Burnett School of Medicine at TCU Alumnus Overcomes Challenges, Thrives in Residency
Thomas Redman, M.D. ’24, is in his third year of his Psychiatry residency at John Peter Smith Hospital.
FORT WORTH – Thomas Redman, M.D. ’24, knows firsthand what it’s like to face bullies.
“It was difficult being in those situations with young children and looking pretty visibly different from your peers,” Dr. Redman recalls.
Dr. Redman says the bullying stemmed from a birth defect that caused his right arm to be much shorter than his left arm. The Georgia native says those experiences inspired him to help others and turn a negative into a positive.
During his college years at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, Redman, along with his brothers from the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, joined an organization called The Ability Experience.
The group was founded in 1977 by the fraternity with a mission to use shared experiences to help support and empower people with mental and physical disabilities, according to the group’s website.
“This seemed like the organization for me,” said Dr. Redman, who is in his third year of his Psychiatry residency at John Peter Smith Hospital.
Redman is still advocating while at JPS as he cares for patients during their most stressful moments.
“It’s a good feeling to know that I’m providing help for folks that need it,” Dr. Redman said.
“It’s healing for me to be engaged in this kind of work and show that there are resources for people who feel like they need a little extra help.”