As if graduating from medical school weren’t hard enough, Dr. Bradley Upchurch overcame a few more challenges this past year. He married his wife in a small ceremony due to the pandemic and also dealt with contracting COVID-19 himself within a day of getting a new dog. But, given he decided to focus on emergency medicine as a specialty, it seems obstacles are no match for Dr. Upchurch.

Dr. Bradley Upchurch

What this award means: “During the last four years I have strived to emulate our Emergency Medicine faculty and residents’ work ethic, compassion, and knowledge. To receive this award reaffirms the superior mentorship I have received within the EM department as well as the extensive support from friends and family that have allowed me to enter the hospital daily with renewed passion and resolve to work harder than the day before and approach each patient with compassion.”

Mentor comment: “Brad has been involved in our Department since his preclinical years, consistently exhibiting intelligence, hard work, and determination. I expect him to be a success in the field of emergency medicine.” – Dr. Christine Kulstad, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine 

Background and family: “I was raised in Longview, Texas, by my parents alongside my two siblings. Growing up in East Texas was filled with many weekends of team sports, hunting, hiking, golf, and long summer days with friends and family. I also had the opportunity to travel to Ecuador, Nigeria, Romania, and Malawi for humanitarian and medical mission trips with my family. The most consistent and important theme of my upbringing and background is my involvement in and dedication to my local church and Christian community that has supported me every step of the way. During the beginning of the pandemic, I was also able to marry my wife, Jaclyn, in a small ceremony with family. Jaclyn has always been the first to encourage me throughout my career and consistently helps keep my primary focus on my relationship with Jesus.”

What led to your career path: “I grew up surrounded by emergency medicine since my dad and family friends are EM physicians. Though I knew very early in middle school and high school that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine, I sought out basic research positions in college to determine if I would pursue my M.D. or Ph.D. Quickly, I determined medicine to be my future and was blessed to have the chance to train at my father’s alma mater – UT Southwestern (Dr. Stan Upchurch, ’92). During medical school, I found the Emergency Department to be the place that I most enjoyed in the hospital due to the team emphasis, large breadth of pathology, diversity of patients, and need for timely interventions and decision-making.”

UTSW activities: “I have been involved in starting a new medical student elective on wilderness, sports, aerospace, and military medicine for pre-clerkship students. I also have spent much of my time on EM research focusing on new ultrasound methods in cardiac arrests as well as putting new resources together for future EM-bound medical students.”

Surprising fact: “I completed a half-marathon, hiked the Boulder Skyline Traverse, and scored my first ‘hole-in-one,’ all within 96 hours in three different states. Also, my wife and I decided to get a dog 24 hours into contracting COVID-19.”

Future plans: “I plan on pursuing a career in academic or community emergency medicine with a possible fellowship in wilderness, sports, or ultrasound. I am also hoping that my career will include focuses on wilderness medicine/safety training and global health.”

About the award: The award is given annually to a senior medical student for demonstrating excellence and commitment to emergency medicine.