Two members of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine Class of 2026 have chosen to serve both their patients and their country as they embark on medical residency as members of the U.S. military. The two were selected to serve in residency programs affiliated with the U.S. Air Force in Texas and California as part of the military match process.
After graduation in May, Caleb Bowman will serve as an emergency medicine resident at the University of California-Davis, Travis Air Force Base in California; John Squire will specialize in diagnostic radiology at San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium in Texas, the largest graduate medical education program in the Air Force and the second largest for the Department of Defense (DoD), with a primary training site at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC). Bowman and Squire will also hold the rank of captain in the U.S. Air Force.
For Bowman, the dual role of physician and airman is a dream come true. “My earliest experiences in medicine were as an EMT (emergency medical technician) and a ski patroller. From there, I transitioned to the clinical environment as an emergency room tech at the VA (Veterans Administration) in Seattle. This galvanized not only the dream of becoming a physician but also inspired my military career,” Bowman said.
“I wanted to follow the example of service demonstrated by my veteran patients and colleagues, and I look forward to caring for our active-duty service members."
Caleb Bowman, CI MED Class of 2026
Squire – a biomedical engineer and a self-taught computer coder – was drawn to specialize in diagnostic radiology because it combines systems-level problem-solving with patient-centered care. “Just as engineering requires seeing and solving problems from multiple perspectives, radiology requires knowledge of many specialties, like understanding a surgeon’s approach to anatomy or a neurologist’s analysis of white matter tracts,” Squire said.
“Throughout my core clinical rotations, I always found myself focusing on how imaging can directly help each specialist in diagnosis and treatment.”
John Squire, CI MED Class of 2026
As part of the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP), Bowman and Squire received support for medical school while completing leadership training in the U.S. Air Force’s Officer Training School and medical rotations at military institutions. Both will have a military service commitment following residency.
Squire remains open to both a long-term military career and the possibility of pursuing a medical fellowship in diagnostic radiology following residency. “Over time, I hope to contribute not only through clinical excellence but also through radiology research and medical education. Since BAMC is a big training hospital, it's unsurprising that a lot of medical students also rotate through the hospital!” he said.
Bowman’s long-term goals include using the skills he developed at CI MED and in his military role to improve the delivery of health care in rural areas through close collaboration with local emergency medical services (EMS). “CI MED has prepared me by offering electives specifically focused on quality improvement in health care, opportunities to teach others through the peer educator program, and opportunities to participate in medical education research,” Bowman said.
Medical residency matches for non-military residency positions will be announced on March 20, 2026.