A lot can happen during medical school.
In August 2020, just a few months into the COVID pandemic, Eric Boxer's first day at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) was sandwiched between his wedding and closing on his first house. Then, during the first rotation of his third year, Boxer became a father, which, surprisingly, has reduced his professional stress.
“Fatherhood has given me a renewed clarity of purpose professionally,” he said of his son, Brooks.
Now on the cusp of Commencement, Boxer plans to pursue an internal medicine residency and ultimately work as a hospitalist in South Jersey, where he played 10 years of rugby for South Jersey Men's Rugby before medical school.
“I look forward to giving back to the community that made me who I am today,” he said. “I hope to work in a teaching capacity and pay it forward to the next generation of doctors.”
Before enrolling in the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program, Boxer completed PCOM's Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences. Although he had worked at a diagnostic lab and as a research assistant at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, he thought his undergraduate GPA might have prohibited graduate school, “but I talked with students who spoke glowingly about PCOM and encouraged me to apply to the master's program.”
“I worked in jobs that were adjacent to healthcare professionals, and I finally decided that I owed it to myself to pursue my dreams, even if the odds were not in my favor initially,” Boxer said. “As a nontraditional student, I will be forever grateful that PCOM took a chance on me.”
His primary source of inspiration is his wife, Adelyn.
“If I had a fraction of her work ethic, discipline, and organization skills, I would have been a doctor a decade ago,” Boxer said. “I would not be here without her support this past decade. Even though I'm becoming a doctor, I will be the first to tell you that I’m far from the most successful person in this marriage. It has been an honor watching my wife achieve her professional goals while also seamlessly transitioning into motherhood.”
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