Patrick McGean was a father of four. A graduate in Fine Arts from the University of Utah in 1969. A declared Conscientious Objector to the Vietnam War, he served his alternative service at the U of U Medical Center. Starting in the OR as an orderly, he was promoted to Assistant OR Manger then was hired as Division Coordinator and Chief Ophthalmic Technician for the Div. of Ophthalmology.

In 1976 Mr. McGean was offered a “free ride” through medical school to which he said, “Why would I want to be like the doctors I have helped train?” From 1976 to 1999 Mr. McGean’s involvement with medicine was limited to reading medical journals and other health related publication.