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Ronald Fields P’08 and Tania Torres ’11 at St. Mary Medical Center
Tania Torres ’11 (Sugar Land, Texas) got a sneak peak of a career in the medical field during a January externship shadowing Ronald Fields P’08, a cardiologist at Comprehensive Cardiology and St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, Pa.
Torres, a double major in philosophy and a self-designed major in classics, spent time in Fields’ office and observed him as he saw patients. She sat in on consultations and even learned about pacemaker check-ups. She also observed Fields as he performed cardiac catheterizations at St. Mary, where Fields serves as the medical director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory.
“The externship was an amazing opportunity to get to know the field of cardiology and to be able to see the world from the perspective of someone in the medical field,” says Torres. “I also learned many things from Dr. Fields and his staff that will definitely stick with me throughout the development of my career.”
For Torres, this externship went beyond gaining a general understanding of cardiology and developments in the field. She explains, “Dr. Fields showed me the importance of doctor-patient relationships and the dedication and passion that it takes to succeed in the medial field.”
Fields is committed to the externship program because of the opportunities that it provides. “I believe the ability of students to actually see what various professions have to offer is invaluable to making informed decisions regarding their career choices. The reality of many jobs can be quite different than what many people perceive them to be,” says Fields.
Fields is not a Lafayette alumnus, but volunteered to host this externship because of the experience that his daughter had as a student at Lafayette. “My daughter, Arielle, graduated in 2008 from Lafayette and is now in her third year at Drexel College of Medicine. She had a great experience at Lafayette and it helped her achieve her dream of becoming a doctor. I am grateful for the opportunity she was given and this is one way I can say ‘Thank You,’” explains Fields.
With majors in philosophy and classics, Torres “hopes to gain a deeper understanding for the development of different civilizations and the ways that they think.” She explains “I have always been interested in the different ways that people perceive the world and situations.” Medicine is a practical application of her interests.
After she graduates from Lafayette, Torres hopes to head to a post-baccalaureate pre-medical program that can help her pursue a career in the medical field. Because of this externship experience, Torres says that she has gained more of an interest in the cardiovascular field.