To be a health care provider is to answer a calling. For some, the journey to health care is a straight line; for others, the road is winding. This series features stories from ECU Health team members who took the winding road, but found the destination to be worth the effort.
Michael Firtha, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at ECU Health, didn’t set out to be a doctor after high school. “I wanted to be a firefighter,” he said. As a child, Firtha had two uncles who were firefighters. “One was the district chief, and one was captain of the fire department in our hometown,” he shared. “I looked up to them as heroes. It’s an admirable career, and you really get to help people.” After high school, Firtha secured a scholarship to be a paramedic, a stepping stone to eventually becoming a firefighter like his uncles before him. After his exposure to the medical field, however, the Cleveland, Ohio, native decided to change his trajectory and pursue medical school.
After graduating from high school, Firtha completed his emergency medical technician (EMT) training while working in his local hospital’s cafeteria unloading boxes. This job, he said, gave him a strong work ethic. At the same time, Firtha also worked part-time as a firefighter at his local fire department. He then changed roles and served as a nursing assistant on the orthopedic trauma floor of the same hospital – a job he continued while in paramedic school. After that, he spent some time working in the emergency department as a paramedic. “Using my paramedic certification, I was hired as a full-time suture technician, where I was trained to perform laceration repair, splint application and work in the trauma bay,” he said.
That medical experience is what inspired him to become a doctor – and it taught him that every role in health care is valuable. “It was good to see the different sides of health care. Each role taught me different lessons that I use in my current position. Much like the human body, each role has a function that is uniquely and equally important that must work together as one unit to function and thrive,” he said. “I think getting that different exposure and seeing different perspectives makes you grateful for the whole process and the care that’s provided to patients.”
Once he decided to go to medical school, Firtha applied to many colleges, but he landed at Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina. “Campbell is in rural North Carolina, so I was surrounded by a community similar to what’s here in Greenville,” he said. The experience was formative. “It felt like home – it’s a community that really bonds together.” He graduated from Campbell University as a doctor of osteopathic medicine, followed by a residency at the Cleveland Clinic and a fellowship at UC Davis Children’s Hospital/Shriners Northern California.
He landed on pediatric orthopedics because, he said, “taking care of children is one of the most important things anyone can do. My mom was a kindergarten teacher for more than 30 years, and I remember growing up and watching the impact she was having on future generations. I think this had a huge effect on me.” He also cited his experience in the emergency department, especially his work with children, as an influential one. “I immediately knew that my calling was to help kids in need,” he said. The rewards are plentiful, and Firtha said its gratifying to improve a child’s life. “You see an x-ray beforehand, and you can see the problem. Then you get to fix it.”
Firtha is glad he joined ECU Health, in part because the great team he works with. “Our pediatric orthopedic surgery group is young and focused on patient care. When we all focus on that one goal, we can really come together and accomplish more than as a single person,” he said. “I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve the children of eastern North Carolina here at ECU Health,” he continued.
“Providing excellent patient care to children with orthopedic injuries often requires a lot of resources and special implants and technology. ECU Health has been so supportive and allowed me to do whatever is necessary to provide the highest quality of care.”
Beyond that, however, he was drawn back to eastern North Carolina because of his great experience at Campbell and the similar community feel at ECU Health. “It felt like home, and eastern North Carolina is an ideal place to raise a family,” he shared. “My wife, our two little girls and I are incredibly happy in this community. It’s a place where you really feel like you’re impacting the community and making people better, and it is truly an amazing place to live.”
To those considering a career shift to health care, Firtha encourages them to go for it. “Health care is a field where you can feel good about the work you’re doing,” he said. “You help people and can be a hero in their eyes. You get to wake up every morning with a passion and a purpose for what you’re doing.”