Prescribing Smiles: Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program Helps Texas A&M Former Student Pursue Dreams
Story by Courtney Price, VMBS Marketing & Communications
At every step of his journey to success, Tony Phan ‘22 has demonstrated the Aggie core value of Selfless Service.
Choosing to become a doctor is a noble pursuit, but it’s no easy journey. It takes years of study and practice, as well as a bit of luck — each year, less than half of all medical school applicants in the U.S. find a spot in a program.
For Tony Phan ‘22, a former student in the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) biomedical sciences (BIMS) graduate program, perseverance was another important part of becoming a doctor.
“I knew I wanted to work in the medical field because I love helping people,” Phan said. “While in high school, I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as an Aerospace Medical Technician through the Delayed Entry Program, and was later assigned to an inpatient surgical unit. The doctors that I worked under really inspired me to pursue medicine.”
“But knowing how hard it can be to get into medical school, I wasn’t sure if my dream was within the realm of possibility,” he said.
Although his journey to medical school proved challenging, Phan remained committed to pursuing his dream and using every experience to advance his path toward becoming a doctor.
A New Path Forward
Phan first applied to medical school just as he was completing his undergraduate degree in exercise science at The University of Texas at San Antonio in 2012.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t get in, so I knew that I had to take a different path, at least for the time being,” he said. “I had been a student ambassador on campus, so they offered me a position as an undergraduate admissions counselor when I graduated.”
The opportunity allowed Phan to hone his communication skills and connect with people from all walks of life. But as each application cycle came and went, there was still no acceptance letter.
“It was pretty discouraging, at times” Phan said. “A single application cycle takes 10 months, and there were years I even got interviews but no offers.”
After four years of working at UT San Antonio, Phan took a job as an assistant director for a federal grant program at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, conveniently located in his hometown. He continued to work there for several years, all while maintaining his goal of being accepted to medical school.
“I am really proud that I got to help so many students, especially first-generation students and those with disabilities, pursue their goals and navigate the hurdles of academia,” Phan said. “But all that time, in the back of my mind, I knew that while I was helping others reach their goals, I hadn’t quite reached mine yet.
“I started reaching out to medical schools and asking how I could become more competitive; they pointed out that I had been out of school for about 10 years at that point,” he said. “They recommended pursuing a graduate program and then trying again.”
Things began to look up when Phan was accepted to the BIMS master’s program at the VMBS.
“I knew I would be leaving the comfort of a full-time job and that it still might not get me into medical school, but there’s a huge difference between earning a living and following your heart,” he said. “My personal motto is that if you risk nothing, you gain nothing, and so I made my way to College Station in 2021.”
After graduating from the BIMS graduate program in Fall 2022, Phan applied to medical school again. This time, he was accepted and is now a medical student at The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine.
“The BIMS program was a transformative experience for me,” Phan said. “It gave me an incredibly strong science foundation and the confidence to tackle the rigors of medical school. When I applied for the 2023 entry year cycle, I had interviews at six Texas medical schools and pre-matched at UT Tyler. I credit a huge part of that to my time in the BIMS program and the mentors I had, especially Dr. Barbara Gastel, who was my faculty mentor, and Dr. Sakhila Banu, for whom I was a teaching assistant.”
Helping Wherever Possible
Even as a graduate and medical student, Phan hasn’t stopped living by the Aggie core value of Selfless Service.
“When I was at Texas A&M, I worked part-time in the Office of Professional School Advising; it was great, because I got to work with students who were navigating the same process I had for so many years,” Phan said. “During my last semester, I became the first graduate student to be a Hullabaloo U instructor, helping first-year students learn to navigate life at Texas A&M.
“To this day, many of my former students stay in touch and tell me how much they were inspired,” he said. “It’s something I hold dear to my heart.”
As a medical student, Phan is now combining his love for helping others with something else he enjoys — stand-up comedy and improv.
“One thing I learned from working in inpatient units was that so much of healing is psychological,” Phan said. “You can physically recover, but it helps if you have a positive mindset, and that can be difficult when you’re sick. So, I’m starting an initiative at UT Tyler called Prescribing Smiles through which our students visit hospices, inpatient units, and long-term care facilities to bring joy to patients and take their minds off their current circumstances.”
According to Phan, having the right mental attitude is helpful in many areas of life.
“During medical school interviews, when I was asked what I thought was the most important quality to have, I always said enthusiasm,” he said. “Not only does it encourage those around you, but it can sustain you when times are tough. You have to be able to find a reason to laugh, and I learned that through my long journey to get where I am today.”
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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216
