“I Want to Do What I Love as Fast as Possible”

Pediatrician and a High School Health Class Inspired Brittany Roberts-Blake

September 26, 2019
Brittany Roberts-Blake

Two experiences led Brittany Roberts-Blake to consider a career in medicine.

She loved her primary care physician who is, coincidentally, the daughter of the doctor who delivered her. “I love them,” Brittany said. “They were always so welcoming and courteous.” A high school class at John Dewey High School taught her the basics of medical care and that also played a factor in her choice to pursue a career in medicine. "The teacher said I would excel because I was such a natural. This made me want to learn more about it,” she said.

Brittany attended the University at Albany and graduated with a degree in human biology. Her favorite course examined the positives and negative effects of tourism in the Caribbean. (Her family is originally from Jamaica and she returns there for vacation often.) After graduating, Brittany worked as a medical scribe at an oncology/hematology clinic. “I always aspired to have a career in medicine, and I wanted to get into the field as fast as possible,” said Brittany. “That’s why I decided to become a PA.” (She hopes to attain her degree in time to treat her grandmother, who is 100 and recently celebrated the birth of her second great-great grandchild.)

Brittany said she chose the Manhattan PA program because the 32-month program appealed to her. “I was afraid I would drown in the material, but 32 months gives me more time to absorb it and apply it clinically,” she said. She also gravitated to the staff members she met from the program. “Everyone was extremely delightful and personable,” Brittany said. “Even though I was nervous during my interview, I couldn't have felt more comfortable.”

Like Shakespeare said, though she be but little, she is fierce. Brittany likes to exercise in her free time, specifically weightlifting. She can bar squat 115 pounds, exactly four pounds less than her weight.