Ever thought about working in the medical field? Perhaps it's time to learn a little bit about Dr. Erik Rueckmann, an attending physician at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Rueckmann, a 1996 graduate of Geneseo who earned a medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University in 2002, works in the emergency room, serves as a physician for the Office of Pre-Hospital Care at the University of Rochester, and is the medical director for an urban ambulance service.
By working with emergency medical services (EMS), Rueckmann is able to provide education, conduct research, and support operations through medical direction. His work in the emergency medical field allows him to "see people of all walks of life, and gives [him] an opportunity to make their lives better." A career in the emergency medical field is an exhilarating task that allows individuals to tend to patients ranging from the need for a place to sleep, to patients requiring immediate intervention to keep them alive. "I like the unexpected…in a half an hour, you may deliver a baby while pronouncing someone dead in the next room…every patient has a story to tell," states Rueckmann.
When asked why he participates in the Alumni Career Partners program, Rueckmann reminisced about the friends he had, a summer of research, the legacy of living in the Meadows, and the daunting task of getting into medical school. He explained how Geneseo's pre-med community guided him through the application process. He now understands the importance of giving back to a place that helped get him where he is today. Rueckmann's advice to students: "Take your time in college. Find out who you are and what your interests are. Becoming a physician necessitates that you have life experience to create an empathetic/compassionate bedside manor, coupled with a solid academic foundation to provide the knowledge/critical thinking needed as a clinician. Geneseo provides a great atmosphere to obtain both."
For more information on Rueckmann and other Alumni Career Partners, visit the Career Services Web site at http://careers.geneseo.edu, and watch The Lamron each week for a featured Career Partner. The Alumni Career Partner Profile is a joint program between the Undergraduate Alumni Association
(UAA), Career Services and The Lamron.