Finding a path and a purpose
The day they had been waiting for arrived — The Ohio State University College of Medicine 2025 Doctoral Convocation, also known as the Hooding Ceremony. Milan Dopirak ’76 Res, '78 Fellow, and Ryan Dopirak ’00 MD, walked across the stage with their grandson and son, Mychael Dopirak ’25 MD, to place the symbolic garment on his back, celebrating his journey from medical student to physician. The velveted trim on the hood symbolized his joining their ranks as physicians and Ohio State alumni, continuing a family tradition that spanned generations.
As they read the Hippocratic Oath together on stage, their voices held notes of gratitude for the world-renowned Buckeye community, which had provided the exceptional education that shaped who they have become. And as they recited their loyalty to the medical profession, the words underscored the full meaning of how the university’s innovative culture helped define their family legacy — a lineage built on supporting one another and applying the lessons they learned while becoming Buckeyes.
“There is no other place than Ohio State where I would have wanted to spend my four years as a medical student,” Mychael says. “There was never any pressure to follow in my grandfather or father’s footsteps, but this was always the path I saw and wanted to take.”
Mychael’s grandfather, Milan, graduated from the Ohio State College of Medicine after completing an internal medicine residency and a cardiovascular medicine fellowship in the mid-70s. His father, Ryan, graduated from the college in 2000, and now serves as a sports medicine specialist and as medical director of the Musculoskeletal Service Line for Froedtert Health and the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.
“This is the place that made me who I am,” Milan says. “The fact my grandson not only went to medical school but came to the place that I love, makes it extra special.”
All three Dopiraks received exceptional training at the college, immersed in a culture of engagement and service, which prepared them to find purpose in their work and contribute to solving medical challenges.
“I’m starting an orthopedic surgery residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin. It’s one of the specialties hat I’ve been around my whole life and one I feel comfortable in,” says Mychael, the recipient of a 2025 Northrup Family Medical Legacy Scholarship. “Now, being able to collaborate with my father, as a resident on any service, is pretty unique and I know it will be a cool experience.”
Ryan is thrilled that his son will soon be returning to Wisconsin for his residency and pursuing the fulfillment of his career dreams in a way he feels is the best fit.
“I never really pressed him to go into orthopedics or to return home,” Ryan says. “But I think that makes it even more meaningful that he went through his own process and found his own path.”
As the first person in his family to attend college, Milan says his career journey was guided by sage advice from his father — advice he’s passed on to Ryan and Mychael.
“My dad said to me, ‘If you’re going to do something, do it right or don’t do it at all,’” Milan says. “So that is my life lesson to them: try to be as good as you can possibly be with the talents that God gave you and don’t come up short.”
Having fathers who modeled dedication and compassion gave both Ryan and Mychael the confidence to explore and envision themselves working in the field of medicine. Ryan says what stands out to him about his childhood and watching his father, practice cardiology as his passion.
“It’s a passion for service and healing, and it’s what inspired me to pursue this pathway as well,” Ryan says. “I see passion in my son, too.”
Passion and stamina are required to successfully practice 21st century medicine, they agree. As the sole practitioner in his practice, Milan was on call every night. He laughs when he recalls a now-infamous question posed to him by then five-year-old Ryan one Sunday on the way to church.
“He asked, ‘Are you ever going to have a day off?’” Milan says. “I answered, ‘This is my day off.’”
Ryan’s retort called out the obvious: “But are you going to the hospital after church?” Everyone in the car knew the answer was yes. Yet, Milan says that while he earnestly tried to be home as much as possible, his profession required continual sacrifices from him, his wife and his children.
“Cardiology is a demanding specialty, and a lot of what happens, happens at night,” Milan says. “When doctors refer a patient to you as an emergency, they don’t care how smart you think you are or where you’ve trained. All they want to know at 3 a.m. is, ‘Are you going to be here in 10 minutes?’”
Like father, like son
At his dad’s Match Day ceremony in 2000, Mychael was too young to remember the details of the event or his dad beginning his orthopedic surgery residency at Mount Carmel Hospital. But he has many fond memories of growing up in a small town in Wisconsin and witnessing his dad’s dedication to both his family and patients, experiencing firsthand the depth of his father’s care for the community.
“In the grocery store or while working out at the local YMCA, people would approach and share stories of how my dad’s care impacted their lives and how it improved their quality of life,” Mychael says.
To gain a better sense of various residency programs, Mychael completed away rotations before his final year of medical school. While at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where his dad Ryan practices in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, he felt and observed the supportive camaraderie between residents and physicians.
“It was like a family,” Mychael says. “You could tell the attendings cared about the residents and wanted them to feel that they were all friends and colleagues, as well as teachers and students.”
Like his father and his grandfather, he wants to make a positive difference in the lives of others.
“I want to follow in their steps of being phenomenal doctors,” Mychael says. “But it’s more important for me to be a phenomenal father, husband and just an overall family members.”
