The Real Superman: Alumni Spotlight on Travis Bishop ’25

Have you ever had an experience that changed your life-that you can marvel at in hindsight and see clearly that there was this pivotal moment, when your path forked off in a new direction, and you felt the strongest conviction to follow it? TLU alum Travis Bishop '25 had such a moment.

He was in the back of an ambulance-this was in high school, and he was working as an EMT. The ambulance had rushed to the scene of a head-on collision that had happened moments earlier, and a small seven-year-old girl had been safely recovered from the smashed vehicle. Her grandmother, not as fortunate, was trapped in the car, and as the jaws of life worked to free her, Bishop was tasked with checking the little girl for injuries.

As he ran tests, she smiled at him, commenting on his curly hair and brightly colored safety vest. Thankfully, she was fine, physically. But just outside the ambulance, the frightened screams of her grandmother could be heard as emergency personnel worked to free her, and Bishop knew he had to keep his young charge calm and protect her from the disturbing scene. "Just then, I recalled a trick that my paramedic captain had taught me but a week before," Bishop recalls. "If one were to put on a stethoscope and rub the back of their finger along the rubber lining, a sound akin to that of an airplane flying overhead would be produced." He showed the trick to the little girl. "In the very next moment, before me was this smiling, giggling child with a stethoscope in her ears."

That was the moment. At the height of that emergency call. That was when Bishop had clarity about his future. "I was subsumed by an overwhelming sense of purpose and fulfillment, brought on by the dichotomy of suffering and hope present right before me," he says. "This small girl, who, despite being caught in the midst of a horrific incident, was able to be shielded from harm's way and from witnessing the suffering of a loved one. In this defining moment, my life's goal of practicing medicine and laboring for those experiencing hardship and suffering had never been clearer. Since that day, the idea of serving as a bulwark to the innocent has been a central tenet as I pursue greater heights to achieve that goal."

While still in high school, Bishop earned his NREMT (National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians) certification, meaning he met the nationally recognized standard for knowledge and skills as an EMT. In college, he continued gaining experience in the clinical setting, volunteering at Guadalupe Regional Medical Center in Seguin.

When the time came to apply to medical school, Bishop knew where he wanted to go: Baylor College of Medicine. The only problem: In addition to being highly competitive-only around four percent of applicants are admitted-Bishop was late to the game. "At the time applications opened, I was away for the summer at the University of Virginia working full-time for a biomedical research internship. I ended up submitting my applications very late in the process."

But he applied, nonetheless. "I wanted to trailblaze from small town, Texas and my time at TLU, straight into the forefront of medical education in the state. However, at first, getting into my ideal program (or any medical school at that point) just seemed so far out of reach."

While he knew that applying later in the process would most certainly lower his chances of acceptance, he didn't give up, and he didn't panic, but instead decided to slow down and turn in a good application, focusing on quality over quantity and speed. "Sure enough, in the middle of November, I received an invitation to interview at Baylor College of Medicine." During that interview, Bishop talked about his work in the realms of academia and medicine, and also of his passion for teaching both students and patients. In his written application, he'd detailed the experiences-like that day in the ambulance with the little girl-that had shaped his thinking and brought his goals into focus.

He also talked about how growing up in a rural, impoverished part of Texas-Stockdale-had affected him, how even as a child, he'd noticed that he rarely saw a doctor when ill, but rather would see a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant. "I thought nothing of it at the time, as I was always treated effectively and with great care regardless of who I saw," he wrote. "However, now, as an adult with clinical experience under my belt, I see this as an underlying health disparity that has persisted for years in many rural parts of Texas."

The lack of primary care clinics and hospitals and the shortage of physicians, who often have to rotate between three or more clinics every week, has inspired Bishop and shaped his goals even further. "As a future physician, I aim to utilize my experiences to help alleviate such struggles and seek out the establishment of my own clinic in an underserved, rural area."

Something else Bishop talked about in his application: his undergrad years at TLU. He'd started out as a nursing major, but less than a month into classes, encouraged by faculty members, he discovered his interest in the natural sciences. He changed his major to molecular biology, looking to pursue a career in higher levels of medicine.

"The close one-on-one relationships I shared with my professors allowed me to grow in such a way that would not have been possible elsewhere," he says. "Having professors walk closely alongside me during the process of my academic and personal development meant that I had consistent feedback and encouragement. I never once spent time wondering if I was heading in the right direction, or if I had the capability to accomplish what I set out to do. Instead, I had individuals who were determined to build me up and push me to challenge myself."

He quickly transformed from a hesitant nursing major to a confident medical student-"a testament to the wonderful tutelage and education I have received at Texas Lutheran University."

Bishop plans to pursue his MD in allopathic medicine, graduating in 2029. At that point, he'll be matched with a residency depending upon his area of interest. "That specific interest has yet to be determined, as there is so much to still be exposed to!" he says.

But this he knows for sure: The adversities he faced in his younger years growing up in a small, rural town that didn't offer much in the way of science classes-"I now no longer view them as adversities," he wrote in his med school application, "but rather factors that ultimately pushed me along the path to becoming the best version of myself. If I had the opportunity to do it all over again, I would not change a thing. I full well plan on bringing this momentum with me into my graduate studies and pursuit of practicing medicine."