2 answers
Aaliyah
Student
Palmer, Alaska
2
Questions
Asked
323 views
When did your journey to healthcare start?
Where did you start first? How long did it take to finish your first goal?
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2 answers
Deb Weber, MBA, MSRS, RCIS
Lab Assistant
13
Answers
Boise, Idaho
Updated
Deb’s Answer
Greetings Aaliyah,
What a great open-ended question! I predict you will find many insightful answers.
My journey began when I was quite young, and I used to attend medical training with my Mom when she served on our local fire department. I knew how to get an intravenous or intraosseous IV before I learned to drive.
I loved the learning so much I never really questioned whether I wanted to go into healthcare. So, when I was 18 I became an EMT like Mom. The years of twice monthly medical training meant that I was familiar with most concepts before I took my written and practical exams and passed.
Then I really couldn’t decide on a career (personal struggles with school made me doubt I could go further). I spent a decade as a volunteer EMT and also worked a full-time job at the hospital as a phlebotomist (you will likely find many people have done both these jobs before their better paid medical careers).
I’m really glad - though it took me a long time to figure out my next career steps - I was exposed to every patient demographic you can think of in both my beginning careers. This gave me such valuable insight into neonatal intensive care, cardiac care both pre-hospital/emergency and monitoring, diagnostic, and surgical hospital techniques. I saw dialysis patients, oncology, trauma, psychiatric, pediatric, and many from both emergency and longer-term treatments.
Long story short, that’s how I was finally able to decide I wanted to pursue a career as a cardiac cath lab technologist.
While I would never trade my experience for anything, I do wish I had been brave enough to try the “big” things (like becoming a nurse, doctor, medical lab scientist, or imaging technologist SOONER!
My advice to you is: find a way to turn hurdles (like no family support or not being good in math) into steps on your path to do something you love. It is ULTRA rewarding when you know you just gave top-shelf doesn’t-get-better patient care and you love working with your team to make it happen and vice versa.
By the question you asked I think you’re well on your way to your healthcare career and will be successful no-matter what career you choose.
Take care! Hope my story was useful to you and others!
What a great open-ended question! I predict you will find many insightful answers.
My journey began when I was quite young, and I used to attend medical training with my Mom when she served on our local fire department. I knew how to get an intravenous or intraosseous IV before I learned to drive.
I loved the learning so much I never really questioned whether I wanted to go into healthcare. So, when I was 18 I became an EMT like Mom. The years of twice monthly medical training meant that I was familiar with most concepts before I took my written and practical exams and passed.
Then I really couldn’t decide on a career (personal struggles with school made me doubt I could go further). I spent a decade as a volunteer EMT and also worked a full-time job at the hospital as a phlebotomist (you will likely find many people have done both these jobs before their better paid medical careers).
I’m really glad - though it took me a long time to figure out my next career steps - I was exposed to every patient demographic you can think of in both my beginning careers. This gave me such valuable insight into neonatal intensive care, cardiac care both pre-hospital/emergency and monitoring, diagnostic, and surgical hospital techniques. I saw dialysis patients, oncology, trauma, psychiatric, pediatric, and many from both emergency and longer-term treatments.
Long story short, that’s how I was finally able to decide I wanted to pursue a career as a cardiac cath lab technologist.
While I would never trade my experience for anything, I do wish I had been brave enough to try the “big” things (like becoming a nurse, doctor, medical lab scientist, or imaging technologist SOONER!
My advice to you is: find a way to turn hurdles (like no family support or not being good in math) into steps on your path to do something you love. It is ULTRA rewarding when you know you just gave top-shelf doesn’t-get-better patient care and you love working with your team to make it happen and vice versa.
By the question you asked I think you’re well on your way to your healthcare career and will be successful no-matter what career you choose.
Take care! Hope my story was useful to you and others!
Hailey Hamilton
Nurse
96
Answers
Canton, Georgia
Updated
Hailey’s Answer
I fell in love with the medical field at an early age. My sister came home from the hospital as an infant with an apnea monitor. I took my first CPR class at 9. I graduated LPN school in 2008 and got my license in 2009. I started my first nursing job shortly thereafter. I worked hard and got my first management position as a unit manager at a skilled nursing facility in 2017. I began running an assisted living facility in 2021. I’m now working in nursing administration at a skilled nursing facility as a wound care nurse.