Dr. Bryon Blanchard: The Lifelong Learner
Class of 2023
Resident: Emergency Medicine, University of Rochester,
New York
It’s never too late to pursue your dreams; just ask Dr. Bryon Blanchard.
“I wasn’t a traditional student. I turned 40 the day before I started my residency.” But he always knew he wanted to study emergency medicine. “I like to tell people that I’ve had almost every job in the hospital. I was a transporter, a paramedic, a tech, a walking assistant, and now I’m a doctor. I look at every job as important,” he shared.
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He also met his wife in the emergency room. He was a paramedic, and she was an emergency nurse. When it came time for Dr. Blanchard to apply for medical schools, his wife helped him, and they found AUA. To their delight, he was accepted.
Dr. Blanchard thrived at AUA and was very active on campus. He joined the Emergency Medicine Interest Group (EMIG) and worked his way through the ranks up to vice president. He was also involved in the Emergency Response Team (ERT), who would respond to emergencies on campus.
He held various roles in ERT, including vice president, and helped the group stay sharp by doing drills. “I would activate them. I had friends who would stage a sprained ankle or a hurt hand or something like that. That way, I could show the ERT members how to do splints and other procedures in the field,” he shared.
He also organized a large event with a few of his friends who were emergency medicine physicians. “It was a huge showing of students who showed up, and they kind of went through different procedural things, from how to assess a patient, start IVs and different assessment techniques,” he said.
Today, Dr. Blanchard is preparing to wrap up his first year as an emergency medicine resident at the University of Rochester. “I absolutely adore it. Emergency medicine is something that I really wanted going into AUA on my first day, and now I’m actually a doctor. So, I have a big smile on my face every day,” he said.
However, just because he graduated doesn’t mean he’s done learning. He’s learning how to assess patients through telemedicine, which will help alleviate overburdened ERs and shift non-emergency cases into urgent care-type settings.
Looking back, Dr. Blanchard has nothing but gratitude for AUA, “I’m doing extremely well. I’m super happy to be where I am, and I wouldn’t be there without you.”
✅ Request information on AUA's MD program TODAY!
YOUR PATH TO SUCCESS BEGINS HERE
✅ Request information on AUA's MD program TODAY!
