Andre Armero, MD-PhD ’31

From Curiosity to Calling: Blending Research and Patient Care

When Andre Armero first considered a career in medicine, it was a curiosity shaped more by television portrayals than personal experience. That changed the day a family friend, a practicing physician, handed him a white coat and brought him along on a visit to a memory care facility.

What he witnessed that day made a lasting impression. As the physician greeted patients, many of whom no longer had a clear grasp of their surroundings, Andre watched as their guard came down. The doctor’s approach was gentle and respectful, meeting each patient at eye level, whether that meant sitting at their bedside or joining them at the dinner table.

“I had never seen medicine like that before,” Andre says. “It was so human. Watching him offer comfort, even when recognition was fleeting, sparked something in me. I saw what it meant to hold someone’s vulnerabilities with care, and I knew I wanted to be part of that.”

Now an MD-PhD student at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Andre is channeling that early spark into a career at the intersection of patient care and research. His journey into medicine was shaped further by his time working as a Certified Nursing Assistant in a Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit.

“I loved the direct connection with patients,” he explains. “Even small gestures, like offering an extra blanket or a glass of ice chips, were met with deep gratitude. But I couldn’t turn off the research part of my brain. I kept asking, ‘Why?’ Why were some patients recovering faster than others? What could we learn from that?”

Those questions led him to pursue a dual degree. With the support of a mentor, he applied to MD-PhD programs, aiming to integrate his research curiosity with his passion for clinical care. At Dartmouth, that vision is coming to life.

Originally from Florida, Andre completed his undergraduate degree at Northeastern University in Boston. He frequently visited New Hampshire during that time, drawn by its natural beauty and outdoor activities.

“When I was choosing MD-PhD programs, I knew I’d be spending at least eight years there,” he says. “It was important to me that I could stay connected to nature, to ground myself outside the lab and the classroom.”

That connection to nature is more than a personal preference. It is part of how Andre maintains balance. “Go cross-country skiing on the golf course,” he recommends without hesitation. Academically, Andre has found ample inspiration at Dartmouth. He credits the Dermatology department at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center with helping shape his career interests.

“I didn’t come in with a specific specialty in mind,” he says. “But the opportunity to take an elective in dermatology, shadow faculty, and have candid conversations about the field opened my eyes to possibilities I hadn’t considered. Now, dermatology is one of my top contenders for a future career path.”

While Dartmouth’s strength in rural medicine initially stood out, Andre says he’s been pleasantly surprised by the breadth of global, urban, and policy-focused experiences offered through the program.

“Dartmouth does a great job of expanding your perspective,” he says. “Whether it’s hearing from clinicians working abroad or doctors influencing health policy, I’ve learned how diverse a medical career can be.”

Currently pursuing his PhD in Microbiology and Immunology, Andre anticipates completing his doctoral research in the next four years, followed by two more years of medical training. His long-term goal is to match into a dermatology residency that allows him to begin cultivating his research alongside his clinical work.

“I don’t know yet if I want to run my own lab,” he admits. “But I do know I want to stay in academic medicine, continue asking meaningful questions, and use research to improve the patient experience.”

His advice for incoming students is to protect what makes them feel whole.

“You are more than a student,” he says. “I was worried about losing the hobbies and activities I loved. But keeping those parts of myself alive has made me a better learner. Fill your own cup, because that’s how you stay grounded, even on the hard days.”