If you were just aware of what Jabre Millon has accomplished over the last five years, it wouldn’t seem at all off base to assume he’s one of those young men whose life has always been on an upward trajectory.
Out of more than a thousand applicants, he was one of 60 students accepted to the Class of ’23 at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at ; he became a member of the national MyMentor team, coaching pre-med students on how to navigate admission to medical school; and he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA), a national medical honor society dedicated to improving care, in part, by recognizing high educational achievement, supporting the ideals of humanism, and promoting service to others.
Most recently, Millon, set to graduate with his Doctor of Medicine (MD) in May 2023, was elected to the national board of directors of , the only medical student elected to the 12-member physician board (there are two resident physicians on the board).
“His becoming a member of the national board is an extraordinary honor,” said Dr. Gary Shen, associate dean of undergraduate education at the medical school. “It really speaks to Jabre’s accomplishments. He represents on a national stage. I think it will inspire others to do great things even though we are a small, new school.”
Yes, at first blush, Millon, who is now in the process of applying for a graduate medical education residency in integrated interventional radiology, is an example of one of those pure onward and upward stories, where good fortune follows in a straight line from hard work and a focused, positive mindset.
But Millon admits he almost didn’t get to this time and place; psychic pain nearly killed his chances of becoming a physician, a dream he’s held from the age of 11.
It’s part of his life story that he doesn’t want left out.
“I’m hoping I can help people realize that they don’t have to be defined by the past," he says, "that they are able to make decisions and overcome obstacles, that they must not be afraid to reach out for help.”
In 2011, while Millon was a senior in high school, his father killed Jabre’s stepmom and her boyfriend. Police killed his father when he refused to drop his weapon. Not surprisingly, heavy media attention resulted.
“It was just one month before my high school graduation. I lost the desire to attend school and participate in athletics. I no longer had the desire to do much of anything. I was in a world of pain. It was heartbreaking to know someone I loved so dearly could do something so heinous.”
While Millon got through high school and two years at the University of La Verne, which was close to his California home, he did so by compartmentalizing his emotions, by shutting people out.
That behavior, however, took its toll. When he transferred to the University of Southern California (USC), he found he couldn’t study or focus. His personal relationships suffered. Doing it alone, living inside his own head where he worried incessantly about how people would feel about him if they knew what had happened in his family, had caused paralyzing stress.
“I was at a crossroads. The suffering was going to consume me, or I was going to take control of my life. I decided to seek out guidance.”
He spoke to a sports psychologist working with the USC track team where he was a varsity athlete in both the long jump and triple jump. It was the beginning of Millon’s healing process.
Getting professional help, which researchers say is often more difficult for men to do because they see it as "unmanly," took a weight off his shoulders. He began to understand he needed to talk through his form of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and that there is a healing power in talking about your feelings with others.
“I learned to accept what happened. I couldn’t let it consume me. I realized I had to get it off my chest.”
As he worked through his own problems, Millon volunteered at hospitals, which further fueled his desire to become a physician.
Today, he says he has found medical school challenging, but largely a joy and rewarding.
“My first clinical rotation was labor and delivery. In my first week, I delivered a baby for the first time, assisted in surgery for the first time, slept overnight in the hospital for the first time, and performed a speculum exam for the first time. I have observed or participated in procedures ranging from appendectomies to autopsies. In hindsight, my time in medical school has been one of the more challenging times of my life, but it has provided me with memories, experiences, and lessons for a lifetime as a physician.”
Millon says he’ll never forget how medical school was made possible.
“I reached out for help. Without that help, I wouldn’t be here now. There are people out there who want to see you win in life. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. And don't be afraid to be there for other people, even when it feels like you don’t have the time."
