The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly: Inside an EMS Masterclass with Robin Purcell and Mitch Kannry

Medical Program Director, Student Counselor, and EMT Robin Purcell took a break from assisting with running the program to give interns an exciting, inside look into the world of Emergency Medical Services (EMS). 

She kicked things off by breaking down the various certification levels. She emphasized a crucial element, that they never work alone. Purcell also stressed that wherever these future health professionals choose to practice, they must understand how different environments impact patient care. 

To bring the reality of the job to life, Purcell walked the interns through a series of real-world cases she encountered on the clock. The interns listened intently as she detailed everything from high-speed car chases and dirtbike accidents to a papercut to the eye, a skating mishap, and even an unexpected home birth.

Nearing the end of the session, the presentation shifted from storytelling to hands-on action with a fast-paced Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) triage challenge. Purcell instructed the interns that their very first step on any scene is to assess for safety, determine what happened, and count the number of patients involved. Tasked with using the F.A.S.T. assessment method to triage various patients in just 30 seconds each, the room transformed into a collaborative command center. The interns had a blast shouting out their color codes, proving that even under simulated pressure, they have what it takes to think like real first responders.

After the activity, our interns had the opportunity to meet and listen to a Deputy Chief firefighter from the Washington D.C. area, Mitchel Kannry. Leading the EMS panel, Mitch spoke with our interns about his experiences as a public safety figure, including his day-to-day life, what led him to become interested and pursue a profession in this field, and personal anecdotes of experiences that especially stood out to him. An example of what he did was that he and his team were responsible for coming up with safety plans for America’s 250th anniversary event in D.C. Recalling the major busyness of the day, Mitch mentioned that they responded to 1500 calls on that day alone, when a normal day is typically 500 calls, more than double their normal amount.  

With his passion for mentorship and the future of tomorrow, Mitch works hard and enjoys sharing his experiences with leadership, teamwork, and emergency response in order to inspire students and create a larger positive impact on communities everywhere. Both of these lectures opened our interns' eyes to new careers in Emergency Medicine and the exciting future it may hold.