Meet Some of the Students Who Comprise SHP
David Bartolini, 48
BS Medical Imaging Sciences – Cardiovascular Sonography, Class of 2022.
Where are you from?
I live in Jacobstown in Burlington County but grew up in Northern California and Washington. I spent 24 years with the U.S Coast Guard so I have moved nearly too many times to count. I have lived in Cape May, Honolulu, Seattle, Puerto Rico, where I met my wife, and North Carolina. I finished my career at Fort Dix.
What brought you to Rutgers SHP?
I was a medical corpsman and wanted to go back to school for diagnostic health care. I enrolled in Georgian Court University for a degree in biology, then planned to go to Rutgers SHP for a BS in Medical Imagining Sciences. I started college earlier, but never finished. After becoming a father, I wanted to complete bachelor’s degree before my children did. They are all teenagers, and one will be starting college next year. I graduate in January 2022, so I’ll be getting my degrees first.
Why choose sonography as a career?
I was a seaman, a quartermaster, and a boatswain mate before becoming a medic. As a medic, I gained a lot of experience treating and diagnosing patients. I attained certifications as a pharmacy technician and independent medical technician, completed the Army Medical Management of Chemical, Biological and Radiologic Casualties course and worked with imaging X-rays of active duty personnel. The idea of sonography got me excited as a non-invasive way to examine a patient’s internal structures. You use sound waves to see inside the body without exposing patients to radiation.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
That I am 49 years old. People always think I’m much younger, although I have been mistaken for a professor in the classroom. I am also an avid long board surfer, starting first as a teenager in the cold waters of Pacific Northwest, then throughout Hawaii, the south pacific and Caribbean.
Denedy Castillo, 20
B.S. Health Information Management, Class of 2022
Where are you from?
I live in West Orange now, but I grew up in Newark.
What drew you to Rutgers SHP?
I originally wanted to be a nurse. I was in a pre-nursing program at St. Peter’s University when I realized that nursing wasn’t for me. My advisor told me about Rutgers School of Health Professions and this program. I’ve always been familiar with Rutgers as a Newark resident and I’ve loved Rutgers from the start!
Why Health Information Management?
As a child, I spent a lot of time in hospital settings with my father, who was sick. I always knew I wanted to work in health care, but I learned that I did not necessarily want to do patient care. I also like working with data. With a degree in health information management, there’s a whole range of jobs I can do, from medical coding to clinical research to being an administrator. This seemed the best fit for me. I’m excited to see where this goes.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I was born in Switzerland. My family is from the Dominican Republic and I am bilingual in Spanish and English. But my parents met when my Mom was visiting family living in Switzerland, and I was born in Geneva.
Vanessa Suntay, 21
Doctorate of Physical Therapy, Class of 2023
Where are you from?
I grew up in Woodbridge, NJ and moved to East Brunswick, NJ in 2012
What drew you to SHP?
I like how the Rutgers DPT program offers service-learning opportunities to first year students, such as the Community Participatory PT Clinic, which serves Newark. Not only do first-year students get hands-on experience, but they also get to give back to their community. Also, I love how the professors are so knowledgeable in the field and are constantly getting recognized nationally and globally.
Why did you decide to major in PT?
I originally wanted to become a doctor, but after shadowing a physical therapist, I liked how physical therapists get to spend more time with their patients. As a physical therapist, I want to create strong and lasting relationships with my patients. I want to motivate a patient during the recovery process and help them get back to what they love to do. I love the communication aspect of physical therapy. I get to learn about a patient beyond their physical ailments and pain. I get to learn about their interests and stories. Also, it blows me away how we can heal our bodies using our own bodies.
What might people be surprised to know about you?
My parents are from the Philippines and I am trilingual in Tagalog, Cebuano and English!
Dara Dandrea-Gianotti, 50
B.S. Health Information Management, Class of 2021
Where are you from?
I am from Haddon Heights NJ.
What drew you to Rutgers SHP?
A combination of factors. My major is still relatively new and developing. There’s not a tremendous amount of schools that are keeping up with the changing times and providing a degree that meets CAHIIM (Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education) standards. I have been fortunate that right here in my own state is a university that not only has an excellent reputation, but also is at the forefront of medicine and recognized the value of having an accredited HIM program. Rutgers was my first choice and I am fortunate to be here.
Why Health Information Management?
I reached a point in my life where I needed to go back to school. I was 46, widowed and a mom of two daughters one of whom has developmental disabilities and health issues. Our life has been full of challenges and many hospitals stays. When it was time to choose a career, I knew I wanted it to be in the medical field. I wanted to be able to give something back, I wanted to be a force for good and make a difference. Health information technology is the future of healthcare. It will enable better patient safety, better outcomes and better research possibilities. I wanted to be a part of that.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
That at 50 not only do I work, go to college and am a full-time single parent but for fun I still like to go out dancing in the city. Working off stress on a dance floor keeps me young.
Tasha Trudeau, 27
Entry-Level Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition, Class of 2022
Where are you from?
Fitchburg, Massachusetts
What drew you to Rutgers SHP?
The unique ELMSCN program. It is the future education model program, and is a leading program in the dietetics field. It also caught my attention due to the combined Master of Science degree and clerkships. Also, with a background in interprofessional education, I was excited to see a clerkship rotation at SHP that included IPE, allowing me to strengthen those skills to provide the highest quality of patient-centered care.
Why did you choose your program of study?During my undergrad, I was pursuing physician assistant school. My interests changed while I was completing shadowing hours for PA requisites and after taking a health care systems course. I realized I was more interested in making a broader impact through research and wanted to have more of a connection to my patients or community. I had amazing opportunities at UMass, Lowell that allowed me to participate in research studies that strengthened this interest. I have decided to pursue a career as a research dietitian in the military. I plan to commission into the Army upon graduation, as an active-duty medical officer, and hopefully pursue my Ph.D. as well.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I am also a digital artist and create cartoon custom portraits in my free time!