Dr. Evan Schrader is an obstetrician-gynecologist and a 2025 Mister USA contender. He chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about his latest endeavors.
Christopher Reeve once said: “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Evan Schrader embodies this wise quote.
Mister USA pageant
Mister USA is an American beauty pageant, which is held annually, and the winner goes on to represent the United States in the Mister Universe competition. It is a celebration of culture, diversity, beauty, intelligence and empowerment. They believe in the power of young leaders to make a difference in the world. It is not solely about outer beauty; it recognizes the inner beauty and intelligence of their contestants.
“I am stoked about Mister USA,” he exclaimed. “I don’t know what to expect but I am really excited to meet some new people. I can’t wait to go out to Los Angeles and see everything that they’ve put together.”
While he works in Orlando, Florida, as a physician, he hails from North Carolina. “I just moved from Charlotte, North Carolina to Orlando,” he admitted.
“I am excited to be representing North Carolina because a lot of who I am comes from North Carolina,” he explained. “I finished my medical training there, and being a doctor is a huge part of who I am. I got my wings from finishing my residency training there, and everything I do comes mostly from everything in Charlotte.”
“Getting the opportunity to do Mister USA is so serendipitous, because had this opportunity presented itself into my life last year, I wouldn’t be able to do it (because I wouldn’t have been able to take a week off in July to represent my state); however, it happened now, and I am ready, so that’s really cool,” he elaborated.
Daily motivations
On his daily motivations, he shared, “Seeing people happy, seeing people inspired, and doing the right thing. Doing good by people keeps me going every day. I enjoy putting smiles on people’s faces, and just seeing happy inspires me to be happy.”
Advocacy
“My job is a hotspot right now in current news, in politics and in the world. A big chunk of my job involves representing women, families, equality, and reproductive freedom.”
“Honestly, advocacy is an intricate part of my everyday experience such as taking care of patients, taking care of families, and enabling people. Advocating for people is what I do every 15 minutes when I am meeting new people at work. I think Mister USA doesn’t exist only because Miss USA was there. The only reason we are here is because of the matriarchs in our lives and in our world.”
Future plans
On his future plans, he shared, “I just finished my residency training, so it’s an exciting time for me. I am establishing myself in the hospital system that I am working at here, and I took a faculty position at my medical school, so I am doing some teaching. I am buying a house finally, and I am settling down.”
“I moved for my whole training career (from college to medical school to residency), I have been all over, so I am excited to put some roots down and actually build a practice and have a cohort of women that I take really good care of,” he elaborated.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Schrader revealed, “Rediscovery.”
“I am in my 30s and I am rediscovering new beginnings,” he said. “I am now working and just seeing what my new priorities are for what makes me happy, what makes other people happy and how I want my life to look, which is exciting and equally scary.”
Advice for young and aspiring doctors
For young and aspiring people that wish to go into medicine, he said, “It’s a really long journey. You have to be in it for the right reasons to find success and to make it. There are a lot of misunderstandings about becoming a doctor.”
“People think doctors are rich but there is so much hard work and sacrifice in order to make it to the end to be a good doctor. You really need to be in it for the right reasons. You need to really care about people, and you need to have a lot of compassion because otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to work an 80-hour a week residency, study, and sacrifice your own time with family and relationships.”
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, he remarked, “Success, to me, means having a purpose and feeling fulfilled.”
Closing thoughts
“I have a lot of passion for life! I’ve lived life through so many different families and colleagues that I’ve met along the way, along with friends and life experiences, and that has only invigorated me to learn more and experience more. As a result, I am an excited person all the time,” he concluded.
To learn more about Evan Schrader, follow him on Instagram.
