After 18 years of formal education, Lt. Col. Brett Theeler, MD, calls his neuroscience class with Dr. Charlie Lamb at BHSU, his “absolute favorite class of (his) entire life at any level of education.” Theeler turned neuroscience into his career. He currently serves as deputy chief of the Department of Neurology at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Theeler graduated from BHSU in 2001 with a degree in biology. He remembers choosing to study in Jonas Hall because Dr. Lamb would frequently stop by study sessions there to see if students had questions. Dr. Lamb would take to the board and answer the students questions, well after business hours.
“When you have faculty who care that much about your education, something changes inside you. For me, I stopped trying to understand what I was learning; I tried to master it. I did not leave BHSU with aspirations; I left with a professional destiny,” says Theeler.
Originally from Mitchell, S.D., Theeler was the first recipient of the $40,000 Joseph and Martha Nelson Scholarship that is still awarded annually to a high-achieving BHSU student in the sciences. He joined the Army after college and completed medical school at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda. He deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and served in Afghanistan in 2013.
As the only fellowship-trained neuro-oncologist in the Department of Defense, Theeler cares for patients with incurable types of brain cancer. He sees patients from around the world for second opinions and clinical trial evaluations as a clinical collaborator at the National Cancer Institute.
He says he is motivated each day to do better and be better for his patients.
“For me, that means flying out of bed early in the morning to turn my attention immediately to the patients I need to take care of and spending extra time to work out that new clinical trial that may help my future patients,” says Theeler.
BHSU awarded Theeler an Honorary Doctorate of Science during the Spring Commencement Ceremony. An Honorary Doctorate is the highest honor bestowed by the South Dakota Board of Regents and BHSU for outstanding service and exemplary achievements within the recipient’s fields of endeavor.
With the help of his colleagues at Walter Reed and the National Cancer Institute, Theeler has significantly improved access to cutting-edge, multi-disciplinary neuro-oncologic care.
“It all started at BHSU,” he says.
Speech Transcript
Dr. Brett Theeler, Honorary Doctorate Recipient, class of 2001
"Wow. As a kid at heart from Mitchell, South Dakota, this is a lot to take in. I do remember being a graduate, sitting down there, and I know what I was thinking. I wanted the guy sitting up here to get on with it so I could get onto the party with my friends and family. I know that many of you feel the same, we're going to get through this together, okay? President Jackson, the Black Hills State University administration, faculty, the class of 1969, friends, family, graduates- I'm truly humbled. I want to take this unique opportunity to also thank Joseph and Martha Nelson, and the Nelson family. I was honored to be the first four-year recipient of the Nelson scholarship in science and mathematics at Black Hills State. I will forever be a BH alum, and a Nelson scholar. So I left Black Hills and I went and joined the Army. I've spent the last 18 years in the United States Army Medical Corps. There have been ranked titles and accomplishments, and important lessons learned along the way. None of that tells you who I am or how I got here today. It all started for me here in the halls of Black Hills State. When this kind of things happens to you, you can't help but look back and ask yourself, "How and why?" And for me, I always circle back to my professors here at Black Hills State. It make surprise you that someone with as little hair on his head could actually have professors that are still here. But I do. I do think that's a testament to what a wonderful place this is to be. Dr. Zahfus taught me biochemistry. Happy retirement Dr. Z. Dr. Shane Sarver taught me genetics. Dr. Brian Smith taught me about statistics. Dr. Smith, if you're listening, your tests still give me nightmares. I'm a neurologist and I've dedicated my life to the care of patients who have diseases of the central nervous system. My neuroscience professor, Dr. Charles Lamb, had a profound impact on my life. His tests were pretty darn hard too. Dr. Lamb, I want a second shot at that first semester on physiology final. I needed over a 90 to get an A. I didn't even get close. I guess it still haunts me. But it's not the hard tests that I really remember. I remember my neuroscience class, my absolute favorite class of my entire life at any level of education. I remember that we would go to the old Jonas science building, not nearly as nice as it is now and today. We would sit in one of the classrooms and why would we study in the classroom when we could go to the library or somewhere else? It's because Dr. Lamb would frequently, you know, he'd poke in his head and ask if we had questions. And if we did, he'd go to the board and he'd answer them for us, well after business hours, mind you. When you have faculty that care that much about your education, something changes inside of you. For me, I stopped trying to understand what I was learning, and I tried to master it. I didn't leave Black Hills State University with aspirations, I left with a professional destiny. Graduates, that's now yours. To Dr. Lamb, all of the faculty who taught me, and all of the faculty that are here today, thank you so much for doing what you do. Thank you for dedicating your life to the education of these graduates. I wish I had better words to express my gratitude. I'm a neuro-oncologist. I take care of patients who have incurable types of brain cancer. Unfortunately, the most common type of brain cancer is called glioblastoma. For point of reference, this is type of cancer that recently took senator John McCain from us. Unfortunately, most of my patients will eventually pass away from their cancer. It's also important to point out that my patients don't fail cancer therapy. My cancer therapy fails them. And that is a stark reality to face again and again. The point is that I have experience with failure- repeated, disappointing, heart-wrenching failure. And I have some advice that I feel could help you. So here we go, Dr. Theeler's three-point process for dealing with failure: 1) Celebrate the small stuff. Finishing a year of chemotherapy or even just being alive on a beautiful day can be a reason for a hug, for a celebration, or a small party. You can't save happiness for only the greatest of success. Celebrate the small stuff, because the rough stuff might be just around the corner. It is my patients and their families that have taught me this more so than anyone else, and I cerebrate the small stuff with my patients whenever I can. 2) Surround yourself with people who will support you when you fail. I work with doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals, and we console each other. We laugh, we curse, and we cry when caring for patients with the worst afflictions of mankind. They get me through some tough times, and I hope I do the same things for them. The person who is there for you when you fail repeatedly is worth their weight in gold, and is worthy of the same treatment from you. The person who is not, is not worth your time. 3) You have to learn to deeply analyze and understand your failure, but at the same time, you have to allow yourself to move on. I have to be completely honest, doing what I do, I am still a work-in-progress here. But I have learned that deep reflection on my failure is not acceptance of that failure. And that moving on isn't giving up, but a necessity. Failure's going to hurt. Sometimes it's going to hurt badly. But if you celebrate the small stuff, surround yourself with people who will support you, you will find that after awhile, failure turns into something else completely. It turns into motivation to do better and to be better. For me, that means flying out of bed early in the morning and I'm turning my attention immediately to the patients that i have to take care off, spending the extra time to work out that clinical trial that may help my future patients. Graduates, you will overcome your failures too, and you will turn them into something better. I am a Black Hills State University alumni. I have memories of this place that will last me a lifetime. I had near perfect attendance at the upside down margarita party at Swarm Days.
[Audience laughs]
I made eight three-pointers and a win against South Dakota Tech. I made the best friends that I've ever made here, and most importantly, I met my beautiful wife, Stephanie, when I was a freshman in Heide Hall. But the interesting part of my story has been written. Look, we aren't graduates of some bland state school in Brookings, or Vermillion, or somewhere else, okay?
[Audience laughs]
You guys weren't supposed to laugh there, so, okay. When you leave this place, the further that you go there's, a very small chance that anyone's going to ever have heard of Black Hills State University, or have any idea where Spearfish, South Dakota is on a map. But graduates, I'm telling you now that they aren't going to see you coming. A few more things- be an involved alumni because I think you will find it's rewarding. Send your kids to school here- Braden, Allison, and my niece, M.J., I'm talking to you. And finally, tell everybody who will listen about the wonderful place that you went to school. All right graduates, we got through it. You're a few minutes closer to party time. So in closing, go Jackets, beat Tech. Thank you.
