Erica Desai – The Dean’s List

Erica Desai always worked hard in school, and it showed by her outstanding academic achievement. She became a member of the National Honor Society as a student in High School, and after she enrolled at the University of North Carolina she continued her academic excellence by making the Dean’s list for four semesters in a row.

The Dean’s list, she says, is something that they have at virtually every institution of higher learning in the country – from community colleges through major four year universities. It is a list of those students who have performed well academically over the previous semester. It is considered a prestigious honor that recognizes academic excellence, and as Erica Desai knows, having made the Dean’s list is one of those things that look great on a résumé.

It’s an honor to make the Dean’s list, she says, but there is more to it than that. It is evidence of personal achievement that can look extremely attractive to potential employers, or to other schools should you decide to transfer. Because it is synonymous with academic excellence, making the Dean’s list has always been looked on favorably by a school’s faculty and by the rest of the student body.

Erica Desai has always studied hard, and so making the Dean’s list at the University of North Carolina was not a surprise to her, as much as she enjoyed the honor. Making the Dean’s list there or at any other school is really quite an achievement. She says that for her, the key to making the Dean’s list, as well as to having academic success in general, is being organized, having good study habits, seldom if ever missing a class, and always putting school work ahead of social time.

Erica Desai – Volunteering Her Time

Erica Desai is a healthcare worker who has been at Duke University Medical Center], soon after completing her graduate work at the North Carolina. . Ever since she was small, the people around Erica Desai have commented on her great compassion for those around her. Even as a child she was volunteering her time to food banks, homeless shelters, and animal shelters. Helping other people in times of great need is a basic part of her personality, and she says that by the time she was a freshman in high school she knew that she wanted to be a healthcare worker and wants to keep on giving back to the community, because nothing makes me more happy than seeing others smile she says. She says not to mention you meet great people along the way and you learn a lot about yourself and others.

Erica says “While I was in school, I worked at a pharmacy, and I was very good at my previous job, my employers liked me a lot , and I made good money. But I never felt like I really helped a person or made a difference in anyone’s life. I worked with large employers helping them manage their benefit plans. So I guess down the line, some person was able to get medical treatment or disability or dental work in some small part because of me, but I just didn’t get personal satisfaction from that as I do from working one on one with heart patients.”

As Erica Desai knows, a healthcare worker is a specialty within the field of cardiovascular disease. A healthcare worker in general tries to have each client reach and maintain a state of optimal health so that they are able to function in their everyday lives. The job is a combination of advocate, educator, coordinator of care, and adviser. “I work hard to help people preserve their health and make sure they realize they are just as important as anyone else.” she says.

As a healthcare worker, Erica Desai takes on many tasks, which vary depending on the setting they are working in. At Duke University Medical Center, her duties include helping patients s as they plan their discharge home, coordinating such services as home health care, transportation, doctor visits, and obtaining medical equipment. Those who are just coming into the hospital might need help with paperwork, and finding support resources for their families. She assists physicians in diagnosing and treating cardiac and peripheral vascular disease in an invasive procedure arena specializing in the care of patients undergoing basic diagnostic catheterization and interventional procedures. Erica Desai says, hearing a patient say thank you is nice, but I get the most satisfaction from telling my patients, “no, thank you! it was my pleasure being of assistance to you today, and I wish you all the best, hang in there!” there is nothing more greater than giving someone encouragement, because when you are on the other side, you really need some hope, and I love encouraging my patients to stay strong. Erica Desai says her favorite quote is, ““Courage doesn’t always roar, sometimes it’s the quiet voice at the end of the day whispering ‘I will try again tomorrow” by  Mary Anne Radmacher. It is never too late.