Love for Medicine

Heroes Remember

Love for Medicine

Transcript

I actually really enjoyed the medicine. I found that out on the paramedic course. I wasn’t a great student always. I was too focused on socializing and sports going through school and I got great grades because I was into the medicine for the paramedic course. So then moving to Edmonton the challenge there was to try to fit in with these battalions or regiments. I mean it’s hard army and not many women do this. So I want to be infantry medic then, if that’s the hardest then that’s what I want to do. I had a passion for, and I still do, of helping high profile or fit people maintain that degree of fitness and if there is ever a chance whether it’s a cold or a broken ankle or whatever I want to get that person back up to their one hundred percent. It was a challenge to try to fit in say 2003, with the battalion lifestyle but I worked my way in socially like bits and pieces at a time and got to know one or two people at a time and in turn I introduced a couple more. And you go to the field and you are carrying all your weight on your back in the ruck sack. And if you can carry your weight and keep up with the boys you get more respect that way and so just over time evolved into kind of the brotherhood I guess in a sense that a sense of belonging and really rewarding work because you are all tired, you are all hungry, you are sleep deprived, you are going through things like that together and then you all get a shower and a hot meal at the end. It’s just like remember the time when that was so bad, well it became not so bad after a while and then Afghanistan spooled up and I jumped at that in a heartbeat.

Description

Realizing her passion to help others, Vanessa shares her story of how she began a career as Army medic and challenges she faced in making this decision

Vanessa Larter

Ms. Vanessa Larter was born April 17, 1982 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. After graduating from high school Vanessa studied at UPEI and later made the choice to join the military as a medical technician. Her basic training took her to Gagetown, N,B, Camp Borden, Ontario for her first medical course, BC for paramedic school and then finally to settle with his first job in Edmonton, Alberta. She joined with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry with occupation of army medic. Along with In-Canada service Vanessa had two deployments to Afghanistan, 2006 and 2008. With a sixteen year career Vanessa is still in the military and resides at Camp Borden as a physician assistant holding rank of sergeant. Vanessa has great pride for her military service. She now resides in Ontario with her three children.

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