UW Cheyenne Residency Curriculum Teaches Wild West Life-Saving Skills

The University of Wyoming’s Family Medicine Residency Program at Cheyenne trains physicians for many areas of family medicine, ranging from pharmacy to behavioral health. However, one particular curriculum took center stage this past summer in helping resident physicians save a life in a setting straight out of the Wild West.

Dr. James Eggert, associate program director with the Cheyenne residency program, teaches sports and rodeo medicine, training physicians to treat injuries common to rodeo athletes, including concussions, lacerations, fractures, dislocations and dehydration. During this year’s Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD) rodeo, the training and experience in rodeo medicine meant the difference between life and death for Eggert and resident physicians William Woodward, Zachary Herman and Michael Blomquist.

Smith Pro Rodeo Cowboy Dylan Terro, 34, was opening a chute with a bucking horse inside when the horse suddenly kicked Terro squarely in the chest, knocking the athlete unconscious and stopping his heart.

Eggert and his team, joined by additional medical personnel involved with the rodeo, immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation until ambulatory care arrived. From the time between the accident and Terro arriving at Cheyenne Reginal Medical Center (CRMC) was just 13 minutes.

Although Terro doesn’t recall anything from the accident, surgery or the first few days of his time in the intensive care unit at the hospital, he expresses deep appreciation for the long list of professional volunteers who care for the athletes during CFD -- and for the procedures that are in place during an emergency situation, which are what directly saved his life.

“There are so many people to thank, from the professionals on the arena floor, to the ambulance personnel for transporting me to CRMC, the ER, OR and ICU staff of professionals -- it is unfortunate that I cannot name them all,” Terro says. “My care in the ICU ward was absolutely amazing. The entire medical staff, administration and support personnel of CRMC are second to none, and I am so thankful for each and every one of them. Cheyenne, Wyoming, has always been a special place for me; now it has more meaning than anyone can imagine.”

Vic Terro, Dylan’s father, mirrors his son’s thankfulness for the outstanding team of professionals at both the rodeo and the hospital for saving his son’s life.

“The great team of professionals and the outstanding citizens of Cheyenne all gave us a huge comfort of love that will never ever be forgotten,” Vic Terro says. “Cheyenne, Wyoming, will always be our home away from home.”

As part of a collective effort, Eggert credits the leadership of the cowboy medics from CFD’s Military Committee, Scott Logan and Tina Nelson; coordination between emergency room providers Joann Bourlier-Childress, in the arena, and Stephen Pecevich, in the hospital; surgeon Nathaniel Kaan and the surgery team; and  Drs. Thomas Blomquist, David Miller and Daemon Kennedy, who identified cardiac arrest and began initial compressions at the arena.

“The cowboy medics team works each year to improve the preparation, response and coordination of care for the thousands of participants and spectators who come to enjoy Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo each year,” Eggert says. “The residents work hand in hand with the Justin Sports Medicine team to provide excellent care every day.”

Eggert, who joined UW’s Cheyenne residency program and began teaching in 2022, credits the success of the sports and rodeo medicine curriculum to Dr. Vincent “Skip” Ross, CFD medical director, who has taught residents in sports and rodeo medicine for more than 30 years.

Resident physicians are not required to take the sports and rodeo medicine training, but those who do -- in preparation for the rodeo -- learn emergency care, laceration repair, joint reductions and emergency transport. Residents are certified in advanced trauma life support and participate in the management of acute injuries at the arena.

The residents practice these techniques in the arena in real time before opening day.

There are just over 200 accredited sports medicine fellowship programs in the U.S., but there is no specific medical specialty or dedicated fellowship training for rodeo medicine. Instead, medical providers gain experience in rodeo medicine through specialized sports medicine teams or by volunteering at rodeos.

“The sports and rodeo medicine experiences at our Cheyenne Residency Program are important components of the full scope training our residents receive at the University of Wyoming’s graduate medical education (GME) programs to prepare them for rural and frontier family medicine,” say Beth Robitaille, the designated institutional official and department chair with the GME programs.

“The experience also highlights the academic value of incorporating sports and rodeo medicine into graduate medical education,” says Patrick Hardigan, dean of the College of Health Sciences. “By integrating high-acuity, real-world training into the residency curriculum, UW prepares physicians to deliver evidence-based, comprehensive care in rural and frontier environments where immediate access to specialty services may be limited. This innovative approach strengthens the clinical preparedness of residents while advancing UW’s mission to meet Wyoming’s health care workforce needs.”

Each year at CFD, one or two Cheyenne resident physicians take a turn each day assisting the sports lead physician. These residents do so voluntarily and at no cost to the venue.

Vic Terro says that, while training for emergency situations at CFD clearly shows a well-prepared team of professionals, he hopes such training will be available throughout other rodeo events.

“We hope and pray that, as a result of Dylan’s freak accident, there will be more improvements which will save the lives of others -- most importantly, a heads-up notice to those rodeos that may not have these accommodations and procedures in place,” Vic Terro says.

About the Cheyenne Family Medicine Residency Program

UW’s Family Medicine Residency Program at Cheyenne was established in 1979 to help Wyoming meet its need for primary-care physicians. The residency program is part of UW’s College of Health Sciences. The teaching faculty of the Family Medicine Residency Program at Cheyenne is composed of full-time university faculty members, as well as community physicians in many medical specialties and other health care professionals.

About UW’s College of Health Sciences

UW’s College of Health Sciences trains health and wellness professionals and researchers in a wide variety of disciplines, including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, speech-language pathology, social work, kinesiology, public health, health administration and disability studies. The college also oversees residency and fellowship programs in Casper and Cheyenne, as well as operating a speech/hearing clinic in Laramie and primary care clinics in Laramie, Casper and Cheyenne.

With more than 1,600 undergraduate, graduate and professional students, the college is dedicated to training the health and wellness workforce of Wyoming and conducting high-quality research and community engagement, with a particular focus on rural and frontier populations.