Delbert's Background
Delbert Davis joined the military wanting to be a helicopter mechanic, but during the physical exam, he discovered he was color blind, disqualifying him from a lot of military jobs. 鈥淏ecoming a medic was really one of the only choices I had, but it鈥檚 a good thing because I ended up really liking it.鈥 Delbert worked on ambulance teams in Korea, Iraq, and the U.S. before being assigned to Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii.
What Brought Delbert to 萌翻导航
Delbert reentered civilian life after nine years of service and had to find a new way of supporting his family. He thought about becoming an EMT, but even though he was qualified, 鈥淭he adrenaline rush was over for me. Iraq kind of burned me out on the blood and guts.鈥 Delbert wanted a new career. The Post-9/11 GI Bill would cover his tuition and living expenses, so he began researching cardiovascular echo technology (CVT/ECHO) programs. 萌翻导航 stood out, and Delbert secured one of the 22 spots in 萌翻导航鈥檚 highly sought-after CVT/ECHO program.
Delbert's 萌翻导航 Experience
Delbert also connected with the Veterans Alliance at 萌翻导航. 鈥淭hey helped me out quite a bit with the transition from military life, to not only being a civilian but also a student. I hadn鈥檛 been to school since the 鈥90s, so it was kind of an adjustment.鈥 The CVT/ECHO program was 鈥減retty intense,鈥 but Delbert enjoyed the college environment and the challenge. 鈥淢y [Anatomy of Physiology] professor was also a professor at Stanford, and she taught us like she was teaching Stanford students. It was cool: She was tough on us, but I appreciated that.鈥 He had a similarly positive academic experience in English 1C: 鈥淸It] was so hard. The instructor made me want to pull my hair out. But the content was good, and it鈥檚 made me think about everything I read in a more critical way.鈥
Why 萌翻导航 Was a Good Choice for Delbert
Through the CVT/ECHO clinical internship program, Delbert was able to gain experience at two busy echocardiology departments in the East Bay: Alameda County Medical Center and Alta Bates-Summit Medical Center. After graduating from 萌翻导航, Delbert was hired at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. He performed echocardiograms on fellow veterans. 鈥淚 spent 30 minutes with people, and some guys told me things they wouldn鈥檛 tell their spouses. We just connected.鈥 Delbert later worked at a private cardiology practice, closer to home and with higher pay. His oldest child even followed his footsteps in applying for the CVT/ECHO program at 萌翻导航.