VCOM 2020 Annual Report

ALUMNI BATTLE AGAINST COVID-19

The Front Lines of NYC with the Army

Maj. Ryan DeCort, DO Class of 2010, VCOM-Virginia, Internal Medicine, WellSpan Internal Medicine, Chambersburg, PA

I was called to duty to help create a make-shift hospital in New York City, an area

touching to know they were happy that we were there, and they were welcoming us.

that has been hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. I am a WellSpan Internal Medicine provider in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. I am

The consistent wearing of personal protective equipment, which is

“...people were hanging out of their windows and on their balconies cheering for us, because we were there to help them.”

necessary to keep from being infected or carry the disease to someone else, has been difficult. You wouldn’t think

also an Army Reserve physician and one of the first in the country to be deployed to an Army field hospital at the Javits Center.

about this, but working in personal protective equipment and not being able to see your colleagues and who you are working with was a challenge. Protocols continually changed, because every patient acts differently. My advice is to be flexible and understanding. We are all in this together, and it is OK to ask for help.”

When we first arrived in New York City, it was pretty amazing how we were welcomed. Walking through the city, people were hanging out of their windows and on their balconies cheering for us, because we were there to help them. It was very

Caring During Crisis

Kurtsy Oswald, DO Class of 2019, VCOM-Carolinas First-Year Resident Emergency Medicine, Carilion Clinic, Roanoke, VA

Working in the emergency department has been intense. I always knew my

specialty would call me to step up in times of crisis, but I never imagined to be in the world spotlight for such an extended period of time! I can’t express how amazing it has been to see the outpouring of support from our communities.”

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