First responder: Eric Beck, D.O.
Eric Beck comes to the rescue as a new Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine

By Mary Reed

The words that perhaps best describe Eric Beck, D.O. ('08), are “first responder.” They define not just his career, but also his approach to life. From his experience as a firefighter and EMT in his hometown of Russell, Ohio, to his volunteer work after Hurricane Katrina and in rural Belize, Beck is often among the first responding to needs of his own community and beyond.

“I have always made service a personal mission, so I was looking for a medical school that made service a priority,” Beck says. “OU-HCOM was the best fit for taking my service to the next level,” he said.

Right out of high school, Beck worked as a firefighter and paramedic for the Russell Township Fire Department. He continued practicing and then teaching paramedics as an undergraduate at John Carroll University in Cleveland. He even founded the university’s Department of Emergency Medical Services, where he trained 72 of his peers to provide emergency medical response on campus. The program earned state and federal accreditation its first year. For his efforts, Beck was named John Carroll’s 2003 Person of the Year, an annual service and leadership award.

Since coming to OU-HCOM, Beck has served as a volunteer firefighter in Athens County and as an instructor for the Southeast Ohio EMS District. When Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, Beck, with support from the American Osteopathic Association, deployed with the Louisiana State Police and the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division. For 72 intensive hours, he worked on a house-to-house rescue and recovery boat crew and as a critical care paramedic. He returned to class next day.

“This exemplary call to service offers a glimpse of (Beck’s) work ethic, passion for medicine and dedication to his extended community,” says Peter Dane, D.O., OU-HCOM associate dean for predoctoral education.

Taking advantage of OU-HCOM’s international medical elective, Beck spent a month this spring in Belize, where he practiced wilderness, tropical and jungle medicine. “I wanted to broaden my knowledge base and my experience practicing in remote and resource-limited settings—whether that’s a natural disaster here in the U.S., in the third world or in a combat zone,” he says.

In July, Beck will began a residency in emergency medicine and a fellowship in EMS special operations and disaster medicine at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia.