Dr. Pedro Torres: At Home in the ER
Dr. Pedro Torres likes to say that emergency medicine chose him instead of the other way around.
Class of 2015
Emergency Medicine/ Surgical Critical Care, Carondelet Health,
Arizona
Toward the end of his junior year of college, he walked by an ambulance company near his residence, which he never really noticed until that day.
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He attended an open house and joined as an EMT the following day. “I quickly learned that healthcare was where I was meant to be. That gave me a different sense of motivation in the classroom to ensure I improved my grades.” Once he completed his undergraduate degree, he joined AUA. “Wanting to know the details as to why things were happening with patients in the back of the ambulance motivated me to go the longer physician route,” he shared.
As a student at AUA, he found a second home and was also able to flex his leadership skills in fun ways. As the interim president of the emergency medicine interest group, he helped re-establish the organization by setting up fundraisers, including a flag football tournament and a basketball tournament, which had great turnouts.
He also helped fundraise for a different cause by designing a t-shirt inspired by anatomy professor Dr. Amiralli. The back of the shirt read, “Opportunity. Hard Work. Success,” which was a mantra he said often in class. Dr. Amiralli supported the design, and the t-shirt sold well for a great cause.
His leadership skills for a great cause continued. While he was a resident in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, he organized a mission trip to nearby Vieques. He collaborated with other organizations in Puerto Rico, as they led a team of approximately 25 teammates, including paramedics, nurses, physicians, his mom, who’s a social worker, and her colleague to provide mental health services. They treated over 200 people in a matter of five hours.
Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Torres is currently an Attending Physician in Emergency Medicine and Surgical Critical Care in Arizona. He also serves as a clinical assistant professor.
Looking back on his experiences, Dr. Torres says, “If I could do it all again, I wouldn’t change a thing. One of the things I tell my students before they choose a specialty is to not look at the time it takes to get there; think about the type of patient you want to have the privilege to care for and let that be the guide towards choosing a life of medicine.”
✅ Request information on AUA's MD program TODAY!
YOUR PATH TO SUCCESS BEGINS HERE
✅ Request information on AUA's MD program TODAY!
