microbiology course presents me with an opportunity to act on that idea. My role models for this blog include two of my favorite podcasts: This Podcast Will Kill You and Maintenance Phase, available wherever you get your podcasts. My goal as I go on to become a Physician Associate is to promote accessible health information to my community and hopefully improve health outcomes for the folks I care for.
What's That? 