Torline graduated in May 2013 with a degree in biology and always had plans to go on to medical school. The U.S. Army answered his call in the form of the Health Professional Scholarship Program, a full-ride to the the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
“I’m really excited to get this opportunity,” said Torline, who attended Jennings County High School in Vernon, Ind. “I look at this as the perfect chance for me to use all the knowledge I’ve learned while in school and to give back to my country in a way few people ever get to do.”
As part of the Army program, Torline will do annual medical officer training and rotations at regional military hospitals, such as Walter Reed in Washington, D.C. and Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. He will serve as a reservist until his residency, at which time he will serve as an Army doctor. He hopes to return eventually to Indiana to practice medicine.
While an undergraduate research student, Torline completed two trips to Haiti to do mission work and help a village install a sanitary drinking water system. He credits that work to solidifying his dream to help people who need it the most.
He also conducted genetics research with Martin Bard, Ph.D., in the Department of Biology and Dr. Scott Renshaw at the IU School of Medicine. He is a graduate of the Life and Health Sciences Internship Program at IUPUI and conducted research as part of the IUPUI Center for Research and Learning.
“I am eternally grateful to those who supported and assisted me during my time at IUPUI,” he said. “I benefited most by learning how to learn as well as the life experiences that helped to develop me into who I am today.
“Hands down, IUPUI gave me the opportunities to gain the confidence I needed to solve problems in life,” he added.
Moving on to a successful career as a doctor is not the only thing on Torline’s radar, however. In May 2014, he will marry his longtime girlfriend. With changes to her personal and professional life, he's excited about what the future holds for him after IUPUI.
“This next chapter in my life will be challenging, but I feel everything I’ve worked hard for through college has led me to this point. I’m looking forward to it.”