When former Army Sgt. Collin O\u2019Donnell, now a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) physician assistant (PA) resident, found the Intermediate Care Technician (ICT) program through a USAJOBS search, he knew he had discovered something special. <\/p>\n
The ICT program<\/a> gives former service members a meaningful way to continue serving, this time in the health care field. From assisting in emergency departments to supporting primary care teams, ICTs play a vital role in helping Veterans receive timely, compassionate and expert care\u2014all while building a rewarding career in health care. Read on to learn more about Collin O\u2019Donnell\u2019s experience in the program and \u201cfind your why\u201d to apply.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAfter completing my undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill, I wasn\u2019t able to go directly to PA school because of funding and prerequisite class requirements. I looked on USAJOBS for opportunities I could pursue with my undergraduate degree, and I found a posting for the ICT program. I researched it and thought it would be an incredible opportunity to get clinical contact hours, network and learn more about the medical field. I worked in the emergency department in Durham, NC, which was right up my alley.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so much about the program that\u2019s enticing\u2014the ability to practice near the scope that I had as a combat medic, get paid a decent wage and, best of all, work with other Veterans. I loved that I could give back to my brothers and sisters in arms. The entire team at the Durham VA Medical Center (VAMC) was also incredibly welcoming and supportive.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cTo work with other Veterans is a dream for me. My family is full of Vets who I grew up idolizing, and after I became a Veteran myself, I surrounded myself with Veteran friends at UNC\u2019s Carolina Veterans Organization. I just find it easier to talk with other Veterans. We have our own language and mannerisms, and when someone speaks your language, you feel more open. This connection helps me better serve and understand them. In the emergency department, you see people on their worst days, so if there\u2019s anything I can do to help them feel better or more comfortable, then I am all about it!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cIf you were an Army combat medic, Air Force med tech or Navy corpsman, this is a fantastic option for exploring medicine, getting into the Federal system and getting paid a living wage to do it. You\u2019re also eligible for full employee health benefits and to add on to your Federal retirement. Apply!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n It\u2019s never too early to think about your next step. If you\u2019re all about Veterans like we are, put your health care skills to work through VA\u2019s ICT program<\/a>. Read more of Collin O\u2019Donnell\u2019s interview on VA Careers<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Meet former ITC Collin O\u2019Donnell When former Army Sgt. Collin O\u2019Donnell, now a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) physician assistant (PA) resident, found the Intermediate Care Technician (ICT) program through a USAJOBS search, he knew he had discovered something special. The ICT program gives former service members a meaningful way to continue serving, this time […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":657500,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[114,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-721441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-intermediate-care-technician","category-va-careers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/721441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=721441"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/721441\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":721442,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/721441\/revisions\/721442"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/657500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=721441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=721441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=721441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}How did you first hear about the ICT program?\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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What was it about the\u202fICT program that seemed enticing or interesting?\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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What has your experience been like caring for other Veterans?\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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What\u2019s one piece of advice you would give to someone thinking of applying to the ICT program?\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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Work at VA\u00a0<\/h2>\n