Dr. Stefani Sorensen
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Six years ago, Stefani Sorensen was battling it out on the court for the Eastern Oregon University volleyball team. Now, she’s on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic as an Emergency Room Resident Physician in Florida.
“I am treating a wide spectrum of patients, from those who are asymptomatic and come just to get tested for coronavirus, to those who are severely ill and needing life support,” said Dr. Sorensen. “Now, I am finding that a large portion of the other conditions we usually see in the emergency department – heart attacks, strokes, appendicitis, etc.—are incidentally positive as well.”
Sorensen graduated from EOU in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry. She was on the dean’s list every semester, a two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete, and a three-time Cascade Collegiate Conference academic all-conference honoree. The former outside hitter from Camas, Wash., was also a three-time All-CCC selection and really believes being a student-athlete helped prepare her for life in the ER.
“Time management, endurance, mental toughness, and working in/leading a team are all transitional skills that you can take from any sport and apply in the real world,” said Sorensen.
After graduating from EOU, Sorensen got her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in 2019 and moved to Florida to work at the Mount Sinai Medical Center Emergency Department in Miami.
Not long after she started at Mount Sinai, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and her job got busy.
“There are many challenges we face now on the job, including longer work hours, difficulty communicating with patient's family members, and reading after work to stay current with the latest screening/treatment recommendations to name a few,” said Sorensen. “I am grateful to be in a position to be helping, but it is definitely exhausting work!”
One thing Sorensen wishes people knew about her job in the ER is that “you never know what is going on in the room next door when you check into the emergency department. Please try to keep that in mind as we work to provide you with the best care possible!”
While the pandemic has caused a lot of pain and disappointment the past few months, Sorensen can also see some positives.
“We are all working together in ways we never thought we'd have to,” said Sorensen. “The rooms are cleaner than ever – our environmental service teams are rock stars – and I’m loving the Zoom conferences.”
Since the pandemic has caused a lot more people to need emergency care, Sorensen urges people to be careful so she doesn’t have to see them showing up in her emergency department.
“Always wear your seatbelt and don't drink/text and drive,” advised Sorensen. “When it comes to masks, distancing, hand-washing, etc., we just want to be able to do our jobs right now. This means we are making every effort to protect ourselves from getting sick but we need help from you too. Please make smart choices out there.”