Dylan Garvey

About Dylan Garvey

A career in medicine was not Dylan Garvey’s first choice. He was always a fan of science and wanted to do research biology. However, after completing his associate’s degree in Biotechnology followed by a summer internship at the University of Notre Dame doing research, he found that working for a lab was not for him.

Then following his grandfather’s stroke in 2006, which led to him spending time talking with and observing the nurses who cared for him, Dylan’s course changed. He went on to earn his nursing degree, followed by his family nurse practitioner degree, both from Indiana University South Bend.

Now he cares for patients suffering from a variety of ailments through his work in the Emergency Room. “My love for acute conditions is why my work experience remains in the acute/urgent care setting,” he says.

Dylan says that each patient is different, and he takes time to really hear them. “I approach each patient with an unbiased mindset. If you develop a predetermined idea about the patient, your clinical evaluation will certainly be faulty,” he says. “This can be difficult at times, but the importance of this way of thinking cannot be stressed enough.”

He hopes that his patients know he recognizes them as individuals and not as a disease process or a symptom.

In his own words…

Who is or was the most influential people/role models in your life?  I really didn't have a single role model. I had various people in my life who I looked up to. 

What was your first job growing up? What do you remember about it?  I worked for United Parcels Service (UPS) the summer I graduated high school. It was hot, grueling work, but it kept me motivated to seek out new opportunities. 

What is your favorite food? Movie?  My favorite food is tacos of all kinds.  My favorite movie is Jurassic Park (1993), not to be confused with the Chris Pratt nonsense.

What was your best/worst subjects in school growing up?  Algebra still gives me anxiety but I loved Chemistry/Science.

If you could sit down to dinner with anyone (alive or deceased) who would it be and why?  I believe it would be the late Steve Irwin. As a child, I loved his show and he got me interested in animals, research and conservation. Biological science research was where I had anticipated going, but I ultimately found nursing and medical to be my passion.

In addition to medicine, what are you passionate about?  My family. I love the time spent with my wife and children.

What are your hobbies, interests?  DIY home projects, trail bike riding, spending time with my wife and children, cars.

Do you have pets?  Three cats and an English Cream Golden Retriever

What is something most people don’t know about you?  I really like Pokémon. I enjoy the card game and I actually have a Pokémon tattoo. My wife and I have a mutual love of the game but due to our competitive nature and heated matches, the game is less frequent within our game night rotations.