Dr. Yolanta Petrofsky, Occupational Medicine

My career started as an aerospace medicine physician and flight surgeon for the United States Air Force. After completing medical school and an internal medicine internship, I spent the following eight years working in public health, aerospace medicine, occupational medicine, emergency preparedness and disaster response, travel medicine and industrial hygiene throughout the world.

I also completed my fellowship in Occupational and Environmental Medicine at Harvard University and simultaneously earned my Master in Public Health at the Harvard School of Public Health.

As a board-certified occupational and environmental physician, I now have more than 14 years of occupational safety experience with preventing, assessing, identifying and reducing workplace hazards. I am thrilled to announce I am now a certified FAA Aviation Medical Examiner. My goal is to get as many student applicants into the flying community and keep my pilots safely up in the air and flying as long as it remains fun.

I've been everywhere from Germany to Guam to provide medical support, practice medicine and coordinate medical care in emergency situations. My international experience gave me opportunities to observe some of the poor working conditions that are regarded as "safe practices" in other countries.

From working as a medical consultant to NASA to serving as a clinical instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, my diverse background in occupational medicine re-affirms my belief that we should all be given the chance to work in a safe, healthy environment.

When I meet someone, I want to understand what their job entails and what's expected of them at work. I'm most satisfied when a patient has improved from their injury or has a deeper understanding of how it happened. I want them to walk out the door with tools they can use to decrease future risk or injury.

Outside of work, I love biking, hiking and skiing with my children.