Taryn Torre, MD (MD ’94), and Mayer Grob, MD (MD ’87, Urology Residency ’94), met and fell in love in an operating room at Eastern Virginia Medical School.
She was a medical student. He was a resident. Their hands brushed during surgery, and, as they like to joke, “sparks flew, and it wasn’t the Bovie” — a surgical tool that cauterizes blood vessels.
The couple, who live in the Richmond area, celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary in December 2024.
Their journeys to EVMS, now part of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University, began in different places.
Dr. Torre, a Roanoke native, initially had no plans to pursue medicine. She studied psychology at The College of William & Mary and worked with emotionally distressed children before her oldest brother, Wayne Torre, MD (MD ’79), suggested she consider medical school. With no basic sciences pre-med background, she started by taking an introductory chemistry course, or, as she calls it with a laugh, “baby chemistry.” She enjoyed it and went on to complete all the necessary prerequisites before applying to medical school.
Dr. Grob, originally from Portsmouth, always had an interest in medicine, influenced by his father, who wanted to be a doctor but never had the opportunity. After spending an extra year at the University of Virginia exploring subjects such as journalism and philosophy, he reaffirmed his commitment to medicine and applied for early admission to EVMS.
The love story of Drs. Grob and Torre almost didn’t happen. Dr. Grob didn’t match into urology right away, but renowned urologist and faculty member Paul Schellhammer, MD, helped arrange a research opportunity that kept Dr. Grob in Norfolk.
“If not for that, I wouldn’t have still been there when Taryn came through,” he said.
Dr. Torre’s family is entrenched in the medical profession. Her father was a physician, and her four older brothers also became doctors — with three of them graduating from EVMS. When she applied to medical school, one brother, Glenn Torre, MD (MD ’95), then a practicing dentist, decided to follow suit. Another brother, Mark Torre, MD (MD ’99), not wanting to be the only non-physician in the family, later enrolled as well.
“So, the (family) joke is four out of five Torres prefer EVMS over all other medical schools,” Dr. Torre said.
Now, the tradition continues with Gabrielle Grob, daughter of Dr. Torre and Dr. Grob. She is in her second year at EVMS, with an interest in surgical oncology. Though she initially planned to enter medical school a year earlier, she had to defer due to Hodgkin lymphoma. She now is doing well and thriving.
Growing up with a family of physicians, Gabrielle Grob said she always thought medicine might be a good fit for her as well. What influenced her decision the most was hearing about the connections her parents made with their patients.
“Knowing that they have supported people in some of the most challenging times of their lives really inspired me and made me want to become a doctor as well,” Gabrielle Grob said.
Her two sisters also are on impressive career paths. Their middle daughter, a graduate of William & Mary and Harvard, plans to pursue a Ph.D. in education policy. Their youngest recently graduated from the University of Virginia and is taking a gap year before applying to a master’s program in genetic counseling.
For Dr. Torre and Dr. Grob, EVMS is the place that shaped their careers, their family and their future. Their gratitude led them to establish, with Dr. Torre’s siblings, the Dr. Anthony and Helen Torre Endowed Lectureship, named in honor of her parents, who supported their children’s education. The annual lectureship funds visiting professors and speakers in the field of oncology.
Dr. Torre noted that her parents had donated to EVMS in the names of their children and grandchildren as a way to say thank you.
“EVMS believed in us, and so my parents were very grateful and I feel very grateful,” she said. “And so does Mayer. We never would have had all that we have if it wasn’t for EVMS.”
The couple also stays actively involved on campus, attending alumni weekends, lectures and events and visiting their daughter.
While Dr. Torre retired from practicing radiation oncology five years ago, Dr. Grob continues his work in urology, serving on the faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond. His dedication to medical education stems from his appreciation of the mentors who shaped his career.
“Because I had the opportunity, I wanted to dedicate my career to help and train the next generation of residents,” he said.
For Dr. Torre and Dr. Grob, a highly rewarding part of their careers has been the relationships they’ve built with patients, students and colleagues. And, of course, the relationship that started it all, in the middle of an operating room at EVMS.
Pictured at top: Dr. Taryn Torre and Dr. Mayer Grob revisited McCombs Auditorium with their daughter Gabrielle Grob, a second-year medical student.