Jared Ross earns paramedic certificate at HFC – after earning his M.D.
At first, Dr. Jared Ross – a physician specializing in emergency medicine – was a guest lecturer in HFC EMS Program Director Shannon Bruley’s classes.
Not long after, he became one of her students in the EMS class.
“I spoke with Shannon about my desire to complete a paramedic degree. I’d done my EMT (emergency medical technician) basic when I was 17 at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). I’ve been certified as an EMT in California, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C. While volunteering at a fire department in Pittsburgh, I started paramedic school, but I never completed it. I was trying to get through college and working several side jobs,” explained Ross, of St. Louis, MO.
"I've always been interested in EMS"
Ross enrolled in the Paramedic program at HFC in March 2018. He tested out of several course requirements and finished his certificate in June 2018. He will take the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians – Paramedic (NREMT-P) exam at the end of 2018.
“I’ve always been interested in EMS,” he said. “I felt that being a physician would allow me to further the field of emergency medicine and emergency medical services (pre-hospital emergency medicine), a board-certified sub-specialty of emergency medicine.”
Medical education
A native of California, Ross graduated from the Oakwood School in North Hollywood in 2003. At Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, he earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry and biomedical engineering in 2008 while working for Eastern Area Prehospital Services and Carnegie Mellon EMS. After which, he spent two years in Washington, D.C. working for the American Red Cross.
He attended medical school at A.T. Still University (ATSU) in Mesa, AZ, graduating in 2014. Upon graduation, Ross completed his internship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Mercy Hospital and his residency at Ascension St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, which brought him to HFC.
“Fourteen years later, I finally finished,” said Ross. “It was always an aspiration to finish what I started. Even though fellow doctors and paramedics would ask, ‘Why are doing this? You’re already a physician,’ I wanted to show my dedication to EMS as a profession and to finish something that I had started long ago that was near and dear to my heart.”
A unique perspective
Currently, he is completing a fellowship in emergency medical services at Washington University in St. Louis and is expected to graduate in June 2019.
“As a fellow, I spend 12 hours/week in the ER and about 24 hours/week in the field, primarily working with EMS personnel, although I work with fire and law enforcement agencies as well. I even have a take-home emergency response vehicle. I love going out to North St. Louis County and running calls with the crews up there,” he said.
Ross brings a unique perspective to the medical field, serving as both a physician and paramedic at the same time.
“Having seen both sides of the equation – pre-hospital and in-hospital – I try to focus on helping students bridge that gap,” he said. “I’m just as comfortable interacting with EMTs as I am with ER staff prior to patient arrival and during patient hand-off. I have a better understanding of the pre-hospital and in-hospital management and the trajectory of patient care.”
Praising HFC
He couldn’t imagine getting his Paramedic certificate anywhere else but HFC.
“It’s a great program with a huge emphasis on practical application and hands-on learning that’s really driven by Shannon’s incredible dedication and enthusiasm,” said Ross. "Its complemented by the adjunct faculty, Rob Bruley and John Grady, bringing their field experience to the classroom. Rob is recently retired from Trenton Fire Department and currently works for the Trauma Dept. at Beaumont Trenton. John is the Field Training Officer/Paramedic for Community EMS. Everyone involved puts a great deal of time and effort into the program.”