Lake Campus student and paramedic publishes paper describing efforts to save patient’s life

Lake Campus student and Celina Fire Department firefighter and paramedic Cory Agler published a case review in the Journal of Emergency Medical Services after helping to save a patient’s life.

His professional career may have commenced similarly to that of John Gage from the groundbreaking 1970s television drama “Emergency!,” but Cory Agler hopes it culminates like that of Dr. Doug Ross of “ER” fame.

The Wright State University–Lake Campus student works full-time as a firefighter and paramedic for the Celina Fire Department (CFD) while majoring in integrated science studies with a pre-med focus, with the goal of graduating with his bachelor’s degree in 2027. He plans to go to medical school to train as a physician in emergency medicine.

“After spending a couple of years at the CFD and practicing as a paramedic, I quickly found that medicine was my passion in life, and I wanted to pursue a career down that path,” Agler said. “Wright State Lake was the right choice for me as I could start a pre-med degree close to home and the cost of attendance is extremely affordable. Once I get to the point where I need to take classes in Dayton that aren’t offered at the Lake, it’s easy to transition to main campus.”

After graduating from Parkway High School in 2020, Agler attended Rhodes State College majoring in business but quickly realized that was not his life’s ambition. He did a quick about-face and completed fire and EMS training at Lima’s Apollo Career Center before joining the Celina Fire Department three years ago. He became certified as a paramedic in 2022.

“Cory is an outstanding student, one of the few who takes the material and finds relevancy to his life with it,” said Dave Hochstein, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at the Lake Campus.

In April, Agler published a case review based on a real-life scenario in the Journal of Emergency Medical Services.

Agler said the review was based on a challenging case that fortunately concluded with a positive outcome. After receiving input from Craig Dues, D.O., director of the Mercer Health emergency department, Agler submitted the article for publication.

Cory Agler majors in integrated science studies with a pre-med focus and plans to pursue a career as physician in emergency medicine.

“It felt good to have my paper published, especially on the first submission without any corrections from JEMS,” said Agler. “I was by no means the sole provider for that case, but playing a part in a successful outcome of a challenging case like that feels pretty good and serves as a good reminder of why we do what we do.”

Agler brought a 25-year-old male to the emergency department in status asthmaticus, a life-threatening condition requiring aggressive treatment. He resuscitated the patient in the pre-hospital setting and then provided asthma management. Dues continued treating the patient on arrival to the emergency department. It was a very complicated case requiring treatment beyond normal algorithms, he said, adding that fortunately the patient survived with no long-term disability.

“Without Cory and the other medics’ expertise and excellent pre-hospital care, the patient would not have survived,” said Dues. “Our treatment of the patient highlighted the importance of being able to provide care beyond the average competency. We decided to submit the case for publication with hopes of other medical professionals learning from our treatment strategy of an asthmatic patient in extremis.”

When not in the classroom or performing medical heroics, Agler spends his time working part-time on a farm and at Mercer Health or golfing.

Although his initial career indecisiveness may have delayed his professional journey somewhat, Agler said that ultimately, things worked out for the best due to the fact his work experience is the main reason he is pursuing a career in medicine.

“Cory is passionate about acquiring new knowledge and providing excellent patient care,” said Dues. “I am hopeful his professionalism and tireless pursuit will be rewarded with a long career as a physician.”