From Rural Roots to a Lifelong Calling
For Thomas McKinley, 夜色王朝-Louisiana 鈥28, the path to medical school has been anything but ordinary. Born and raised in rural northeast Louisiana, McKinley graduated from a high school class of just 10 students. 鈥淟et鈥檚 just say I wasn鈥檛 top of the class,鈥 he said with a smile. 鈥淚n fact, there were people who weren鈥檛 sure I鈥檇 graduate at all.鈥
After high school, McKinley didn鈥檛 have a clear plan, but he knew one thing for sure: He wanted to serve others. He explored many jobs, from construction to restaurant work, before discovering his true passion for emergency medicine. 鈥淏ecoming a paramedic changed everything,鈥 he said. 鈥淣ot only did I love the work, I thrived in it.鈥
For over 30 years, McKinley served rural communities across northeast Louisiana. In the final decade of his career, he worked as a flight paramedic and educator, providing vital access to care and training others to do the same. 鈥淓very life saved, every student taught鈥攊t all came down to improving care in the communities I called home,鈥 he said. Yet, through all those years, one dream never faded: becoming a physician.
A Conversation That Changed Everything
With five children to raise and multiple jobs to manage, medical school always seemed beyond reach. 鈥淔or a long time, the dream and the means weren鈥檛 enough,鈥 McKinley said. 鈥淚 kept telling myself it was too late, that the path was too long.鈥 That perspective changed during a conversation with a close friend, a hospital director of nursing.
鈥淚 told her I was thinking about going back to school to become a nurse practitioner,鈥 he recalled. 鈥淲ithout missing a beat,鈥 she said, 鈥楾homas, stop wasting your time. Just go to medical school.鈥 It hit me like a brick.鈥
Later that week, he brought up the idea again at his mother鈥檚 Sunday dinner. Testing the waters, he told her he was thinking of retiring from being a flight paramedic and going back to school, but even with that degree in critical care paramedicine, it could take nearly ten years to become a doctor. She looked at him and said, "Son, that time is going to pass either way. You can either still be a paramedic in ten years, or you can be a doctor.鈥
That simple truth changed everything. 鈥淚鈥檇 spent years saying, 鈥業f I were younger, I鈥檇 go to medical school,鈥欌 McKinley said. 鈥淏ut the truth was, the only thing holding me back was me.鈥
Fueled by the Strength of the Women Who Support Him
McKinley draws strength and inspiration from the people closest to him, especially his mother and his wife. 鈥淢y mother was a nontraditional student herself,鈥 he said. 鈥淪he earned her master鈥檚 degree later in life and worked into her eighties, not because she had to, but because she loved it. She showed me that passion doesn鈥檛 have an expiration date.鈥
His wife, he said, has been his steady foundation. 鈥淚 tell people all the time, 鈥楩ind a partner who brings out the best version of you. That鈥檚 exactly what she does,鈥 he said. 鈥淪he doesn鈥檛 push or prod. She leads by example. Her strength, her heart, the way she carries herself鈥攊t makes me want to be a better man, father, and husband. She鈥檚 supported every wild idea I鈥檝e chased, from launching businesses to becoming a flight paramedic, and now, at 52, going to medical school.鈥
While McKinley studies, his wife continues to work full-time and helps run their family businesses. 鈥淚鈥檝e always had the passion for patient care and the belief that I could do more,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut having someone who believes in you just as deeply, that keeps the fire lit.鈥
Lessons from Life in Service
Decades in emergency medicine have given McKinley a grounded perspective on learning and life. 鈥淟ike they say, you don鈥檛 know what you don鈥檛 know,鈥 he said. 鈥淓ven when you think you鈥檙e at the top of your game, there鈥檚 always more to learn.鈥 That humility shapes his approach to medical school. 鈥淭he more I鈥檝e seen, the more I鈥檝e realized how much I still don鈥檛 know,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hat mindset keeps me open, curious, and grounded.鈥
McKinley also connects deeply with the osteopathic philosophy of treating the whole person. 鈥淗ealing isn鈥檛 just physical,鈥 he said. 鈥淧eople aren鈥檛 just symptoms or vital signs. They鈥檙e whole human beings, and every part of their story matters.鈥
Though life experience hasn鈥檛 made medical school easier, it has given him a clear sense of purpose. 鈥淚 know exactly why I鈥檓 here,鈥 McKinley said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not just chasing a degree. I鈥檓 preparing for the kind of physician I want to be.鈥
Reflection on Two Wheels
Outside the classroom, McKinley finds his balance riding a motorcycle on the open road. It鈥檚 an unexpected choice for a paramedic. 鈥淚t鈥檚 my peace,鈥 he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 something about being on the motorcycle鈥攋ust me, the bike, and the wind鈥攖hat clears my head like nothing else. No noise, no pressure, just the rhythm of the ride.鈥 For him, it鈥檚 more than a hobby; it鈥檚 a form of therapy. 鈥淚t鈥檚 where I reset,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t keeps me grounded, especially when life gets overwhelming. Riding is therapy on two wheels.鈥
It's Never Too Late to Pursue Your Passion
When classmates learn that McKinley has five children and seven grandchildren, or that he is older than some of their parents, they鈥檙e often surprised. For him, though, those experiences are part of what makes his journey meaningful.
鈥淢y path to medical school hasn鈥檛 been straight. It鈥檚 been full of sharp turns, detours, mistakes, and hard lessons. I come from a colorful family, I鈥檝e worked in every kind of job you can imagine, and I鈥檝e lived a lot of life,鈥 he said. 鈥淓very hard moment, every wrong turn, every unexpected shift鈥攊t鈥檚 all shaped the person I am and the provider I鈥檓 becoming,鈥 he added.
Now, as a second-year student at 夜色王朝-Louisiana, McKinley hopes his journey will encourage others who feel it might be too late to follow their calling. 鈥淚t鈥檚 never too late to go after what matters to you,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 spent decades building a life, raising a family, and serving my community. And now, I鈥檓 finally getting to chase the dream I鈥檝e carried all along.
鈥淭hat time is going to pass either way,鈥 he continued. 鈥淵ou can either keep wondering 鈥榳hat if,鈥 or you can finally do it. You鈥檙e never too old to pursue your passion.鈥
