Maile GraceDr. Ryan Van Ramshorst ’06 says he was drawn to medicine because it’s “a near-perfect hybrid of science and service.” These days, his caring approach extends well beyond the exam room.
As a practicing pediatrician and University of Texas faculty member, Van Ramshorst tells students, “We need future physicians who will be advocates for their patients in the examination room, in the community and in the halls of state and federal legislatures.”
Van Ramshorst is as passionate about improving the health of patients in underserved communities as he is about teaching and advocacy. His practice is in a predominantly Spanish-speaking community on the south side of San Antonio.
His commitment to helping others began at Chapman University, where he earned bachelor’s degrees in biological sciences and Spanish while minoring in chemistry. That commitment continues as he advocates for policies that benefit children through his membership in the Texas Pediatric Society.
In addition, he recently completed a position as chief of residents at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio’s Department of Pediatrics Residency Program.
“It was a great year in which I was able to work alongside some of the brightest young minds in the field of pediatrics,” he says. Van Ramshorst advises students to seek out a mentor.
“Recognize that it’s a two-way relationship requiring time and commitment,” he says, adding that “some of my best mentors came from my years at Chapman.”
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