Student View: My path to emergency medicine

Patrick Ryan is a second-year medical student at the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, eagerly looking forward to beginning his hospital rotations. He also is the president of the college’s Emergency Medicine Club.

Emergency medicine captured me not just because of the excitement, but because of humanity. I came to realize that the difference you can make in a single moment, a moment where someone is scared, hurt or unsure, can be profound.

I spent four years in the Marine Corps, and when I transitioned into the civilian world, I knew I wanted to continue making a difference in a more personal and human way.

During my undergraduate studies, I completed the training to become a firefighter, then an emergency medical technician and eventually an emergency department technician. It was in these roles that I first discovered the profound humanity embedded in emergency care.

Very early on, a mentor explained something that has stayed with me: "It may be just a single shift or one interaction to you, but for the patient, this could be one of the worst days of their lives.” That perspective changed everything.

I realized that the calm reassurance, the presence you bring into a chaotic or frightening moment can have a lasting impact on someone who feels vulnerable or afraid. Bearing witness to those moments and being able to ease them, even slightly, was resonant. I became immediately infatuated with emergency medicine, not just for the skills or intensity, but for the meaningful human connection that can quite literally change lives.

I am proud to serve as the president of the College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Emergency Medicine Club, alongside an incredible team of students who serve on our executive board. I’ll admit that I was nervous at first; I wanted to ensure the club remained one of the most active, engaging and impactful organizations on campus. That responsibility felt heavy but also deeply motivating.

With the dedication of the executive board, we built a year of activities that included hands-on learning, collaboration and genuine excitement for emergency medicine. We partnered with local hospitals, physicians and emergency medical service agencies to host an array of educational events from lumbar puncture and intubation workshops to large-scale simulations. One of our most memorable achievements was partnering with the University of Michigan Survival Flight team to land their helicopter on MSU’s campus, giving students an up-close look at aeromedical transport.

Our goal was always the same: to give students meaningful opportunities to experience emergency medicine at its best, and to foster the same passion that changed the course of my own life.

Through the hard work, creativity and commitment of our board and 100 members, the Emergency Medicine Club was nationally recognized by the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians as the Registered Student Organization of the Year for 2025. That honor reflects far more than a title; it represents the spirit of service, teamwork and humanity that emergency medicine embodies.

Looking back, every step, from the Marine Corps to the fire service, to the emergency department, to medical school leadership, my drive to become an emergency physician continues to deepen.

I’ve learned that what matters most in this field isn’t just rapid decision-making or clinical skills. It’s the ability to meet people at their most vulnerable and deliver the composed, effective care the situation demands.

That is the kind of difference I want to spend my life making.