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Joey Del Vecchio is defying stereotypes in the medical field as he studies at Quinnipiac University to become a nurse. Joey and I lifeguarded together for a few years and I wanted to learn more about his experience thus far studying medicine. 

 

I asked Joey what made him decide to go into medicine. 

 

Joey says

“I have always had an interest in science, however I have always also had the need to help people. I then realized I could combine my two passions and that is when I decided I wanted to go into nursing. My father is also an oral surgeon, so I have been exposed to the medical field for a good part of my life.”

 

I asked Joey how he feels having worked in clinicals during the global pandemic. He is a frontline healthcare worker and hero! 

 

Joey says

“Working in clinicals during these unprecedented times has been nothing short of a challenge, however many precautions are taken, which increases my safety tremendously. At first it was nerve wracking, however after a couple of clinical days, I realized I was more protected than I had previously thought, and the fact that the patient’s I was taking care of needed me really guided my confidence. I feel rewarded in the sense that I was able to contribute to the safety and well-being of others during a time of uncertainty, fear, and illness.”

 

I asked Joey how his experience thus far being a guy doing into nursing has been. Have there been biases? 

 

Joey says 

“So far I have not experienced any different treatment than my female counterparts have received which is very reassuring. In fact, I look at it as an advantage. The professors have no trouble remembering my name after the first day of class, and I am also easily identifiable on the hospital floor making communication quick and efficient which is crucial in the hospital setting. On the contrary, there is some bias against me when caring for female patients. Part of routine nursing care involves attention to sensitive areas of the body or sensitive topics, and in these circumstances I have been asked to retrieve a female nurse or student nurse to give that patient their care which is absolutely fine!”

 

I asked Joey what his advice would be to anyone considering going into medicine.

 

Joey says

“One thing I would say to someone considering going into medicine is to make sure they enjoy it. When dealing with the lives of patients, it is important you enjoy the science behind the care as well as human interaction because at the end of the day, you have to be accurate in your assessments and care plans. If you are not interested in the subject, mistakes occur at a higher rate, and these mistakes can lead to life changing effects on the patient.”

I asked Joey what his long term goals are with a career in medicine.

 

Joey says

“My long term goals regarding my career in medicine involve working in the operating room, or around surgery in general. Ideally, I would like to study anesthesia and become a CRNA. It is important to always have a backup plan given the fact that nursing has so many pathways you can follow. My backup plan would be to become a scrub/surgical nurse, where I would be assisting the surgeon in various procedures, and being around the operating room in any way, shape, or form.”

 

Lastly, I gave Joey some space to guide his narrative himself. What did he want readers to know about?

 

Joey says

“Studying medicine seems like it can be overwhelming at times (which it definitely can be). It is just important to not give up and always look forward to the main reason you decide to follow a career in medicine. Oftentimes I may joke with my peers that we should drop out and just change career paths because of the intense standards healthcare professionals are held to, however it is always in our head that we must keep going because the difficulties now are incomparable to the immense reward of positively impacting a patient’s life. It has not been easy for me by any stretch of the imagination, however my drive and passion to help overcome these obstacles, and hopefully in the near future I will be a competent, professional and effective nurse.”

 

What an incredible story. 

 

For more stories like Joey’s, check out our blog page.

 

If you would like to be interviewed, email me at [email protected]

For more information about Target Patients MD, check out our website.

Codi

Author Codi

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