d'mensions/the d'youville college Journal summer 2oo6
d'mensions/the d'youville college Journal summer 2oo6
d'mensions/the d'youville college Journal summer 2oo6
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Robert Gambino ’00<br />
When Robert Gambino graduated from high<br />
school he began working at a job in a factory.<br />
He fully intended to work for a year or so, to save some<br />
money, and <strong>the</strong>n pursue his goal of fur<strong>the</strong>r education.<br />
The job was going to provide <strong>the</strong> means for him to fulfill his ambition<br />
of that <strong>college</strong> degree. “However,” he wrote, “what seemed like a blink<br />
of an eye was really ten long years.” Robert does not regret that work<br />
experience because it provided something very important: “an education<br />
for life,” which could be considered as valuable and eye opening as a<br />
<strong>college</strong> diploma.<br />
Hard working, he grew increasingly dissatisfied with his type of<br />
employment and its monotony because <strong>the</strong>re was no challenge. As he<br />
looks back, he believes he came to realize<br />
that he had some untapped potential that<br />
he wanted to explore. He knew that fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />
study would release that talent.<br />
’00journals that provide updates in his field.<br />
When he began to consider resuming his<br />
education and evaluating all his options,<br />
he learned about <strong>the</strong> physician assistant<br />
program and it intrigued him. He realized<br />
that it was going to be challenging and that<br />
it would provide a sense of meaning that<br />
comes when one sets one’s sights on a goal<br />
and sees it through.<br />
Leaving a job when one has a family to<br />
support is a hard decision. It requires much<br />
soul searching and sacrifice on everyone’s<br />
part. When he began <strong>the</strong> PA program, he<br />
found himself much busier than when he was<br />
working full time. But <strong>the</strong> decision to pursue<br />
a degree was definitely <strong>the</strong> correct one and<br />
his choice of program was absolutely <strong>the</strong><br />
right choice. His family provided every<br />
encouragement he needed and he said, “My<br />
wife was my biggest fan and wonderfully<br />
supportive.”<br />
After graduating in <strong>the</strong> class of 2000, he<br />
quickly secured employment at <strong>the</strong> Buffalo Thoracic Surgical Associates<br />
where he continues to work today. “I work with four remarkable surgeons<br />
in a thriving cardiothoracic practice with two o<strong>the</strong>r physician assistants,<br />
both of whom are D’Youville graduates. It’s a great group to work for and<br />
I find each day a rewarding experience.”<br />
Although his work hours are long – sometimes he works as many as 15<br />
hours a day – he always finds leisure to play with his children. He even<br />
manages to eke out a precious few hours to read, especially <strong>the</strong> medical<br />
Robert is not absolutely sure that he has reached his career goal. He said<br />
he hoped that he would always be seeking one goal or ano<strong>the</strong>r. “To satisfy<br />
a goal to me usually means its time to set ano<strong>the</strong>r. I guess I’ve come to<br />
learn that <strong>the</strong> process is <strong>the</strong> reward – and to that end, I hope I’m never<br />
entirely satisfied.”<br />
22