Ryan Schwartz, DO '21 
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine

May 12, 2021

For many, the journey to finding their ideal profession can last a lifetime. For others, like Ryan Schwartz, DO ‘21, the desire to pursue a particular career comes early in life and sticks with them forever.

“I always knew that I wanted to pursue medicine,” shared Mr. Schwartz. “Growing up, I was inspired by my mother, Fran Schwartz, a registered nurse working in the cardiothoracic intensive care unit at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. After a long day at work, she would come home and recount the day's events. This direct link to a healthcare professional gave me an inside account of what a career in medicine could look like.”

After graduating high school and excelling in subjects like anatomy and physiology, Mr. Schwartz attended Pennsylvania State University and graduated with a bachelor of science with a focus in biological sciences and health professions, and a minor in psychology. Having grown up in Ambler, PA, Mr. Schwartz decided he wanted to return to the Philadelphia area for medical school.

From his first day on PCOM’s campus, Mr. Schwartz was involved with several clubs and organizations. In his time at PCOM, Mr. Schwartz served on the DO council, both as a representative, acting as a liaison between his class and PCOM administration, and as the orientation chair for the Class of 2022. In the role of orientation chair, Mr. Schwartz oversaw a committee of 12 people to organize and schedule events for the first-year students. Mr. Schwartz also served as the shadowing coordinator for the Emergency Medicine group, with the goal of creating shadowing opportunities for first and second-year medical students at PCOM.

After graduation, Mr. Schwartz will begin his residency in internal medicine at St. Luke’s hospital in Bethlehem, PA. When asked what advice he would give to students starting their medical school journey today, Mr. Schwartz shared, “First find out if there’s anything else you could see yourself doing besides medicine. I know that sounds pessimistic but if this isn’t the only thing you can see yourself doing you won’t succeed. Medicine demands such a high level of dedication and sacrifice and it’s the love of the profession that will get you through all the difficult times.”

Mr. Schwartz is the son of Fran and Steve Schwartz. Outside of medicine, he enjoys exercising and cooking. He has also used his time in quarantine to explore home improvement projects.