Burn Survivor Shares Powerful Message About Overcoming Adversity

FORT WORTH – In front of a room filled with first-year medical students and community members, retired police officer Jason Schechterle recounted his harrowing tale of survival:  “I had tons of miracles occur that I was able to survive it.”

Schechterle, a burn survivor, was the guest speaker at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University during the students’ second week of Introduction to Medicine.

In 2001, Schechterle’s patrol car was hit from behind by a taxi cab going more than 100 miles per hour. The collision engulfed the car in flames, and he suffered 4th- and 3rd-degree burns on his face, chest, shoulders and thighs.

Schechterle talked about the importance his physicians carried throughout his recovery process.

“My physicians were everything to me, they truly were. It’s the human side, the compassion, the love and the belief in themselves,” he said. What’s amazing about these students “is not only will they have their own adversity in life like we all do, they’re taking on other people’s adversity. And I give them a lot of credit and respect for that, and so to talk to them while they’re new and eager and bright eyed, it’s a lot of fun for me.”

The speaking engagement was the first of many content framing sessions for the medical students. During the sessions, students have the opportunity to meet patients or family members of patients as a way of putting a face to the information the students will learn.

“Patients who share their own experience and story let the students really have that in the back of their minds to make the rest of the content stick,” said Erin Nelson, Psy.D., Assistant Dean of Admissions, Outreach and Financial Education at the Burnett School of Medicine.

Schechterle talked about his recovery, the different stages and how it affected himself and his family as well as the positives that came after the accident.

“Learning about what happened in his life and how he overcame it just showed that you have to be resilient,” said Parminder Deo, a first-year medical student.

Despite everything he has been through, Schechterle has a positive outlook on life.

“One thing we’re created equal in is our human spirit,” he said. “It doesn’t matter your age, your race, your gender, how much money you have in the bank. We’re all completely equal on our human spirit and its desire for one thing — to take you away from risk and straight towards reward. You just have to let it fly.”