Following in their father’s footsteps—and forging their own paths

As brothers, Skyler Child ’25 and Nathan Child ’25 have done many things together: closely watching their father’s service to others, developing deep faith through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and celebrating family moments. Now they’ve added a new memory: graduating from the Texas A&M University College of Medicine.

The brothers literally grew up around medicine because of their father, Troy Child, MD. Troy’s one-year transitional internship at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, Michigan, coincided with Skyler’s birth. After the internship ended, the family moved to Kansas City, Kansas, where Nathan was born in year two of Troy’s three-year anesthesiology residency at the University of Kansas.

At the end of the residency, Troy moved his growing family to Ogden, Utah, and joined a practice that he has thrived in for more than 28 years.

“He keeps a tally of how many anesthetics he’s performed for patients during those years—and he’s now anesthetized over 35,000 patients,” Skyler said.

Both brothers grew up viewing their father as a personal North Star.

“We have always looked up to our dad from the time we were in elementary school,” Nathan said. “Actually, we both said that we wanted to be an anesthesiologist when we grow up, just because we knew that’s what our dad does—and we knew that we loved the life he was able to provide for us.”

After graduating from high school and then completing a two-year missionary trip, Skyler enrolled at Weber State University where he initially planned to major in chemistry.

“During my first chemistry class, I realized that I didn’t like it,” the older brother said. “I ended up falling in love with something called medical laboratory sciences (MLS). I soon found out that my dad studied allied health as an undergraduate and the university had just changed the program name to MLS, so I ended up on the same trajectory as my dad.”

Skyler also followed in his father’s footsteps, working as an anesthesiology technician alongside Troy and his partners for almost six years. In that role, he assisted in the operating room, which familiarized him with different surgeries and anesthesia equipment.

Nathan took a slightly different path, heading to Utah State University after completing his missionary service.

“I wanted to do pre-med but wasn’t totally sure what I should major in. But I had just spent my mission trip in Mexico which built an appreciation for the Hispanic culture, so I majored in Spanish and did pre-med,” he said. “Then I realized in my senior year that I had fulfilled all the requirements for a chemistry minor, so I went to the advising office and declared it.”

Winding road to medical school

The path to medical school wasn’t completely smooth. Skyler’s initial applications to medical school weren’t accepted—even though he had achieved a 4.0 GPA, served as president of the university’s Medical Laboratory Sciences Club, participated in multiple service trips and had extensive clinical experience.

“After being rejected, I had to consider if medicine was really what I want to do,” he said. “In the end, I realized I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.”

However, that disappointment proved to have a silver lining when both brothers could apply to medical school at the same time. Working together on their applications, the brothers applied to about 30 medical schools—and were invited to 10 interviews each.

It was the interview process with Texas A&M College of Medicine that sealed the deal.

“I remember being interviewed by Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs Gary McCord, and the first question he asked me was, ‘Why didn’t you get in last year?’” Skyler recounted. “I honestly had to tell him that I don’t know what it was that prevented me from getting accepted. I remember Dr. McCord saying, ‘Well, let’s get you in!’ When he said that at the interview, it was just such a relief, and it felt like I mattered as a person and that this program cared about me.”

Texas bound

Texas A&M’s holistic application process along with other factors—including the college’s reputation and affordable tuition—helped Skyler and Nathan decide to accept the offer. The brothers loaded a U-Haul, and, along with Skyler’s pregnant wife Amanda and then-one-year-old son, moved to College Station.

The College of Medicine lived up to their expectations.

“I feel like all of the faculty have been very invested in the students,” Nathan said. “We had some really great faculty members during our first year who are strongly influential and continuing with different faculty members each different year of our education.”

Both brothers took advantage of the experience, learning to develop the balance between paying attention to detail so they can make a sound diagnosis and paying attention to people. They also appreciated the college’s culture in which they were invited to be actively involved through participating in meetings and providing feedback. The brothers also embraced the college’s commitment to the Aggie Core Values and have watched their own growth as leaders.

Above and beyond

Skyler and Nathan have also benefited in other ways from being at Texas A&M. Skyler is appreciative of receiving a scholarship that significantly lowered his tuition and allowed his wife to remain at home with the children. And Nathan ended up meeting his fiancée, a speech therapist in the local community, while at Texas A&M.

The power of the Aggie Network also impressed the brothers, especially after Skyler’s 15- month-old daughter developed complications from viral pneumonia. The youngster had to be transferred by helicopter to Baylor Scott and White’s facilities in Temple, Texas, where she remained hospitalized for a month.

Skyler, who was in his second year of medical school at the time, joined his wife and their young son in holding vigil and stayed at the Ronald McDonald House because they couldn’t afford a hotel.

“I had so much support from my classmates,” he said. “They even gathered money together to help cover gas and food.”

Looking back, that experience serves as only one example of the Aggie Spirit that permeated the brothers’ medical school experience.

“All the Aggies have really pulled together and helped us through the hard times,” Skyler said. “It felt like I could rely on everyone and that we have this respect for one another, regardless of our backgrounds, of where we came from or how we got there. Having that support system is really valuable because medical school is so challenging.”

Forging new paths

Crediting the college for creating a strong medical foundation, the brothers are ready for their next step—and to go separate ways.

“We had initially set our goals to go to the same place, but with the way that the Match works, it’s pretty difficult to coordinate everybody’s plans, but we’re excited for the new roads ahead of us,” Nathan said.

Now Skyler is heading to Kansas City, Missouri, with his wife and three young children to complete a residency in anesthesiology at the University of Missouri – Kansas City. Meanwhile, Nathan is marrying his fiancé, Lauren, before moving to Temple, Texas, for his residency in internal medicine at Baylor Scott and White.

Even though they are forging new paths they will always be thankful for their time at Texas A&M.

“The College of Medicine has a culture of wanting to support medical students,” Nathan said. “It’s been a blessing to do our training here.”