A chance encounter at a local bar with some firefighters inspired Corey Condren to quit pursuing a graduate degree in photojournalism and instead take a leap of faith onto a lucrative career path that she couldn’t see herself doing back when she was exploring jobs as a teenager.
She recalled taking aptitude tests that predicted she could be successful in the medical field, but she had this idea in her head that those students have be “massive geniuses” to pursue a medical career. The firefighters suggested she do a ride-along with a crew. That exposure dispelled a number of misconceptions.
“At the time, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t be a doctor or nurse. That’s so much pressure with people’s lives in my hand. But it was really interesting to see, how as emergency medical technicians and paramedics, these firefighters were able to work within their scope of practice, to attempt to stabilize people in the pre-hospital setting. From the very first call, I was hooked,” she said…