From Rural Roots to a Lifelong Calling
For Thomas McKinley, VCOM-Louisiana ‘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. “Let’s just say I wasn’t top of the class,” he said with a smile. “In fact, there were people who weren’t sure I’d graduate at all.”
After high school, McKinley didn’t 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. “Becoming a paramedic changed everything,” he said. “Not only did I love the work, I thrived in it.”
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. “Every life saved, every student taught—it all came down to improving care in the communities I called home,” 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. “For a long time, the dream and the means weren’t enough,” McKinley said. “I kept telling myself it was too late, that the path was too long.” That perspective changed during a conversation with a close friend, a hospital director of nursing, where he worked.
“I told her I was thinking about going back to school to become a nurse practitioner,” he recalled. “Without missing a beat,” she said, ‘Thomas, stop wasting your time. Just go to medical school.’ It hit me like a brick.”
Later that week, he brought up the idea again at his mother’s 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.”
That simple truth changed everything. “I’d spent years saying, ‘If I were younger, I’d go to medical school,’” McKinley said. “But the truth was, the only thing holding me back was me.”
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. “My mother was a nontraditional student herself,” he said. “She earned her master’s 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’t have an expiration date.”
His wife, he said, has been his steady foundation. “I tell people all the time, ‘Find a partner who brings out the best version of you. That’s exactly what she does,” he said. “She doesn’t push or prod. She leads by example. Her strength, her heart, the way she carries herself—it makes me want to be a better man, father, and husband. She’s supported every wild idea I’ve chased, from launching businesses to becoming a flight paramedic, and now, at 52, going to medical school.”
While McKinley studies, his wife continues to work full-time and helps run their family businesses. “I’ve always had the passion for patient care and the belief that I could do more,” he said. “But having someone who believes in you just as deeply, that keeps the fire lit.”
Lessons from Life in Service
Decades in emergency medicine have given McKinley a grounded perspective on learning and life. “Like they say, you don’t know what you don’t know,” he said. “Even when you think you’re at the top of your game, there’s always more to learn.” That humility shapes his approach to medical school. “The more I’ve seen, the more I’ve realized how much I still don’t know,” he said. “That mindset keeps me open, curious, and grounded.”
McKinley also connects deeply with the osteopathic philosophy of treating the whole person. “Healing isn’t just physical,” he said. “People aren’t just symptoms or vital signs. They’re whole human beings, and every part of their story matters.”
Though life experience hasn’t made medical school easier, it has given him a clear sense of purpose. “I know exactly why I’m here,” McKinley said. “I’m not just chasing a degree. I’m preparing for the kind of physician I want to be.”
Reflection on Two Wheels
Outside the classroom, McKinley finds his balance riding a motorcycle on the open road. It’s an unexpected choice for a paramedic. “It’s my peace,” he said. “There’s something about being on the motorcycle—just me, the bike, and the wind—that clears my head like nothing else. No noise, no pressure, just the rhythm of the ride.” For him, it’s more than a hobby; it’s a form of therapy. “It’s where I reset,” he said. “It keeps me grounded, especially when life gets overwhelming. Riding is therapy on two wheels.”
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’re often surprised. For him, though, those experiences are part of what makes his journey meaningful.
“My path to medical school hasn’t been straight. It’s been full of sharp turns, detours, mistakes, and hard lessons. I come from a colorful family, I’ve worked in every kind of job you can imagine, and I’ve lived a lot of life,” he said. “Every hard moment, every wrong turn, every unexpected shift—it’s all shaped the person I am and the provider I’m becoming,” he added.
Now, as a second-year student at VCOM-Louisiana, McKinley hopes his journey will encourage others who feel it might be too late to follow their calling. “It’s never too late to go after what matters to you,” he said. “I spent decades building a life, raising a family, and serving my community. And now, I’m finally getting to chase the dream I’ve carried all along.
“That time is going to pass either way,” he continued. “You can either keep wondering ‘what if,’ or you can finally do it. You’re never too old to pursue your passion.”
