Prepared to care for a community

On a Bethel spring break mission trip to the Dominican Republic, Erik Bostrom ’08 saw a rural doctor caring for patients in small, remote villages, bringing medical help and hope where it was needed most. The doctor was making a big difference. 

“I remember thinking, ‘That’s really cool,’” Bostrom says, and his future trajectory shifted. He was a physics major at Bethel, planning to pursue engineering. “I liked physics, and I liked solving problems,” he says. “But then I started to realize I wanted to work more directly with people. And I started to think about medicine.” After shadowing some physicians in the town he grew up in, Bostrom began adding biology and chemistry classes—pre-med requirements—to his schedule. He went on to major in physics, because “physics is just fun,” he says, and then attended medical school at the University of Minnesota.  

After completing his residency in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Bostrom knew he wanted to return to a small-town setting—something similar to what he grew up with in Mora, Minnesota. He joined Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin, a rural, independent system that allows him to continue practicing full-scope family medicine, including pediatrics, obstetrics, hospital medicine, emergency medicine, and more. His rural clinic serves people of all ages, and it’s the kind of hands-on, community-centered care that first inspired him back in college.

“I enjoy doing a bit of everything—working in a clinic and seeing everything from babies to elderly patients, working in a hospital, the ER, delivering babies,” he says. “Many places are moving away from that model, but I spent a lot of time and energy becoming good at all these things, and I really enjoy them.”

Prepped at Bethel

Bostrom says most of his time at Bethel was divided between academics and running cross country and track. “I had good friends in both those areas, and that’s where I grew stronger in my faith,” he says. “It was a time of nourishment and growth.” In running, he learned physical endurance, and in physics, mental endurance. “As a physician now, those things make me better,” he says. And in turn, his grit and flexibility impact his patients.

He is with people all day, every day, and his faith is the lens through which he sees his patients. “People come to me with their medical problems, and I try to find ways to help them. But I’m not the one healing,” Bostrom says. I’m of the opinion that God heals. I’m more of a tool in His hand, and it’s cool to be used in that way.”

As God’s tool, Bostrom has been giving a little extra compassion and warmth to certain patients. About nine years ago he had the idea to gift handmade blankets to babies he delivers, but he didn’t know how to sew. After a few YouTube tutorials and lessons from family members, he discovered it wasn’t too hard to sew baby blankets together. When he first began sewing the blankets, he sent them to an embroiderer to add the finishing touches, including the baby’s name, birth date, weight, and height. Now, however, he does the embroidery himself, too. “People seem to like them quite a lot,” he says.   

Years later, families still treasure those blankets. “One kid came in recently and said he lost the blanket I made him seven years ago and asked if I could make him another one,” Bostrom says. “That meant a lot.”

When he’s not in the office, he and his wife enjoy hunting and training their bird dog, along with hiking, backpacking, and visiting national parks. They welcomed their own baby boy last September, so life has gotten a little busier. He says he has a few blankets to make to get caught up. 

“Looking back, a lot of the things that shaped me at Bethel are things I still lean on every day,” Bostrom says. “It all kind of adds up to doing this work well, and doing it with the right perspective.”

Launch your healthcare career

Bethel offers many pre-med and healthcare pathways. You can combine any primary major with personalized advising, tailored course plans, and career support to help you prepare for a wide variety of careers within the healthcare industry. 

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