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Zach Gibson '15

Zach Gibson '15

Zach Gibson '15

Biochemistry major and student EMT

 

When he’s not in the classroom preparing for his future career as a medical doctor, Zach Gibson ’15 is honing his patient care skills in other ways, serving as the chief of the Messiah College student Emergency Medical Services team. The team is comprised of approximately 10-15 students. Six to seven of those students, including Gibson, are certified EMTs. Working with the Department of Safety, Gibson and his fellow students respond to emergency calls on campus and provide interim medical care until an outside emergency services team arrives.

Gibson, who plans to attend medical school, completed the necessary training to become a state-certified EMT after his freshman year at Messiah. Once he became interested in pursuing medicine, he wanted to work with patients to make sure it was a career he’d enjoy. Now, he leads the Messiah EMS team, volunteers with another EMS team near his hometown and completed a pre-med internship last summer.

He enjoys getting to practice the skills he’ll need as a physician, but even more, Gibson says the best part about being an EMT is the opportunity to serve others.

 “It’s a great opportunity to learn practical skills, and it teaches you to think on your feet and keep your composure in a situation that is not ideal,” says Gibson. “However, it also comes down to an act of service because it’s rarely convenient. Even on the smallest calls, though, I feel blessed. I have these skills that I’m learning in my classes, and I can share those with people to guide them through that experience.”

Continuing the theme of service, Gibson will spend May-term in Zambia participating in the Healthcare in the Developing World cross-cultural course and will then take some time off before studying emergency medicine or hematology oncology.