Match Day countdown: Tyler Hartley









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Tyler Hartley

On Friday at 11 a.m., the College of Medicine class of 2015 will learn where they will spend their residency training after graduating from medical school this May. The following is one in a series spotlighting several of the medical students who will be matching .

  • Name: Tyler Hartley
  • Hometown: Nampa, Idaho

What are some of the key events in your life that have influenced your path that led you to medical school?

During high school I worked as a lifeguard at a waterpark during summers. One of those summers our company asked me to compete in a national lifeguard competition. We trained how to do CPR blindfolded, take care of basic injuries, and more complicated things such as spinal stabilization. During the competition we had different scenarios which included chemical exposures, tornados, and electrical burns. I loved the adrenaline rush and ability to help people.

How will your experience influence you as a doctor?
When I decided to pursue a residency in anesthesiology I knew that I would be experiencing some of the same adrenaline rushes I had during those lifeguard competitions. During my anesthesia rotation, one of my attending physicians told me that an anesthesiologist is an “airway and advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS) expert.” Just the idea of being an expert in the “ABCs” of CPR or ACLS gets me excited in my career choice.

When you went on interviews for your residency, what is the most interesting question you were asked or interesting thing you were asked to do?
I put in my application that I had served a two-year LDS Church mission in Brazil before medical school, and I was fluent in Portuguese. One of the interviewers also was fluent and we ended up doing most of the interview in Portuguese. Needless to say, we talked mostly about my time in Brazil and very little about residency!