Written by Kathryn Ross
Physician and Medical Director at Medical City McKinney and with the NFL, Erik D. Axene has found profound success in pursuit of his calling. Axene studied biochemistry while at APU, earning his Bachelor’s of Science in 1997. Since then, he’s also earned his Master’s in Education from APU as well as his Medical Doctorate from Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he also completed residency training in Emergency Medicine. Axene is now licensed in Texas, Oklahoma, and California.
In recent years, Axene has been the proud recipient of the Physician of the Year award from Medical City McKinney ER and Hospital in 2015, 2016, and 2017, respectively. In 2018, he won Physician of the Year in Dallas/Fort Worth and has served as the NFL Airway Management Physician for the Dallas Cowboys since 2016.
With so many successes, it’s clear Axene’s career has been marked with blessings — something he sees as a direct result of pursuing the path God placed before him. He notes that he chose to study biochemistry and medicine due to his “avid curiosity of the divinely created machine, the human body.” This curiosity came early on, spurred by what Axene describes as the first of many times he felt called towards medicine:
“The first time I felt called to be a physician was in middle school watching my older cousin assemble a cat skeleton for a school project in anatomy and physiology.”
While this may have frightened other kids or made them feel squeamish, Axene notes it as a defining moment in his life.
Later, Axene remembers another “calling” moment: “Prior to medical school, while teaching chemistry, my wife helped me to overcome self-doubt and fear to see myself as God sees me. Not as a man-pleaser but as a Christ follower. Debbie, more than anyone, helped me to understand how I have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ and equipped to glorify my creator as He has designed me.”
At APU, Axene remembers numerous professors, including Drs. Spalding, Kinnes, White, Rogers, Shrier, Sims, and Cherney who inspired him to pursue his calling to become a physician; “They helped me to build the foundational knowledge and skill sets I would need to not just be a physician, but to serve my creator as a servant of others.”
It was the guidance of these professors that had a hand in shaping Axene into the Christ-follower he continues to strive to be as a physician. “They maintained high expectations of me,” he says, “they helped to identify weaknesses and turn them into strengths and, most importantly, they displayed a genuine Christ-like love for me. All of this has impacted me more than I probably realize and I am very thankful for the instruction I received at APU.”
In addition to his studies, Axene also tried his hand at sports while attending APU. He played football and was on the track & field team, two experiences that taught him a lot. “Athletics at APU has been a surprising life-changing experience,” he notes. “I will never be in the Hall of Fame like others I have watched compete. But if gratitude for the sports programs at APU would qualify you as a Hall of Fame athlete, I like to think my name would come up. As a physician today, the dedication, determination, perseverance, commitment and work ethic I learned competing as a student athlete at APU has been my most meaningful experience.”
Today, in addition to his work and caring for his family, Axene spends a significant amount of time and resources helping men become more Christ-like through his organization AISISOMSA:
“A dear friend and I are building a network of men dedicated to mutually-sharpening friendship and authentic relationships,” says Axene. “We are seeing character transformation into the likeness of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. As sons of God, our aim is to become better men, better husbands, better fathers, better friends, and better workers—all for the glory of God. We call our organization ‘AISISOMSA,’ which operates from a biblical worldview perspective and is not for people who think that they ‘have it all together.’ AISISOMSA is for those men who recognize their deep and abiding need for Christ and the power of His Spirit. We seek to combat male tendencies toward isolation and self-reliance by promoting true fellowship in the Gospel. AISISOMSA celebrates the fact that we were designed for relationships—both with God and with others—and humbly relies on the power of the Spirit to produce lasting change through the means of authentic, prayerful, character-sharpening friendship."
Though all glory goes first to God, Axene also attributes much of his success both in his career and his volunteer work to his parents. “I’m thankful for the sacrifice [they] made to send me to APU,” he says. “Without that I probably would have gone to my local state school and I would not have had the same character-defining and transforming experiences. Thank you, Mom and Dad!”
Finally, Axene offers some advice for current and future students of APU:
“Be a Christ-pleaser, not a man-pleaser. Wholeheartedly pursue your God-given calling to glorify Christ. Do not let fear impact your choices.”
