Emma Witmer Special: to Greene Publishing, Inc.
At just 19 years old, University of Florida freshman Corey Brandies touts a resume with nearly five years of hospital experience from three separate institutions
Brandies is the son of Jean Boothe Brandies and Corky Brandies and is an Aucilla Christian Academy alumni.
Brandies’ relationship with his grandmother, a paramedic, fostered a love of health care in him from a very young age. This passion blossomed into career aspirations, eventually bringing him to the University of Florida in pursuit of a medical degree, Brandies said.
However, double-majoring in biochemistry and athletic training is not the first step Brandies has taken toward becoming a medical professional. That journey began when Brandies took his first summer internship with Madison County Memorial Hospital, which serves a county-wide population of 18,518, according to the 2014 U.S. Census Bureau.
“I began volunteering at 14, and I did that for two summers,” Brandies said. “Then, I also volunteered at South Georgia Medical Center for one summer in cardiac rehab, and then from there, I went to the hospital in Madison again for a third summer.”
It was in August of that third summer (2014) that Brandies and the other volunteers were asked to stay extra hours to help the overburdened staff. Brandies stayed for nearly 36 consecutive hours. It was at this time that the hospital CEO offered him a job, Brandies said.
“It wasn’t the time that I was there,” Brandies said. “I think it was more the commitment and the dedication, not only to that hospital, but to making the needs of others be met that led to the job offer.”
Brandies has worked as an IT Apprentice with Madison County Memorial Hospital for nearly three years now, and he took on the marketing responsibilities for the hospital in August of 2016. While information technology is not Brandies’ passion, he understands the importance of the role it plays in health care, Brandies said.
“While we don’t see any patients on the front end,” Brandies said, “Without us, nurses couldn’t care for them, so that’s where I’m able to help people by helping other people.”
There is a great deal of value in working with hospital technology. His ability to understand the software at the backbone of many hospital operations and services helps him to understand many of the problems in today’s health care, Brandies said.
“Working behind the scenes in the hospital, I see the importance of appreciating those under you as well as those that are above you,” Brandies said.
Since moving to Gainesville, Brandies can no longer work on site at Madison County Memorial Hospital. Now, he works remotely by consulting over the phone or logging into the hospital’s computer system, said Shannon Webb, Clinical IT Manager for Madison County Memorial Hospital.
“He helps solve problems all the time,” Webb said. “Corey is a smart kid. The computer systems have gone completely down, and he helped get them back up and get everyone back online.”
Now, in addition to taking 15 academic credit hours and working remotely for Madison County Memorial Hospital, Brandies is volunteering at UF Shands Emergency Center - Springhill and has been assigned as a shadow to Leslie Connor Nickels, MD, RDMS Brandies said.
While he is only required to complete three hours of volunteering and three hours of shadowing weekly, Brandies said he routinely commits more than 20 hours each week to UF Health. Brandies spends this extra time shadowing Dr. Nickels in hopes of learning from her and gaining even more experience than required for his class, Brandies said.
“Dr. Nickels is probably one of the best doctors there is to shadow,” Brandies said. “I see her passion in teaching so, for me, it’s vital to see someone that you’re following that’s very passionate.”
Dr. Nickels is the Director of the Ultrasonography Program and an associate professor. She has been with UF Health since 2008 and has been taking on “shadows” for nearly that long.
While shadows cannot actually touch the patients, the experience allows them to ask questions and learn about the processes of care. While most students take a primarily academic role, Brandies likes to be hands-on, Dr. Nickels said.
“He’s really curious,” Dr. Nickels said. “He talks to the patients much more than the other shadowers, but he’s really good at it. You can tell he’s a people person.”
The majority of students who shadow Dr. Nickels are in their second, third or fourth year of college with little to no experience in a hospital setting, Dr. Nickels said. This is quite different from Brandies, a first-year student who has volunteered in basically every part of the hospital.
Having seen the processes of both rural and urban health care, Brandies has learned lessons on everything from the struggles of patient financial need, to the value of teamwork and delegation, to the importance of personal care, Brandies said.
“Take care of yourself, that’s one of the biggest lessons you learn in medicine,” Brandies said. “You can’t take care of someone else until you take care of yourself.”