It's Match Day! We could not be prouder of our team. Dan, Diann, and Rowanne have been working with our students since before the pandemic. They helped us pivot within the pandemic. They helped administer vaccines to the UIC community. So to see them fulfill their dreams of becoming a physician means the world. They're hosted by a former instructor and first year IM resident, Omar. Omar came back to teach with us in his M3/M4 phase and was enamored with learning/teaching methods. We love that he wanted to share that with our class. The episode shares reflections from medical school, establishing your purpose, and how they chose which specialty was right for them. Please enjoy Episode 7.

Omar: omar.lopez@uchicagomedicine.org
Dan: dbabia3@uic.edu
Diann: dgeorge9667@gmail.com
Rowanne: rowanne.murrar@gmail.com

Our next guest is Mohammad Abuakar. He's currently rounding out his last year of medical school! Our relationship with Moe spans 10 years and we're so lucky to be working with him as he awaits plans for residency. His experiences range from critical care paramedic on a mobile stroke unit, paramedic at a suburban fire department, education in a variety of forms, and entrepreneurship. We were actually looking for office space together when planning Chicago EMT Training and he was expanding his CPR training business as he was simultaneously interviewing for medical school in 2021. Lots of nostalgia and reflection in this episode. Please enjoy our conversation with Moe Abuakar.

For inquiries: mohammad@abuakar.com

Our next guest is Russ Alegado. She took our class back in 2016. It was actually our first and last 8 hour Saturday class. Since then, she's helped teach our EMT program, became a firefighter/paramedic, and landed her dream role with the Chicago Fire Department. Please enjoy our conversation with Russ Alegado.

Connect with her: ralegado2@gmail.com

Welcome to our Christmas episode! We invited one of our instructors, Ruthie, to come on and share her perspective as an ER Nurse on the current dynamics between prehospital providers and ER staff. She has a unique perspective since she took our EMT course in 2018 and has been teaching with us ever since. Within her 2 years as an ER RN, she's become an ECRN as well as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. We conclude the episode with our frustrations on the current state of privatized healthcare in this country. Please enjoy Episode 5 with Ruthie Picha.

Ryan has been an integral part of Chicago EMT Training. He stepped up multiple occasions in times when I was absent. It's been great seeing Ryan come into his own. I always knew Ryan was in the grind-mode era of his life with the three jobs and juggles. (Medex Ambulance, Event Medical Solutions, and Chicago EMT Training). But I didn't know how humble he really was until he shared he finished his undergraduate degree with a 4.0 GPA and recently got accepted into Physician Assistant School. We're grateful for the time he's spent with us and we're eager to see what's in store for him.

Follow Ryan: https://instagram.com/rjergo
Shoot him an email: rjergo22@gmail.com

Diego has been with us ever since he completed the course in the Summer of 2020. He is one of the last instructors that started with us at UIC. We reflect on his personal journey of deciding between MD and PA. He also goes into how to find shadowing opportunities and set yourself up for success in an interview. We couldn't be prouder of the person he's become and we're lucky to have him on our team.

https://instagram.com/diegoguzm.an

Marty and I reflect on how our Summer 2024 went as well as shared some of the pivots we're implementing as we begin our Fall 2024 program. We were recently requested for an interview on the current shortage of Paramedics so we wanted to share our thoughts here as well. Cheers.

https://instagram.com/chicagoemttraining
https://chicagoemttraining.com

Jack shares how he fell in love with Emergency Medicine through his experiences in the military. He’s someone that truly loves the medicine aspect of Emergency Medicine. So much so that he currently prefers to remain at his single role paramedic position rather than exploring dual role firefighter/paramedic positions. He became an EMT and Paramedic through Marty! He has a soft spot for serving the underserved. We explore different avenues within healthcare like critical care medicine, flight medicine, and even physician assistant school. We reflect on our three years of working together and how we can possibly improve the student experience. Please enjoy my conversation with Jack McHugh.

Connect: jackmchugh73@gmail.com