It’s time to catch up with Dr. Bob “Buck” Tashjian, a leading orthopedic surgeon and researcher specializing in shoulder and elbow surgery at the University of Utah. Buck’s journey to medicine was anything but linear. Despite achieving academic and athletic excellence at Amherst College, he faced a major setback when he was initially rejected from all the medical schools he applied to. What followed was a year of physical labor, soul-searching, and a well-earned admission to Tufts School of Medicine. He has proved all those other schools wrong ever since. It’s a wide-ranging conversation about disappointment, growth, humility, and reconnecting with parts of yourself you may have left behind.

Key Takeaways:

Resilience through rejection: Buck’s path to medicine began with a painful setback, but he used that time to reassess and reapproach his goals with new perspective and humility.

Mentorship matters: Buck emphasizes that personal and professional growth is rooted in leaning on others and helping those who follow.

Pursuing long-held passions: Later in life, Buck returned to the visual arts, proving it’s never too late to explore creativity. (Check out the full blog post at mattcollinsblog.com for examples of his work.)

Shoulder health tips for our 50s: Stretching, low weights with high reps, and attention to mental health all play a role in managing joint pain.

Plus, Buck nominates two classmates he hopes to hear from next.

To get in touch with Buck, email him at Robert.Tashjian@hsc.utah.edu.