Skilled Hands, Cool Head, Caring Heart

Pitt women's lacrosse played Caroline Lederman is used to performing under pressure and feeling the adrenaline rush that comes in a big moment. But over the past six months she has been experiencing those moments in a different field, as an Emergency Medical Technician with the Pittsford Volunteer Ambulance in her home state of New York.

"I think working as an EMT is such a different experience because it's emergency medicine," said Lederman. "You are seeing things from a completely different view point. You are in people's homes, you are in a moving vehicle, you are seeing all the stuff that gets done before you ever step foot in a hospital, and I think that is such a valuable lens to see through."

A natural science pre-Physician Assistant major, Lederman became certified as an EMT in 2019 as a way to get more patient-contact experience. She began working as an EMT in June of 2020, after the first wave of training was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and received the first dose of the Moderna vaccine in Jan.

In the midst of the pandemic, Lederman was thrown into the job quickly and has seen first-hand how it is impacting the hospital systems and community. But, she has also seen the effects of COVID personally, having lost her grandpa to the virus in a nursing home near her hometown.

"We weren't able to say goodbye (to my grandpa) as family," Lederman said. "I think it just provided me with a new way of understanding the effect this has on people's lives and the compassion you have to have for patients and the family members or the friends who are saying goodbye to their family members and they don't know if they are going to see them again."

For Lederman, that has been the hardest part of working during the current climate. Yes, there are long hours and constantly seeing sick patients can be exhausting, but it is telling concerned family members they are unable to go to the hospital with their sick loved one that has been the most draining.

Seeing the lack of family members present to comfort sick patients, Lederman and her fellow healthcare workers have had to provide a whole other level of personal attachment to their medicine.

"We are not just stepping up as providers," Lederman said. "We are stepping up as human beings and caregivers at the same time."

Lederman knew she wanted to become a physician assistant after a conversation with her doctor during her freshman year of high school. Her doctor was able to explain the job to her and she was intrigued. But, she had a great example of what working in the healthcare industry would look like because of her mom, Karyn.

Karyn Lederman was a medical ICU nurse for 11 years, and while she is no longer working as a nurse, the impact she has made is evident to Lederman. Growing up, she always saw friends and family reaching out to her mom for medical advice. In some cases, they would even stop by the Lederman house before going to their doctor.

"They truly value her medical education and she's still able to help and care for those around her because of her experience," Lederman said. "I've always appreciated it when I get sick, knowing that my mom is not only just a mom caretaker, but she also has that medical knowledge."

Lederman is looking forward to the day when people come to her for medical advice, and working as an EMT is just the first step to accomplishing that. From June to where she is now, Lederman has noticed she is more comfortable, quicker and can think faster. She knows her experience will help her greatly in her future career.

But, those skills are also going to help her on the lacrosse field, where she is a member of Pitt's inaugural lacrosse team.

"There's a saying where I work, 'Skilled hands. Cool heads. Caring hearts.' It's about being skilled and being calm at the same time," Lederman said. "Being able to perform all of the medical skills and assessment and treatment that you have to while staying composed is a really good practice for life, for a game, or for working as an EMT. So I think being calm, being effective and putting your best foot forward as a provider, or as a player, is a very good talent to have."

While working as an EMT has provided her with great experiences, she still had some reservations when it came to starting her work during a pandemic. In addition to caring for her patients, Lederman is also worrying about keeping herself, her family and her friends safe. She also had to worry about her athletic career. Lederman had heard about athletes who contracted COVID and in turn experienced long-lasting respiratory issues. But, she felt her work provided her the necessary personal protection equipment to keep her safe.

Some of Lederman's worries were lessened after receiving the first dose of the Moderna vaccine Jan. 6. She is now fully vaccinated after receiving the second dose in February.

"I had a sore arm for a little bit, but that's nothing compared to getting COVID," Lederman said. "Truthfully, I just feel fortunate that I was able to receive a dosage and I am able to keep myself safe and my family members, friends, teammates, coaches and all of them safe as well. I'm just feeling very blessed and it's a light at the end of the tunnel that we can get through this."

Skilled Hands, Cool Head, Caring Heart

Players Mentioned

Caroline Lederman

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