Dream Big | James Cole | TEDxNorthernIllinoisUniversity

In his talk, Dr. Cole acknowledges how many of us dream, but so few convert those dreams into realities. He will discuss that, as a dreamer, you have the greatest control over your own destiny. He also gives us a reminder that, despite what others say, you should dream big, and then come to realize those dreams.

James Cole, currently the assistant medical director of trauma services at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, has dealt with such maladies as gunshot wounds, flesh-eating bacteria, farm industrial accidents, and attempted suicides. His patients have included criminals, drug addicts and the mentally ill. But his experiences go beyond those of most doctors. Dr. Cole, 46, has served in a Marine Corps reconnaissance unit, in the U.S. Special Operations Command and on a Navy Reserve SEAL team. He cared for troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. He has treated, in his words, “individuals wounded from both common mechanisms of injury and by every other gruesome cause imaginable.” Dr. Cole talks about how he had to overcome many obstacles in order to make his dream a reality.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx