From Army officer to medical student: Continuing a life of service at ӰƵ
After more than 20 years in uniform, Christopher Bala begins a new mission at the School of Medicine
Editor’s note: Lien Tran, the author of this story, is a student employee in the University Marketing and Communications department. She is a fourth-year student majoring in finance.
One week after retiring from the U.S. Army, Christopher Bala began a new mission: medical school at ӰƵ.
Just a few weeks later, at the School of Medicine’s White Coat Ceremony, he stood in front of a mirror wearing the traditional symbol of the profession he had just entered. After more than 20 years in uniform, the moment felt significant.
“For the first time, I could begin to see myself as a medical professional,” he said. “Over the next four years, my classmates and I get to internalize that image we all saw in the mirror.”
Drawn to serve
Bala, a member of the School of Medicine’s Class of 2029, arrived in Cleveland on July 7, just days after concluding his military career. His path to service began in Darien, New York, a small rural town best known for its amusement park, Darien Lake. As a child, he often dressed as a soldier for Halloween. When he excelled academically, college also became an expectation.
He earned a congressional nomination to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, but a medical disqualification changed his plans. Instead, he enrolled at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (now PennWest Edinboro), where he majored in physics, wrestled at the Division I level, serving as a resident assistant, and joined Army ROTC. When a medical waiver came through, he signed his contract.
Commissioned in 2005, he joined the Army’s Armor Corps and deployed to northern Iraq with the 1st Cavalry Division. He led combat patrols in both urban and rural areas, but the experiences that stayed with him most were humanitarian. Through Medical Civic Action Programs, he helped deliver basic care and supplies to families in remote communities near the Syrian border, work focused on supporting civilians rather than engaging in combat.
After Iraq, he took command of a cavalry troop at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The unit was newly formed and preparing to deploy to Afghanistan, with equipment arriving slowly. They also faced the unexpected loss of their senior noncommissioned officer—Bala’s closest advisor. The experience, he said, demanded resilience, teamwork, and care for others—all traits that will serve him well in the medical field.
His experience also spans national security, policy and international affairs. Bala earned a Master of Professional Studies in Legislative Affairs from George Washington University and later a master’s degree in international security studies while serving as a Foreign Area Officer.
His most recent assignment was in Washington with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, where he worked with historians, archaeologists and military planners to recover remains of service members missing from past conflicts.
“It was deeply meaningful work,” he said. “Some families had waited decades for answers.”
Caring for others
Bala retired on June 30 and began medical school one week later. Moving his family to Cleveland while starting orientation was hectic, but the transition felt right.
“After seeing the impact that doctors can make in someone's life on missions in Iraq, I recognized the outsized value physicians bring to the table,” Bala said. “I have also had multiple interactions with the medical system and arrived at the understanding that everyone eventually crosses paths with it. I felt that I can do a lot of good in the world by contributing to this field.”
He was drawn to ӰƵ for the opportunity to train alongside clinicians at the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, MetroHealth, and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center. Now, his military experience continues to shape how he studies and how he hopes to practice. The Army taught him endurance, teamwork, and the importance of relationships—lessons he believes are central to medicine as well.
“I’ve enjoyed being immersed back in a scientific environment and learning something new every day,” he said.
He is still open-minded about specialty and future practice, but his goal is clear: to care for patients with compassion and purpose.
“I may not change the entire world,” he said, “but by treating a patient, I can change that one individual’s world.”
