From patient to med school graduate (video)

At age 20, Brandon Calvert was living under the threat of sudden death. But due to the care of cardiac specialists Dr. Robert Gillespie and Dr. Charles Athill, including minimally invasive surgery at Sharp Memorial Hospital to correct his irregular heart rhythm, Brandon is now living a very full life.

Inspired by Dr. Gillespie, Brandon dreamt of being just like him. Now 31 and in his fourth year of medical school, Brandon is well on his way to making that dream a reality.

"I always compare myself," says Brandon. "How far am I to knowing as much as Dr. G.? And the thing I'm realizing now is that every time I see him, he knows more. So I don't think there will ever be that time where I'll catch up. To learn from someone like that would be priceless."

Watch the video above to learn more about Brandon’s story.