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“I bet I can cut this tree down faster than you can!”
That’s Salus University Physician Assistant Studies student, Erik Baish ‘18, reveling in his somewhat offbeat hobby as…a lumberjack. Baish first entered the world of tree-cutting as a student at Colby College in Maine, where he was studying physics and mathematical science. Friends introduced him to Colby’s Woodsmen’s Team, a coed competitive club sport in which students engage in an array of timber-related activities. There are more than 20 such collegiate teams in the United States and Canada.
As a Salus graduate student, Baish has had little time to continue his tree-cutting activities while pursuing a degree that will enable him to enter the healthcare field. After his Colby graduation, he was certified as an emergency medical technician and worked for a local fire department. It was those experiences that turned him toward a career in healthcare.
Why Salus? “I learn best by hands-on experience, and Salus’ [PA] program gives students pre-clinical and clinical experience sooner than most others,” he said. Upon receiving his degree next year, Baish hopes to work in a hospital setting or a rural private practice.
“Urban living – apartments and traffic – doesn’t jibe with me very well,” he said. “I like having space around me.” And presumably, trees.
