Although Dr. McGlue worked with hospitals in the Denver area every day, he felt disconnected from the patients within their walls.
Meanwhile, he was moonlighting as an EMT and firefighter in the rural town of Divide, Colorado, about two hours south of Denver. Here, McGlue had an immediate, undeniable impact on people’s lives. His sales job seemed increasingly bleak by comparison. And it wasn’t long before he decided to hang up his suit in exchange for a pair of scrubs—permanently.
Today, he’s now Dr. McGlue, proud 2014 graduate of AUC, and a PGY-3 family medicine resident at the University of Wyoming.
“I love AUC,” says Dr. McGlue. “Going to AUC gave me the foundation to succeed, and it gave me the opportunity to do what I wanted to do with my life.”
Dr. McGlue was 37 when he decided to follow his dream and head back to the classroom. But because he had studied communications and economics during undergrad at the University of New Mexico, he didn’t have the prerequisite science courses needed to apply to medical school. And, he had never taken the MCAT.
Undeterred, Dr. McGlue spent the next two years fulfilling his prerequisites at the University of Colorado-Denver, studying for the MCAT, and ultimately, applying for medical school. He heard about AUC through a good friend who today is an anesthesiologist at the very same hospital where Dr. McGlue is a resident.
“What I really appreciated about AUC was that, as a non-traditional student, they gave me a chance,” says Dr. McGlue. “And that was all I needed.”
A Family Affair
Dr. McGlue went to St. Maarten with his wife and two sons, ages 8 and 10 at the time. While he recognizes that this path may not be for everyone, he strongly encourages other nontraditional students to consider it.
“I think there are a lot of people like myself who would love to go into medicine but just don’t think it’s achievable, whether because they’re older or they’re hesitant to make a big move with their families,” says Dr. McGlue. “What I want to say is, it’s absolutely doable. There may be obstacles and challenges along the way, but it was the greatest experience my family ever had.”
His wife Cheyenne, who was experienced in emergency management, volunteered at the airport managing evacuation drills and other safety procedures, while also home-schooling their two boys. In between, they were out and about enjoying life on a Caribbean island. “It’s such a welcoming place,” Dr. McGlue says. “It’s a small island but it’s a community, and AUC is a really important part of that community.”
A new adventure ensued when Dr. McGlue arranged to complete his third-year clinical rotations in the United Kingdom. “That was a tremendous experience for my family and me,” says Dr. McGlue. “From a medical standpoint, it gave me a big advantage when applying for residency positions, having worked in a different health care system where they focus much more heavily on physical exams. It really helped build my clinical skills.”
Outside of the hospital, a whole new continent was at their fingertips, ripe for exploration. Dr. McGlue is proud that his sons had the opportunity to see so much of the world during this time—touring the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, visiting France and Switzerland, and even taking a trip to Africa.
“Now, as they’re back in the U.S. and studying all of these places in class, my sons can say they’ve been there,” said Dr. McGlue. “It’s an incredible educational experience.”
Although Dr. McGlue wasn’t able to join his family on all of their travel, he had a unique destination of his own: In his third year, he took a medical service trip to Montero, Bolivia led by Dr. Kathleen Shupe, professor of microbiology and immunology, where they cared for tuberculosis patients in a rural area.
These are just a few of the McGlue family’s stories. For a full account of their experiences, check out these two blogs that detail their time in St. Maarten and in the United Kingdom.
Going Back to His Roots
Now, Dr. McGlue has just four months left in his residency at the University of Wyoming. The family medicine program, he says, has been a great fit for his skills and interests. He feels at home in the rural setting, and there’s a large component of emergency medicine involved—reminding him of his EMT roots and what inspired him to be a physician in the first place.
After residency, he has a position lined up at Christus St. Vincent in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Much like his current role, he’ll have the opportunity to work in family practice, urgent care and emergency medicine.
It’s safe to say Dr. McGlue is glad that he changed careers to follow his passion.
“What I find most rewarding is that I have the ability to change people’s lives,” said Dr. McGlue. “I’m working in the emergency room and people are coming in on the worst day of their lives, in so much distress, and I can offer compassion, empathy, and skill to get them into a better situation.”