November 11, 2026

RVU Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Kevin Puri, DO

Photo Credit: Kaychan Photography

Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine – Colorado (RVUCOM-CO) alum Kevin Puri, DO ’24 has always had his sights set on serving his country.

After the fateful day of Sept. 11, 2001, Dr. Puri watched his mother enlist in the U.S. Navy Reserve and his older sister eventually commission through the U.S. Naval Academy, both inspired by a profound sense of duty to serve their country. Meanwhile, his father, a pediatrician in their small hometown of Front Royal, Virginia, provided a different expression of service through his compassionate care and a genuine connection with his patients.

Dr. Puri’s family had a profound impact on his future, influencing him to not only pursue an appointment to train and commission through the U.S. Air Force Academy, but to also pursue a career as an osteopathic medicine physician.

“Those examples shaped my understanding of purpose,” Dr. Puri said. “During high school, I recall meeting a [U.S. Air Force] Flight Surgeon, who demonstrated I could combine these passions of mine for medicine and service. From that moment on, I had my sights set.”

In honor of Veteran’s Day, we highlight an RVU alum who has answered the call to action, in more ways than one.

A Career in Military Medicine

Dr. Puri’s current career is in Fighter Squadron Aviation Medicine. He recently completed his first operational assignment as the Flight Surgeon of the 36th Fighter Squadron, the Fabulous Flying Fiends, at Osan Air Base, South Korea, the U.S. Air Force’s largest and most forward permanently deployed F-16C/D squadron. During this one-year tour, he provided comprehensive medical oversight for 59 pilots, supported the health of 403 Airmen, and facilitated a flying program encompassing approximately 5,400 sorties across 6,800 flying hours. Over the course of the year, he led medical operations through two deployments and six major exercises. These included providing 24/7 medical coverage during a no-notice Joint Task Force–POTUS deployment to Malaysia and serving as the sole U.S. Air Force Flight Surgeon medically supporting more than 650 personnel during 70 days of Operation EPIC FURY.

In September 2026, he relocated to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, where he assumed duties as the Flight Surgeon for the 67th Fighter Squadron, the Fighting Cocks, supporting the historic stand-up of the USAF’s F-15EX mission.

He also serves as the Aerospace Medicine Champion for the Air Force’s Lifestyle and Performance Medicine Working Group.

“In this capacity, I advocate and promote for the infusion of lifestyle therapeutic intervention, preventive medicine, and human performance optimization into the care we deliver to our nation’s warfighters,” Dr. Puri said.

Caring for Patients Beyond the Exam Room

As a flight surgeon, Dr. Puri performs a wide array of duties outside of the clinic setting. He’s responsible for his aviation crews’ health and ensures that they are prepared for flight missions, he said. He works alongside pilots, aircraft maintainers, and squadron leadership to understand the multi-faceted demands of their jobs, allowing him to provide better patient care, he said.

One day can look drastically different from the next in Dr. Puri’s shoes. His day-to-day can involve triaging patients in the squadron clinic, performing osteopathic manipulative treatment on patients, leading clinical teams through a medical readiness exercise, delivering emergency care in low-resource settings, or flying in the back of a fighter jet.

“What makes this career so special is the opportunity to care for people beyond the exam room,” Dr. Puri said. “I get to know them personally, understand their mission, earn their trust, and become a part of the operational mission and integrated into the flying squadron. There is something profoundly rewarding about caring for the very pilots who entrust me to fly in the seat behind them in the cockpit.”

Preparing for Service

Dr. Puri received academic and military training at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado after finishing high school. He graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a Pre-Medical track and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.

Dr. Puri began his medical school journey at RVUCOM-CO in 2020, receiving a Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) scholarship through the Air Force. The program’s scholarships cover medical school educational costs in return for a service commitment.

Dr. Puri was drawn to RVUCOM-CO because of its osteopathic philosophy and well-known Military Medicine Program, he said. RVU’s Military Medicine Program prepares students for service as military physicians, training them for clinical scenarios and disasters through immersion-based reality training. The program also emphasizes leadership, discipline, customs and courtesies, and more.

“My favorite part was the camaraderie of my military colleagues who shared commitment to service, coupled with the opportunity to receive some of the most exceptional deployed medicine and surgical skills training available to future military physicians,” he said.

The osteopathic philosophy of treating a patient holistically is central to Dr. Puri’s everyday medical practice in the military. For example, Dr. Puri said, a fighter pilot’s health cannot be separated from the physiological demands of high-G flying, the pressures of mission execution, and the realities of life outside the cockpit. The same holds true for maintainers performing physically demanding work under challenging environmental conditions, he said.

“RVU instilled a philosophy that remains central to my practice: Medicine begins with understanding the whole person, not simply treating a diagnosis,” Dr. Puri said.

Following medical school, Dr. Puri trained in San Antonio, Texas at Brooke Army Medical Center and Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center through the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium from 2024 to 2025. In August 2025, he completed the Aerospace Medicine Primary course at the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine at Wright-Patterson Aire Force Base, earning his flight surgeon qualification.

“Aerospace Medicine appealed to me through its proximity to the mission,” he said. “Rather than observing military operations from afar, I could serve directly alongside the people executing them.”

Answering the Call to Action

For RVU students who are pursuing military medicine, Dr. Puri encourages them to look outside of the typical clinical setting for valuable training moments. He emphasizes the importance of students investing in their own health and well-being and developing habits that will not only serve them as physicians but will also set a meaningful example for future patients.

“For those pursuing Military Medicine, specifically, remember that you are preparing to become both a physician and a military officer,” Dr. Puri said. “Learn to lead and understand the lives of the people you serve. Never underestimate the impact you can have simply by listening, being present, and investing in your patients’ lives.”

Dr. Puri’s family and his time in the Air Force have deepened his appreciation for those who serve in the U.S. military and the many sacrifices they make. Because of these experiences, Veteran’s Day is deeply personal to him.

“Every uniform represents a life, a family, a story of service often accompanied by sacrifices invisible to the outside world,” he said. “These individuals have entrusted me with their health during some of the most demanding moments of their lives. Caring for them remains one of the greatest privileges of my life. Veteran’s Day reminds me of our responsibility to honor those who served before us, remember those who never returned home, and continue to stand beside those dedicating their lives through service.”