In Medicine, Grady Blood ’25 Finds Meaning and Purpose

Grady Blood’s first major surgery changed his life. He remembers vividly the anesthesiologist walking into the operating room and the doctors helping to calm and reassure him. This memory left an indelible mark, one that inspired him to want to become a doctor himself. “My goal isn’t just to become a doctor, though,” Grady explains. “I want to be a friend to my patients, to be caring and compassionate in my care for them.”

This dream is fast becoming a reality as he is currently a student in the University of Rochester’s Early Medical School program (REMS). According to the school’s website, the REMS program provides unique advantages for the most select few of their pre-med students. “Only a few colleges have these programs where you’re accepted into both an undergraduate and medical school program,” Grady says. “In my case, I won’t have to take the MCAT or go through any of the medical school admissions process.” He says this will allow him to focus on his studies and working toward fulfilling his dream.

Candidates for this program have to be certain that they are ready to dedicate themselves to a career in medicine. “I’ve taken a lot of opportunities to see if healthcare is the right field for me,” Grady says. He began as a volunteer at Sturdy Memorial Hospital and the American Red Cross, where Grady says he did his best to provide compassionate care to those who needed it. “At the hospital, I would wheel around people who couldn’t walk, and I’d use my lunch money to buy them food and water because I wanted to keep them happy,” he says. “I know sitting in the waiting room for a long time can be tedious.”

Along with being a blood donor himself, in his official capacity at the Red Cross, he was tasked with watching over those who had donated to make sure they were feeling well before they left the facility. 

For Grady, it wasn’t necessarily the specific jobs he was doing that mattered the most, it was the intention behind them. “Empathy is my number one value as a person,” he says. “I’m always trying to put myself in other people’s shoes so I can work toward the best outcome.”

In the summer after completing his junior year at Xaverian, he had two formative experiences that solidified his dream of becoming a doctor. Grady was one of 16 students who scored a placement through Xaverian’s Ryken Internship Student Experience (RISE) program. “My RISE neurology internship had a great impact on me,” he says. “When I was at the Neurology Center of New England with Dr. Sal Napoli, P ’25, ’29 he really opened my eyes to neurology as a specialty.” With the help of Xaverian’s advancement and alumni relations team, he was also able to connect with Dr. John Fox ’03, a cardiac anesthesiologist at Tufts Medical Center, for a shadow experience. “These two Xaverian connections opened a lot of doors for me and they opened my eyes to the two specialities I’m most interested in -neurology and anesthesiology.”

During his time at Xaverian, Grady helped form and lead the  MediX Club for students interested in pursuing a career in medicine. He was also president of Model UN and a member of Xaverian’s Young Men 4 Change and Students Against Destructive Decisions groups. “Xaverian has shaped me into the person I want to be and instilled in me the values and ethics I want to have and show to the world,” he says.Through it all, his family was by his side supporting him. “I honestly can’t thank them enough,” he says. “The opportunities that they’ve given me are so special. They have given me a lot of freedom and have trusted me to use it well. They let me pursue what I wanted to pursue, and that has made every day of my life more fulfilling.”