USAFA grad, MD, and returned Peace Corps Volunteer who loves to teach & coach

I started medical school in 2013 and graduated in 2017. It was the best academic experience of my life, and I loved immersing myself in studies about anatomy, physiology, and pathology, as well as the current medical and surgical interventions designed to treat and cure defined pathologies. Learning about the mechanisms of normal human physiologic processes and how they can fail, and how we can intervene to help “fix” them, was and is a passion for me. After graduation I did a year of a surgical residency before leaving and starting a nonclinical job writing for a medical school prep company. While I love medicine and surgery, current issues with the US health system made nonclinical work more satisfying for me. I continue to use what I learned in medical school and residency to advise coaching clients on non-pharmacologic interventions to help alleviate common health and mental health issues.

The United States Air Force Academy currently ranks #3 in top public schools in the US according to US News. It offers a traditional 4 year undergraduate education with a heavy core math & science curriculum in a military setting. It is intended to prepare graduates to be officers in the US Air Force upon graduation. Cadets complete basic training the summer before freshman year, and live in standardized cadet dormitories all four years. Uniforms are mandatory for classes and other on-campus activities all four years as well, and military training continues throughout the duration of undergraduate experience in the form of summer activities (Combat Survival Training, Glide or Jump programs, etc), military classes, cadet leadership positions mimicking Air Force leadership roles, and more. As a cadet I developed a strong interest in philosophy, especially philosophy of religion, and was quite adventurous, learning to ski and scuba dive with campus clubs. I was a writer, photographer, and sub-section editor for the Basic Cadet Training yearbook for a summer, and did quite well academically, including being chosen as one of few cadets in the philosophy department to compete in “Ethics Bowls” across the US. In these Ethics Bowls, cadets competed against teams from other universities on contemporary moral issues. Our team won first place at one annual Ethics Bowl. Overall, the Air Force Academy gave me an excellent and well rounded undergraduate experience while also providing outlets for various other interests, and of course teaching me the attention to detail and accountability required of a future US Air Force officer. At the conclusion of my education there, I elected to join the Peace Corps rather than enter the US Air Force (a very uncommon choice!) due to my concerns about maintaining individual moral agency while part of such a regimented and rule-following organization. My goals morphed from patriotic goals to serve the US to more inclusive goals (medicine) to serve humanity. The Peace Corps was a stepping stone between USAFA and medical school, both an opportunity to serve and a way to self-asses my ability to work in remote, underserved areas which I hoped would be my medical focus someday,