At the emergency room where Brooke Tyszkiewicz works, Physician Assistants aren't limited to minor tasks like stitching wounds. They can help treat major emergencies like heart attacks and traumatic injuries. 

Tyszkiewicz once examined a patient who came to the ER with abdominal pain. Noticing that his heart and lungs sounded abnormal, Tyszkiewicz ordered an EKG - and discovered a congenital heart defect. Surgeons then saved the man's life. 

"It was amazing, and you bond with the patients, too," she says. "You don't think you're going to do that in the ER, but you do." 

"I think I'm really lucky in that I found a career that is so perfect for me.”

The North Huntingdon native has been working at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center since she graduated, and she loves it. While the hospital is located in a distressed area of town, it provides excellent care and great opportunities for PAs. 

"It varies from ER to ER," she says. "Some ER PAs don't do much. Other ones are right up there with doctors. Where we work, we see the sickest patients just like the doctors do. At my hospital, we do everything." 

Her job - where patients insisting on a physician have only rejected her a few times - "absolutely exceeds" the expectations she had while a student. 

"I did not think I was going to be this happy with my job," Tyszkiewicz says. "I think I'm really lucky in that I found a career that is so perfect for me.” 

Tyszkiewicz has found her niche in emergency medicine, which she likes because it saves lives, offers variety, and requires immediacy. 

Seton Hill’s young alumni are making their mark on the world through their work in science and healthcare, finance and business, industry, entertainment and service to those in need. The Fall/Winter 2019 edition of Seton Hill’s Forward magazine featured 30 of these alumni, all under the age of 30. You can find all of their stories here on Seton Hill’s site (just look for the “30 Under 30” icon).