FEATURE
FROM THE FBI TO THE PANDEMIC FRONTLINES AUTHOR Aaron Kuzel , DO
My phone rang the day after I started winter break during my sophomore year at Bellarmine University . I looked down to find the caller was a Washington D . C . area code . Since I am from Virginia , I was not unaccustomed to calls from D . C ., as I had friends studying at Georgetown . When I answered the call , however , I was greeted with a stern reply , “ Good afternoon Mr . Kuzel , this is Special Agent *___* with the FBI . We are here to conduct your interview .”
I have always desired to be on the frontlines , so applying for a position with the FBI seemed to align with my passion to serve my community and my country . I never expected that my application would put me in a position for an interview , let alone a job offer . Statistically speaking , it is more difficult to obtain an internship with the FBI than to obtain undergraduate admission to Harvard . I viewed myself as an unlikely candidate to be offered a position as I was this kid from a small town in Virginia attending a small college in Kentucky , but after two interviews , rigorous drug testing and a polygraph , I was offered an internship at the FBI Laboratory in Quantico , Virginia .
My first assignment after orientation at the J . Edgar Hoover Building was to the Chemistry Unit at the FBI ’ s Laboratory in Quantico , Virginia . During this experience , I was fortunate enough to work in toxicology and attend training sessions provided by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Washington , D . C . on the forensic investigation of Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault . After three months embedded within the FBI Laboratories , I continued my internship with the Louisville Division of the FBI . At the conclusion of my summer , I was honored to be one of three interns who were selected to provide a briefing to the Executive Assistant Director of the FBI detailing my experience and the importance of the internship for the future of the FBI workforce .
My time at the Louisville Division of the FBI was very formative in developing my interest in tactical emergency medicine . I observed the intricacies of coordination between law enforcement and emergency medical personnel during a simulation . As I watched the agents execute their mission with lethal effectiveness , I perceived an opportunity for the coordination with a conjoined medical team . In addition , I also perceived the lack of awareness among physicians and emergency personnel about crime scene investigation and the proper application of forensic practices . The experience encouraged me to pursue a career in emergency medicine coordinating efforts with federal , state and local law enforcement to determine how medical personnel can best insert themselves into the front lines , ensuring our officers return to their families each evening . I also hope to use my experience in the field of forensics to promote forensic scientific practices in trauma centers while optimizing and maintaining the safety and resuscitative efforts on behalf of the patient .
14 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE