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Ryan Ridenour

"I was one of those kids who grew up wanting to be a doctor."

I was raised not far from here in Hollidaysburg, PA, and spent my formative years right here in Blair County.  I met my girlfriend-who-became- my-fiance- who-by-the-time-you’re- reading-this-will -be-my-wife in high school here, and while I never guessed I would have come back to the area after all was said and done, I discovered that this is a really nice place to live.  

After high school, I went to Gettysburg College and majored in biology.  Gettysburg was an excellent experience, and more than any facts or pathways or anything (and more important than any of those things) it taught me how to think critically.  Nearing the end of my time there, I had to decide where to go for med school.  I was a bit confused, though; because I had grown up the son of a chiropractor, I knew the value of manipulative medicine, but I also wanted to learn, see and do what the “conventional” medical world had to offer.  At the time I had no idea what a D.O. was.  As if on cue, right in the middle of my dilemma, some representatives from PCOM came and explained to us all about osteopathy.  It sounded too good to be true, but after a long discussion with my dad, I decided that for me, osteopathy was the way to go.  

I then moved to Philadelphia and went to PCOM for a fantastic four years (PCOM that is, Philly I could have done without – too much small town in me I guess.)  I chose to do Family Medicine for a couple of  reasons – I still have some nostalgic vision of the “old time” do it all doc, and enjoy almost every aspect of medicine (except for the OR).  Family Medicine is the only specialty that will let you have all of that – in the course of a day, you can see a sick kid, treat a hundred hypertensives, manage diabetes, take care of an inpatient in heart failure, deliver a baby and still find time to throw in a house call every now and then.  It’s really a perfect fit.  I chose to come to AFP because it is a program that teaches you to be that kind of doctor, helping you to gain experience in all aspects of medicine.

Interests in medicine:  Manipulative medicine, psychoneuroimmunology/mind – body medicine, etc…

Interests outside of medicine:  Spending time with my wife, Kathy; sports (currently a lot of hockey and trail riding, but I’ll play just about anything if a game breaks out), TV/movies (particularly The Simpsons)