How many years have you been a PA?
A little over 13 years.
How many years have you been with OrthoCarolina?
I only joined OrthoCarolina in September of 2017 but worked in an orthopedic practice on Long Island, NY for 12 years before relocating to the Carolinas.
What made you decide to become a PA?
I have always wanted to work in a field or have a career where I can help people. That is just the way that I was raised. My mother was an ER nurse and my father was a NYC fireman. My sister ended up becoming an ER nurse and my older brother is now a NYC fireman. Everyone in my family has a career where they give more than they receive at work and that was the driving force behind my decision. I also wanted a career that was going to be financially stable to allow my family to have the most enjoyable life possible.
What is a big challenge in your job?
I think the biggest challenge with my job is time management. Working in medicine is not a nine to five job so there are times where you don’t see your family as often as you would like. As a PA you're dealing with patient’s lives and their ability to function as human beings. You can’t just check out on them at 5pm because that’s when you “supposed” to go home. Working as a surgical PA in orthopedics is even more demanding because you deal with emergencies and sometimes work late into the night and also during the weekends. You have to find that happy balance between work and your family life. PAs are very dedicated to their careers and can sometimes get wrapped up in what they do which can take away from important things outside of work.
What do you enjoy about your job?
I like being around people so I am glad that I work in a profession where I get to treat and interact with a large number of people. Whether it’s my patients, coworkers, hospital employees, fellow PAs or the physicians at OrthoCarolina. I also love to learn and in the medical field you are constantly learning and evolving. You have to stay current in medicine in order to continue providing top quality care for your patients. That need to stay current makes our jobs different from many others and keeps things from getting boring and repetitive.
When you were younger what did you want to be when you grew up?
A professional athlete. I love the competition and the money isn’t bad either!!
Tell us a fun fact about yourself or something that people might not know about you:
I played lacrosse for the coach that has the most wins in US history for both the high school and college levels. My high school coach was Joseph Cuozzo at Ward Melville High School on Long Island, NY and my college coach was Jim Berkman at Salisbury University. Over a four year period from my junior year of high school until my sophomore year of college I won and lost a state championship lacrosse game and also won and lost a national championship game at Salisbury University. I wasn’t the best player but I worked harder than most athletes and was named the captain of my college team for my senior year.
Anything else you want us to know about your job?
I am very excited to join such a talented surgeon in Dr. Barrett Little down in Rock Hill to provide excellent care for the patients of southern Charlotte and the northern parts of South Carolina. I have been a PA in orthopedics for over 12 years and will use my knowledge and expertise to continue OrthoCarolina’s stellar reputation down in Rock Hill.
Watch for a new Meet the PA each month and get to know our physician assistants.
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