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Former fighter pilot, now
first-year radiology resident, Tim Shepard, M.D.
Every year, the incoming radiology class is greeted b y the faculty with the words, “You are the strongest class we have ever had.” In fact, the quality of incoming residents does seem to get better and better every year. Beyond exceptional academic strength, many newcomers to our department are multitalented individuals who are actively involved in high-intensity extracurricular activities. This year, two first-year residents stand out: Greg Chang and Tim Shepard. Greg has been fencing for nearly 20 years and competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Tim was a fighter pilot in the Marines and flew F/A-18s over South Korea and Japan. They agreed to share their past experiences and discuss how those led to radiology and NYU.
How did you get interested in fencing?
In flying planes?
GREG: My dad fenced in college, and when I was 12, I found his old fencing equipment in the basement and started fooling around with it. My dad gave me a quick lesson, and then said that if I wanted to learn more I could get formal lessons. I signed up for youth classes at the Boston Fencing Club. I fell in love with the sport from the first day. I started fencing in 1988, the year of the Olympics in Seoul, and that was when I first dreamed of going to the Olympics myself. There was about ten minutes of fencing TV coverage from the Seoul Olympics, but I recorded it and watched it probably a hundred times before going to bed that night. My parents thought I was crazy.
TIM: When I was growing up I always wanted to be a pilot. I don’t even remember why, I just always knew it was something I wanted to do. I enlisted in the Marine Reserve my senior year in high school because I thought it would be a great way to begin to realize my goal of flying planes. I literally went from high school graduation to boot camp in Parris Island, South Carolina, and immediately thereafter to freshman orientation at Brown University. That summer was a series of culture shocks, and boot camp really made for an awful summer. But I made great friends. At Brown, I kept up with my monthly reserve training. By my senior year I decided that I wasn’t going to let one bad summer ruin my dream of being a pilot. So, after graduation, I spent another summer in Officer School, then six months in basic infantry in Quantico, Virginia, then aviation indoctrination and primary flight training in Pensacola, Florida. What was the most challenging aspect about training for the Olympics? Becoming a fighter pilot?
GREG: The most challenging thing was trying to do medical school at the same time. In retrospect, what was I thinking?! I took two years off from medical school to prepare for the 2000 Olympic trials, which didn’t work out. During my third-year pediatrics clerkship, I was on the verge of qualifying for the national team for the first time. The final qualification tournament was in Cuba, and the pediatrics clerkship director said that he would fail me if I went. I ended up doing alternating nights on call for a week, made it to Havana, but did horribly in the competition. Then I missed my flight home. Moments like that, you feel that you’re being neither a good medical student nor a good athlete, and that you’re sacrificing one thing for the other without any results. I had countless moments similar to that one over the fifteen years of trying to compete. But, I decided to spend all of my fourth year of medical school training in Europe again. I graduated in 2003, and spent one more year after that training full-time to try to qualify for the 2004 Olympics.
2004 Olympic fencer, now
first-year radiology resident, Greg Chang, M.D.
What was the most challenging aspect about training for the Olympics? Becoming a fighter pilot?
GREG: The most challenging thing was trying to do medical school at the same time. In retrospect, what was I thinking?! I took two years off from medical school to prepare for the 2000 Olympic trials, which didn’t work out. During my third-year pediatrics clerkship, I was on the verge of qualifying for the national team for the first time. The final qualification tournament was in Cuba, and the pediatrics clerkship director said that he would fail me if I went. I ended up doing alternating nights on call for a week, made it to Havana, but did horribly in the competition. Then I missed my flight home. Moments like that, you feel that you’re being neither a good medical student nor a good athlete, and that you’re sacrificing one thing for the other without any results. I had countless moments similar to that one over the fifteen years of trying to compete. But, I decided to spend all of my fourth year of medical school training in Europe again. I graduated in 2003, and spent one more year after that training full-time to try to qualify for the 2004 Olympics.
TIM: The training was challenging. During the nine months of primary flight training, we flew 70 to 80 flights, and were graded on each one. Your performance determines what type of airplane you will fly, so it was stressful. At the end of it, I was selected to fly jets. I went to Texas for two more years of training, after which I was selected to fly single-seat F/A-18s, which is exactly what I wanted. I went to El Toro, California for nine more months of F/A-18 training before I was stationed in Orange County, California. I did a lot of challenging things, from bombing, to firing missiles and rockets, to aerial refueling, to air-to-air combat. The most challenging was either landing on an aircraft carrier at night or flying with night vision goggles.
What was most surprising to you at the Olympics?
As a fighter pilot?
GREG: I have to be honest, the Olympics was everything that I was hoping it would be.
TIM: As a fighter pilot, you try to avoid surprises by being prepared for every possible scenario.
What is your favorite memory from the Olympics?
As a fighter pilot?
GREG: Closing ceremonies of the Olympics were amazing…. So few people get to realize their childhood dreams — I’m extremely fortunate.
TIM: The first time I qualified for aircraft carrier landings. I’ll never forget getting out of the plane and my friend John McGuinness running up to tell me we qualified!
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