Renaissance Man
Physician leads exciting life inside and outside the ER
Dr. John Chinchen, a Baxter Health Cline Emergency Center physician, is a true modern-day Renaissance man. In addition to being a physician, the Michigan native holds a world record, served on a SWAT team, is a state champion shooter, an Ironman triathlete, a hockey player, an ultramarathoner, a husband and a father—all by the age of 31.
When asked what inspired him to lead a life straight out of an action movie, he simply shrugged.
“It’s hard to say, man,” he said. “I just knew what my passions were and what my interests were, and I was like, ‘How can I combine all of these things and do them at the highest level?’ I just always wanted to do the most that I could with my life.”
Hockey Dreams and a Change in Plans
Chinchen’s story begins with hockey, a sport he loved from an early age. He excelled on the ice and dreamed of playing professionally. His passion was so consuming that he admits he didn’t always focus on academics. Still, his grades were good enough to get him into college. But that wasn’t his priority—his goal was the NHL.
“My friends and family were like, ‘You need to have a backup plan. Why don’t you at least apply to one school?’” he said. “Thankfully, I got into the University of Michigan before I went off to play junior hockey in Traverse City. I ended up getting injured, so it was a good thing that I had that backup plan.”
After realizing business school wasn’t for him, Chinchen pivoted to medicine. He earned a neuroscience degree from the University of Michigan, then attended Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine in Kalamazoo.
Emergency Medicine and Tactical Training
Medical school alone would have been demanding enough, but Chinchen continued to push himself. He served as a tactical emergency physician for the Wayne County SWAT team, where he had full arrest authority while providing medical support during active shooter incidents, barricaded gunmen situations and high-risk search warrants.
“I thought if I could get set up with a SWAT team, it’d be a great way to give back to my community and serve these guys if one of them got shot or injured or blown up—or even if they just sprained an ankle,” he said. “When I was still in residency training, I went through a full tactical training course for medics and a few docs who wanted to do the same thing I was doing.
“I came back from training in California, and I mean, it was full body armor, pistol, rifle—everything, just geared up like one of the guys on the team. Obviously, I wasn’t the first man in kicking the door down because that wasn’t my job—I was there to intervene medically. But I also needed to be able to protect myself in very high-risk situations. We did some high-level drug busts.”
Finding His Calling in Emergency Medicine
Chinchen was drawn to emergency medicine early on. His mother has been an ER nurse for decades, and job shadowing during his undergraduate years sealed his decision.
Before arriving in Mountain Home, he trained as an emergency medicine resident at Ascension St. John Emergency Department in Detroit—one of the busiest single-site Level 1 trauma centers in the Midwest. He said the fast pace and dynamic nature of each shift make emergency medicine the perfect fit for him.
“It’s just so engaging. You never know what’s going to walk through the door. Every day is different. Every patient is different,” he said. “EMS would call in saying they were bringing in somebody who’d been stabbed a couple of times, and we’d all rush into the trauma bay. Then literally right after that, the doc would walk into the next room, and it’s a little kid with a sore throat. From the first time I shadowed in college, I was just super enthralled. I was like, ‘Man, I can’t believe this is even a job.’”
During his residency, Chinchen demonstrated exceptional dedication, setting a record for the number of procedures performed. He frequently stayed late after shifts and came in on his days off to gain additional experience in resuscitation and the management of critically ill patients. His commitment to honing his skills underscores his drive to be an excellent physician.
Pushing the Limits Outside
the ER
Chinchen’s drive to challenge himself extends beyond medicine. In college, he discovered Ironman triathlons and transformed himself from a hockey player who couldn’t swim into a finisher of one of the toughest endurance races in the world.
Marathons eventually weren’t challenging enough, so he moved on to ultramarathons, completing 50-mile races. And then there’s his world record—in 2022, he set a Guinness World Record for the fastest mile run while carrying a 60-pound rucksack, clocking in at 6:14. A British paratrooper broke his record the following year.
Balancing Family, Medicine and Adventure
With all of his high-intensity pursuits, it’s hard to imagine how Chinchen balances his career, training and family life. But his most significant recent achievement isn’t a race or a tactical mission—it’s fatherhood. He and his wife welcomed their first child, an 11-month-old daughter.
As for what’s next, the thrill-seeker says his extracurricular activities have only strengthened his passion for medicine and helping others, especially those experiencing some of the worst moments of their lives.
“I started my journey into medicine because I wanted to do the most that I could with my life after medical school,” he said. “The most important thing for me, professionally speaking, is that I get a lot of satisfaction out of actually helping people, making their lives better and truly making a difference.”
