Peter Shields is stepping down from his leadership position at Ohio State, but his work to save and improve patients’ lives continues in the lab, at the bedside, and soon, on the road. As deputy director of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center since his arrival on campus in 2011, Peter Shields, MD, helped lead his fellow Buckeyes through more than a decade of groundbreaking research and innovative care. Now, Shields is ready to pass the baton to a new deputy director — but he’s not stepping away from cancer care and research. “I realized that I didn't want to live in that fast lane anymore. Other people can do that, and other people thrive on it just the way I did,” Shields says. “Now, I get to see patients and do research. It’s great — I used to have hundreds of emails every day, and now there are 20 or 30.” Shields looks back at his distinguished career — and a look forward to his future — on our Cancer-Free World Podcast. Watch on the video player above, or listen via SoundCloud. The extra time made available by the move isn’t going unfilled. Shields is taking on a new challenge that’s been on his mind since his days as a medical student decades ago. “I'm actually enrolled in an accelerated, full-time paramedic program,” he says. “I had this passion in medical school and undergraduate where I was writing ambulances as an EMT.” Though he’ll continue to treat lung cancer patients and conduct research as a medical oncologist, Shields’ new line of work will enable him to provide different, hands-on care to patients experiencing a wide variety of health issues and emergencies. “This is a different type of patient care. I'm able to go where they really need it – in their homes, the site of their car wrecks, in their office, when they fall on the street coming out of a supermarket,” he says. “When you're a paramedic, you don't know what's going to come at you, and that's very exciting, but that's where people need care.” Providing care where and when patients need it has been a constant during Shields’ career, and will continue to guide his ways as he continues his journey at Ohio State. “I don’t see myself slowing down any time soon,” he says. “As long as I do this, as many people I can help — that’s great.” Click to learn more about cancer research at The Ohio State University.