Brendan Flynn.
Where do you live? Rockville, Maryland.
Current company and position? Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Captain, United States Army and resident physician in general surgery program.
First job and what it taught me? My first job was as a patient transporter at a local community hospital. The job taught me valuable lessons on interacting with people undergoing hardships such as illness or injury. Timeliness, teamwork and organizational values were also acquired from this experience. This early exposure was helpful later on in my career and training as a physician.
How do you embrace your Irish heritage? Our heritage was always embraced at home at New York. From trips to see family in Ireland, to having Irish music (nearly) always playing and engaging in Irish cultural events, we were introduced early and often to an awareness and appreciation of our culture. I recently had the opportunity to be inducted into the Ancient Order of Hibernians, which I view as a chance to further my understanding of and appreciation for the Irish American experience.
Something people would be surprised to know about me... In spite of my heritage, I cannot stand whiskey. It's a shame to be brought up in a culture that has produced some of the world's finest drams, yet I do not partake. A pint of Guinness, on the other hand...
Biography: I was born in NYC and reared in Yonkers, NY. My father, Brian was at the time an NYPD mounted policeman and my mother, Mary a critical care nurse. I am a proud brother to Siobhan and Liam and husband to Kathryn, whom I met at medical school in Philadelphia. I am currently an active-duty Army officer and physician undergoing training in general surgery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. This year I am at Georgetown University studying liver transplants using an ex-vivo "pump" system to evaluate and sustain livers pending transplantation.
