DETROIT -- Andrew Ciennik, a 2009-12 baseball player for Wayne State University, accomplished a lot during his time as a Warrior.  He was named All-GLIAC three times (Second Team in 2009 and 2012, Honorable Mention in 2010), was a CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American (2012) and was a GLIAC Commissioner's Award recipient (2012).  Ciennik, who earned Athletic Director's Academic Honor Roll (term GPA 3.5+) seven times, has taken his achievements with him to San Diego, Calif., where he currently serves on the front lines of a global pandemic.

Recently selected one of the chief residents, Ciennik has completed two of his three years as an emergency medicine resident at Kaiser Permanente San Diego Emergency Medicine Residency Program.

Ciennik said that he owes many of his accomplishments to Wayne State, especially head baseball coach Ryan Kelley.

"I am near the end of my medical training, which has definitely been a long journey.  Working as an ER doctor in the middle of a pandemic, I think Wayne State is where I adopted a certain mentality called the winners adjust mentality -- to control what you are able to control and adjust with poise when faced with adversity.  That specific mentality has gotten me through medical training (at Michigan State University), especially now, during the COVID-19 crisis," Ciennik said.

Despite everything that has happened in the world, Ciennik explained that it is an amazing time to be an ER doctor.

"Overall, this pandemic presents a challenge we've never really faced before in healthcare.  The disease that this virus causes can be absolutely devastating," Ciennik stated.  "People are scared, even doctors are scared.  I have my own fears that run through my mind when I go to work, but at the same time, because of my experiences at Wayne State, I know that I'm prepared for this.  When I get to the hospital and walk into the ER, instincts take over and I know it's time to do what needs to be done."

Most importantly, as a former athlete, one of the most amazing things Ciennik spoke about is how everyone in the ER has rallied together as a team.

"We're all in this fight together and I think everyone takes pride in that," he said.

Ciennik explained that going into work is a little different than what it used to be.

"As an ER doctor in the middle of a pandemic, I'm very aware of what is at stake each time I go to work -- particularly the risk to myself and my family.  But at the same time, our patients desperately need us," he said.

Ciennik explained a typical workday with two words:  exhausting and high-pressure.

"We are seeing less patients in total as most people are staying home if they can, but the patients we are seeing are acutely ill.  On top of that, all shift long, you're doing your best to avoid contaminating yourself," he stated.

"It's definitely a high-pressure situation.  When a patient with COVID-19 is critically ill, and you make that decision that they need to be intubated and put on a ventilator, were noticing that these patient's oxygen levels are dropping so fast and the endotracheal tube needs to be placed swiftly and skillfully, and if not, these patients can go into cardiac arrest.  If this happens, you may find yourself fighting an uphill battle that is rarely won."

"These are things that are part of the daily life that make this challenging, but also rewarding," Ciennik remarked.

He knows that their program director and core faculty have their backs, and they will do just about anything to make sure they are taken care of.

A few specific things they have done during these hard times include weekly COVID-19 debriefings, so everyone knows where they stand and what they need to do to fight against the virus.

One thing that Ciennik's residency program has done, which could be considered unique to other places, involves the way they prepared for the pandemic.  In February, the residency program offered specific simulations before the shutdowns where they would perform critical procedures while wearing special PPE.

"In the ER, we run towards emergencies.  But it is important that we are all looking out for each other to make sure that we are not exposing ourselves and our team to unnecessary risks," Ciennik said.  "We also have patients isolated and in negative pressure rooms, along with portions of our ER isolated to known COVID-19 patients or highly suspicious patients."

As the first wave of COVID-19 begins to plateau, Ciennik and his colleagues are focusing on what's next to come.



"I think right now, we're preparing for that second surge that is anticipated.  Luckily, I work at a hospital where they took early measures to secure PPE, so we have that.  I think as the emergency department, we are doing specific things to prepare for this as well.  One being assembling an airway team to assist with critically ill patients, ones that require intubation and placement on a ventilator to be able to breathe," Ciennik said.

As things start to shift, California has begun to ease up on some of its restrictions such as opening parks.

"It is still pretty strict.  We are starting to see a gradual decrease in restrictions, but I think it's still a dynamic process, changing day-by-day."

"I'm hopeful that things go back to normal, but I would not be surprised if this will have a lasting affect for everyone," Ciennik said.

Ciennik is just one of many former WSU student-athletes who have worked tirelessly to help save lives during these unprecedented times.  Their hard work and dedication is acknowledged by many, especially their Warrior family.