Alumni Career Feature
Julie Rutt
We feature alumni with interesting careers from a variety of career areas. To find out more about the alumnus profession contact them via the e-mail provided. Or if you are interested in being featured, e-mail us at alumni@pct.edu.
- A.A.S., Paramedic Technology, 2004
- Lancaster EMS
- stuckinarutt11@aol.com
Julie’s Background
Julie Rutt grew up on a dairy farm with an appreciation of animals. She wanted to be a veterinarian someday until she realized the amount of time involved to attain the appropriate education and training. Her interest in the medical field continued through high school, so she participated in career assessment testing to narrow her options. Emergency medical services topped the list and Julie started to research the profession. The more she learned, the mo
re interested she became. Pennsylvania College of Technology was well respected by peers in the industry, so Julie decided to apply. In 2004, she graduated with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Paramedic Technology.
Lancaster Emergency Medical Services
Julie is a paramedic at Lancaster Emergency Medical Services, an organization providing comprehensive emergency and non-emergency health care services to the Lancaster community. As a paramedic for Lancaster EMS, Julie relies on her Penn College education and training to respond to a variety of emergency calls. Assessing patient condition and providing appropriate vital care is not an easy task, but Julie greets each call enthusiastically. Julie says that the long hours and stressful conditions are all worth the feeling she has after treating a patient. Knowing she has influenced someone’s life in a positive fashion is, she says, the most enjoyable aspect of her job.
Advice
Julie credits Penn College for providing the resources needed to experience the emergency medical profession. The access to industry professionals and field experience gave her the opportunity to refine her skills. She encourages students to take advantage of opportunities to interact with their peers and professionals in industry. She recommends getting involved in local emergency medical services to experience the environment, because understanding the issue and reacting appropriately is much different than following protocol. Julie encourages students to refine their critical decision-making and interpersonal skills, as confidence is needed to perform efficiently in the industry. Students should take the opportunity to establish a solid foundation and continue to grow during their college experience.
Volunteering
Julie is expanding her professional portfolio. She has traveled with Lancaster EMS as part of PA EMS Task Force 1 to Louisiana to prepare for patient transportation needs during times of hurricane evacuation. Julie also spends significant time volunteering in her profession. She traveled to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake to provide medical services at street clinics and assisted in a hospital emergency department. She said that knowing how to treat the patients, but not having the resources to do so was very challenging. Her most recent volunteer work occurred on a trip to Indonesia. She traveled with a small group of medical volunteers to provide care in two different villages. Julie is grateful for personal interaction and relationship building she experienced on this trip and looks forward to pursuing more volunteer opportunities in the future.
