1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.  My name is Gregory Proctor. I am originally from our nation’s capital, Washington DC. I have been involved with providing patient care since and helping people since 1998. I began serving as a Volunteer Firefighter/ Emergency Medical Technician when I was 16 years old. I have served in the United States Air Force as a Firefighter. My travels have led me to five of seven of the continents in the world (all I have left is Antarctica and Australia). I met my wife at a fire house. The first time I met her I fell in love with her. This year we will be celebrating 15 years of marriage. We are both on the pre-med track together. I am currently working as a Flight Paramedic. She is an Emergency Department Registered Nurse. We have a rescue dog named Rascal.

2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you? Dr. Jim L. Marshall is by far my favorite professor. He was my General Chemistry I&II professor. Dr. Marshall has the unique ability to help any student. I was retaking general chemistry one with him. After the first test I wanted to withdraw from the course. We sat on the bench outside of the lecture hall and took the time to go over every test question. As we where discussing the test I would perform mathematical calculations in my head and answer the questions he asked me correctly. Dr. Marshall looked me directly in my eyes and said, “you are a right brainer.” He went on to explain that my style of learning and understanding was conceptual. He identified himself as a “right brainer” as well. Dr. Marshall’s thoughts were that people that people that utilized the right side of their brain more than their left side worked better with concepts to explain mathematical based problems than math only. He made learning so enjoyable. He did not even have a book. Dr. Marshall had PowerPoints that he taught from and all math problems were worked on the board in to different methods to appease the left and right brainer. As a non-traditional post baccalaureate student, I felt so respected and understood. Dr. Marshall aided in making me feel like a student that had value. Just because I learned and understood things differently did not mean it was wrong or less than any other student.

3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why? This is truly a loaded question. Many of my mentors tell me that admissions committees do not want to hear about when I was in grade school playing doctor and imaging myself as that one day. But I will share the first moment that I really wanted to be a doctor. When I was five years old I came from school one day sitting at the top of steps in my house. It was bring your father to school day and I asked my mother where was my father. She explained to me that he was in the United States Marine Corps and he had been shot and killed while on active duty. I learned that my father had been shot to the left side of the chest which shattered his heart and broke several ribs. At that moment I wanted to be a “heart doctor.” I felt that if I could fix hearts that I could bring my father back to life. I learned long ago that there is nothing that I could do to bring my father back. But my path in life towards becoming a physician continues to be filled with acts to help people as best as I can and to display the upmost dignity and respect while doing it.

4. What area of medicine are you interested in? Anesthesia is of special interest to me. The anesthesiologist is the surgical middle link in the hospital chain of survival. Prior to and during surgery to the transition to post anesthesia care unit the anesthesiologist maintains the airway, breathing and circulation for the patient. The anesthesiologist serves as a patient advocate and manager of vital life sustaining functions through ventilator, medication and blood product management. These actions give those that are surgically, and specialty trained the best chance to mitigate the patients issue. If medicine were a sport I would equate it to professional basketball. Michael Jordan is the best professional basketball player ever. However, the Chicago Bulls did not start winning championships until Scottie Pippin came along. For me to be number two on a successful team would be so rewarding and awesome to me. The success would translate to a higher rate of positive patient outcomes.

5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey? I am currently working in the medical field as a Flight Paramedic. So, I get to see lots of cool stuff all the time. But one event stands out as noteworthy. I worked at Presbyterian Hospital’s Emergency Department in Dallas, Texas where the first confirmed case of Ebola was treated in the United States. We had a physician from Doctors Without Boarders that was working in West Africa come speak to us about effective treatment for Ebola patients. In an open forum with that physician, our physicians and staff members I asked a question. “Since the Ebola disease attacks red blood cells directly and sickle cell patients already have their red blood cells altered would this give a sickle cell patient a higher probably of survival?” There was a moment of complete silence, then curious pondering looks on people’s faces, followed by some physicians saying, “wow that’s a really good question.” The guest physician went on to explain that it did not matter if a patient had sickle cell or not. Their chances for survival were no more or less than someone that did not have the sickle cell trait or disease. At that moment I felt like it was another moment of confirmation that I was on the track in life to become a physician. I was asked what my thought process behind my question was. My response was that Ebola originated in Africa. Human Malaria is believed to have originated in Africa as well. I was thinking that perhaps one disease could be a potential defense against another disease since they both originated within the same continent. Sickle Cell Disease often offers a degree of protection from Malaria.

6. What is your favorite book? As far as leisure reading goes my favorite book is Never Surrender. The book is based on the real-life story of Jerry Boykin. He is a United States Army Lieutenant General and was one of the original members of America’s Delta Force elite counter terrorism unit. It almost reads like a Tom Clancy fiction novel. But it is a story about General Boykins as a solider and his journey to the crossroads of faith and freedom. Reading this book inspires me to do what the title says, “Never Surrender.”

7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know. I did not graduate from High School. I had to drop out in my 12th grade year to help with serious health and social-economic matters that involved my immediate family. I obtained my GED at age 20. I will too ashamed to go back to school, finish half a semester and obtain my actual high school diploma. Most people assume because I have a bachelor’s degree and doing post baccalaureate coursework to become a medical student that I must have had a well-adjusted background and upbringing. But I learned a very valuable lesson from that experience. There is no greater enemy than one’s own fears and it takes a great person to face them. Never again will I settle for second best. No trying to get into Physician Assistant school because Medical School will not accept me. Since my GED when I set a goal I have not settled for less. To date I have been successful with every exception to continue being successful with the top tier of any reasonable goal that I set!

8. If you couldn’t be a doctor, what would you want to do? This may sound like a very predictable response, but I am at a point in my life that I honestly cannot see myself as anything else but a physician. I view my journey as marathon not a race. I have been in the fire service for many years. My last formal paid fire department job was a senior leadership position in which I was directly responsible for the day to day operations of 9 fire departments and 1 fire prevention bureau with +400 personnel assigned in Southern Afghanistan. I transitioned from that position to become a full-time student again and dedicate myself to working medical jobs only. From a pre-hospital care standpoint, I have performed every job. Emergency Medical Technician to Paramedic to Flight Paramedic. I would continue to be a life student stay at the tip of the spear of flight paramedicine, perform emergency medical services training and continue to pursue my passion of being a physician.

9. What do you like most about PreMed STAR? I love that fact there is a forum where traditional and non-traditional students with my same interest are sharing their knowledge and experience about this process. We are all sort of in a specific bubble. But there is this flow of ideas, thoughts and information about everyday life and professional development opportunities to make you better as an individual. I am pleasantly surprised at all the applicable information to my journey that I have read and learned from the people here in a such a short period of time. There are opportunities for all of us to be showcased to medical schools which will enhance our chance of being chosen for medical school program. To date, I am not aware of any other forum or venue that showcases premed students as PreMed STAR does. Thank you!

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