{"id":199420,"date":"2024-06-17T14:50:03","date_gmt":"2024-06-18T00:50:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=199420"},"modified":"2024-06-17T17:14:07","modified_gmt":"2024-06-18T03:14:07","slug":"grandfathers-journey-to-med-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/06\/17\/grandfathers-journey-to-med-school\/","title":{"rendered":"A grandfather\u2019s journey to medical school"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"head
Tony Head, right, with his wife, far left, and children.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tony Head’s journey to becoming a medical student at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa\u2019s John A. Burns School of Medicine <\/a>(JABSOM<\/abbr>) began long before many of his peers were born. At 49, the new grandfather and father of four adult children is embarking on a new chapter in his life—his first year at JABSOM<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n

While Head just began his medical school journey, his youngest son, born in 2002, recently graduated from UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa. Head became a grandfather in June 2023.<\/p>\n

“Trying to juggle everything was a bit of a challenge, but I guess the best part of that story is that I’m still here. I didn’t fail any of my exams, and I’m still working through the course material.”<\/p>\n

Academic aspirations<\/h2>\n

Head enrolled at Leeward Community College<\/a> in 2000, earning a liberal arts degree in 2008. Despite the struggles, he never gave up on his academic aspirations.<\/p>\n

“When I started college, I couldn’t drop everything and focus on school, so it just took a long time for me to get where I am,” he said.<\/p>\n

When I started college, I couldn’t drop everything and focus on school, so it just took a long time for me to get where I am.
—Tony Head<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The turning point in Head’s academic career came during his first year at Leeward CC<\/abbr> when his mother passed away from cancer. Her treatment for myelodysplastic syndrome and subsequent brain hemorrhage during a platelet transfusion deeply impacted him. <\/p>\n

“That was probably the biggest influence in terms of pursuing research,” Head said. After a brief hiatus, Head entered UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa in 2013, majoring in molecular biology. His mother’s passing fueled his passion for research, pushing him to seek answers to cell-based questions. He graduated in 2018, completed a master\u2019s program by 2022, and then applied to JABSOM<\/abbr>—all while managing a growing family. <\/p>\n

“Part of the decision to kind of go to school part-time instead of full-time was to dedicate myself to being a good parent, father and husband at home,” he said.<\/p>\n

Inspiring his children<\/h2>\n
\"head
The Head Family in their early years.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Reflecting on parenthood, he noted that early years were easier with help from his wife\u2019s parents, but as his children grew older, guiding them became more complex.<\/p>\n

“Psychologically and socially, there’s a lot more going on as they get older, too,” he explained.<\/p>\n

This Father\u2019s Day was especially significant for Head, but he knows it didn’t come without hardships. Head’s father-in-law passed away in the Philippines, and he lost family members in the tragic Maui wildfires. Through it all, he persevered, and his children have noticed.<\/p>\n

“I hope that inspires my children to want to do well for themselves. I hope that if they get anything out of what they see in me, they should keep going and pursue the thing they love in life and never quit,” he said.<\/p>\n

Read more at JABSOM<\/abbr><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At 49, Tony Head is embarking on a new chapter in his life—his first year at JABSOM<\/abbr>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[31,65,1466,71,9],"class_list":["post-199420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-john-a-burns-school-of-medicine","tag-leeward-community-college","tag-manoa-enhancing-student-success","tag-uh-community-colleges","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t