Princeton University Athletics
Danielle DiCesare '12 MD / Women's Ice Hockey
City, State / Workplace / Title
Orlando, Florida Emergency Medicine Physician
Medical Specialty / Other Degrees (MBA/MPH, etc.)
MD
What made you choose a career in healthcare?
I’m not really sure to be completely honest. There is something so special about healing people, and something so exciting about the science behind it. To me, it’s the perfect balance between scientific discovery and human connection. I chose emergency medicine for the drama. The rush of adrenaline when bringing someone back from the brink of death is unparalleled.
What is the focus of your work today?
Emergency Medicine.
How has your work changed in the face of COVID-19?
Being a student athlete at Princeton taught me resiliency, teamwork, and selflessness, and these three attributes helped me face the pandemic as a frontline worker.Danielle DiCesare
Everything has changed and hasn’t changed. We still show up to work everyday, we will see every patient who walks through the door. At first, it was stressful with COVID because we didn’t know what to expect, how it was transmitted, what the consequences were, or how best to treat it. But, we kept on. We adapted to keep our patients safe, we created innovative ways to keep staff safe while still serving patients, we kept our game faces on while confronting a disease we knew nothing about. We didn’t have the luxury of telemedicine or waiting for a negative text, we showed up and made it work.
How did being a Princeton student-athlete prepare you for the challenges you’ve faced?
Being a student athlete at Princeton taught me resiliency, teamwork, and selflessness, and these three attributes helped me face the pandemic as a frontline worker. I showed up to every shift at the hospital as I did to every game at Princeton, ready to give my all for my patients and teammates. I don’t have one specific memory, but know the whole experience made me better at everything.
What keeps you inspired as you look ahead?
I keep being inspired by my patients and coworkers. I absolutely love learning and improving as a clinician. I love seeing patients where I have no idea what’s going on and working through the differential and plan. And I love the ER, always keeping me on my toes. But really it was seeing my patients persevere through their illnesses. And my coworkers fearlessly showing up to work day after day, not knowing if we’d have enough PPE for our shift. That kept me going.
Looking forward, I’m starting a fellowship in EMS (emergency medical services) in July. I’ll learn about disaster planning and management and how the prehospital system works. I am excited to see the improvements we can make in prehospital care in the age of COVID. As far as what I hope to accomplish outside of the hospital, well men’s league championship hockey is coming up :)
Medical School / Other Affiliations
Tufts School of Medicine
Tiger Heroes
In partnership with RWJBarnabas Health, the official health care system of Princeton Athletics, “Tiger Heroes” honors front line workers and health care leaders from our alumni community. This digital and social series highlights alumni from all 37 varsity sports programs who have risen to the challenge since the onset of COVID-19. We also recognize special Princeton friends and family. Nominations may be sent to Jess Deutsch, Princeton's Associate Director, Student-Athlete Services: jdeutsch@princeton.edu