Many biology majors see a career path before them that includes microscopes, 移液器和研究经费. 丹妮尔·霍华德(Danielle 霍华德)的人生道路发生了不同的转折, resulting in her rushing to the scene in an ambulance, assisting in joint replacements from foot to shoulder, 检查肾功能和呼吸机, and overseeing rounds for post-op cardiac patients in the intensive care unit.
在澳门银河网站的时候, 霍华德, ’14, worked as a teaching assistant in the biology laboratory and earned her EMT certification partly by racking up on-the-job training hours in conjunction with her service learning for the 荣誉项目. She went on to complete the Physician Assistant program at the University of Toledo and now works as a PA at Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital within The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus as well as for an urgent care facility in the area.
霍华德 is not one to shy away from a busy schedule or hard work. 在澳门银河网站的时候, 她的全部课程, three part-time jobs and active involvement in Kappa Psi Omega and the Greek Life Council helped her hone her multi-tasking skills for the life-saving work still to come. She especially credits the 荣誉项目 for giving her experience in shaping her own future by way of choosing and designing coursework to best suit her interests, 无论是个人还是职业.
“The 荣誉项目 taught me how to assert my independence and how to approach academic success,”她说。. “就像，‘这是你需要做的，现在去飞吧.’”
According to 霍华德, she picked Heidelberg so she wouldn’t get tunnel vision with her degree. In her Physician Assistant program at UT, she was given strict coursework and timelines. But Heidelberg gave her the independence and space to think for herself and to acquire self-imposed time management skills.
这些技能在她在俄勒冈州立大学的新职位上派上了用场. 一直在演戏, 字面上的, as the orthopedic surgeons’ right hand in the operating room in her previous post at Ohio 健康 – a few of 霍华德's duties included creating ACL grafts and closing after surgery – she realized she missed being involved more closely with the medical management side of care. That is why she went from interpreting the grunts and sighs of surgeons to anticipating their every need to now overseeing post-op care in the cardiac ICU. She assesses patients as a whole and has the authority to put in orders for their care and medicinal needs. She even is on-hand should there be any complications that would require the recovery bed to become a make-shift operating table involving cracking the chest back open to save a life.
In addition to working in the cadaver lab and as a teaching assistant at the Berg, 霍华德 made sure to take quite a few religion courses. 为什么? She wanted to expand her worldview and acquire more patience and understanding in order to provide her patients with the most well-rounded care possible.
“People without this education may not ask certain questions. 他们可能只是没有意识到. She cited as an example pre-emptive inquiries to female Muslim patients about their comfort level with a male doctor or if they would rather she treat them instead. Or, discussing alternative options to blood transfusions with Jehovah Witness patients ahead of time should the need arise during their procedure.
正如霍华德解释的那样, 如果你不提前问这些问题, then you are left back-tracking — which is never ideal in sensitive situations such as surgery.
She also credits her liberal arts education for giving her a greater respect for outside expertise. 霍华德 admits she can acknowledge what procedure or specialty may not be her forte, and she is not shy to ask for help from those better suited around her.
研究工作或药品销售之外的工作, some students may major in biology to give them a leg up for 入学 into a nursing or medical school. 霍华德 is passionate about the fact that there are so many alternative pathways students can seek out.
In addition to the Athletic Training program at the Berg, 霍华德引用了其他医师助理的例子, 麻醉师和外科医生, who also happen to be Student Prince alumni she has encountered as examples. 在一天的谈话中, 霍华德 learned that one of the orthopedic surgeons she was working with at Ohio 健康 also hailed from HU. Dr. Nathaniel Long, ’94, mentioned 吃午饭 one day and a lasting connection was solidified.
“You find these alumni in pockets of the world you never knew existed,” she explained. She advises current and future student to utilize that network to both get experience (such as internships or part-time jobs) and to harness those connections when they are seeking permanent positions or graduate school entry.
“这都是关系的问题.”,, 在一个小的, 像澳门银河网站这样关系紧密的学校, there are plenty of opportunities to forge those important bonds both with classmates who are destined for success and with graduates who are on the top of their game.