WEBVTT 00:07.719 --> 00:09.941 I think I had a bit of a unique path in 00:09.941 --> 00:12.930 my path both to Navy medicine and in my 00:12.939 --> 00:15.100 current specialty as a radiation 00:15.109 --> 00:17.690 oncologist . Um As you just mentioned , 00:17.700 --> 00:21.069 I was an F-18 pilot for uh for 10 years 00:21.290 --> 00:23.479 and that really was a privilege . I 00:23.489 --> 00:25.729 flew on 19 combat missions in Iraq 00:25.739 --> 00:27.850 doing a lot of close air support , uh 00:27.860 --> 00:30.290 deeper prediction strike missions . Uh 00:30.299 --> 00:32.243 was an instructor pilot and then a 00:32.243 --> 00:34.466 landing signal officer in charge of all 00:34.466 --> 00:36.355 the landings . Um I knew I always 00:36.355 --> 00:38.521 wanted to be a doctor . Um So I was at 00:38.521 --> 00:40.632 the point in my career at the 10 year 00:40.632 --> 00:42.855 point where I had to make a decision if 00:42.855 --> 00:45.080 I wanted to sing as a pilot or become a 00:45.090 --> 00:47.146 uh or just get out of the Navy or go 00:47.146 --> 00:49.312 into to Navy medicine . And I , I made 00:49.312 --> 00:51.368 the decision I wanted to continue to 00:51.368 --> 00:53.534 serve and become a doctor in the uh in 00:53.534 --> 00:55.701 the Navy . I had to go to night school 00:55.701 --> 00:57.923 because I was a math major at the Naval 00:57.923 --> 00:57.799 Academy to take the uh the 00:57.810 --> 00:59.866 prerequisites both organic chemistry 00:59.866 --> 01:02.090 and biology , took the mcats and I was 01:02.099 --> 01:04.210 lucky enough to get accepted to E I , 01:04.210 --> 01:06.377 which is the medical school right here 01:06.377 --> 01:08.155 on campus . During my time at , 01:08.155 --> 01:10.321 originally I came in with an open mind 01:10.489 --> 01:12.711 and originally I thought I wanted to be 01:12.711 --> 01:14.545 an orthopedic surgeon , maybe an 01:14.545 --> 01:16.656 anesthesiologist at both . Absolutely 01:16.656 --> 01:18.656 great specialties . I have a lot of 01:18.656 --> 01:18.300 friends who do both of those and 01:18.309 --> 01:20.420 they're , they're very happy uh along 01:20.420 --> 01:23.050 the way on my gynecology rotation . 01:23.260 --> 01:26.360 There's a fellow aviator who is a F-14 01:26.370 --> 01:29.139 back seater and him , him and I , since 01:29.150 --> 01:31.317 we had a common background , got along 01:31.317 --> 01:33.800 fairly uh fairly well and he , he told 01:33.809 --> 01:35.976 me he pulled me aside and said , hey , 01:35.976 --> 01:37.976 there's this , this great specialty 01:37.976 --> 01:40.142 called radiation oncology . You should 01:40.142 --> 01:39.489 check it out and there's a friend of 01:39.500 --> 01:42.489 mine who's also net 14 pilot since both 01:42.500 --> 01:44.722 of your pilots , you probably get along 01:44.722 --> 01:46.611 pretty well anyway . So , um it's 01:46.611 --> 01:48.722 probably worth your worth your time . 01:48.722 --> 01:50.889 So I set up a couple of uh rotations . 01:50.889 --> 01:53.000 I went down to radiation colleges and 01:53.000 --> 01:55.111 set up a rotation , both my last year 01:55.111 --> 01:57.333 of med school and my intern year and it 01:57.333 --> 01:59.167 turned out it was just the , the 01:59.167 --> 02:01.180 perfect fit for me . Um I really 02:01.190 --> 02:03.309 enjoyed being an oncologist and we 02:03.319 --> 02:05.589 truly are oncologists first before 02:05.599 --> 02:07.730 radiation oncologists taking care of 02:07.739 --> 02:09.720 our cancer patients is , is truly 02:09.729 --> 02:13.078 unique and it's , it , it really is a 02:13.089 --> 02:15.311 privilege . The bonds that we form with 02:15.311 --> 02:17.311 our patients is like guys like none 02:17.311 --> 02:19.478 other , but it was absolutely the best 02:19.478 --> 02:22.110 choice I've made in Navy medicine . I 02:22.119 --> 02:25.300 would just like to add that . Um , you 02:25.309 --> 02:27.531 know , the , the Navy has been great to 02:27.531 --> 02:29.309 me . I've , you know , I've had 02:29.309 --> 02:30.920 tremendous opportunities and 02:30.920 --> 02:32.920 experiences , the path I would have 02:32.920 --> 02:35.350 never imagined 24 years ago . If you 02:35.360 --> 02:37.471 were to , if you were to have told me 02:37.471 --> 02:39.749 the experiences I would have had today , 02:39.749 --> 02:41.916 I , I would have just never my wildest 02:41.916 --> 02:43.971 dreams . And the funny thing is , is 02:43.971 --> 02:45.860 that I didn't always get my first 02:45.860 --> 02:48.082 choice things . Life didn't always work 02:48.082 --> 02:49.916 out as I had planned . Um But in 02:49.916 --> 02:52.082 hindsight , I wouldn't change a single 02:52.082 --> 02:53.971 thing . I think one of the unique 02:53.971 --> 02:56.149 things about the Navy is , is it truly 02:56.160 --> 02:58.770 is a meritocracy in that if you're a 02:58.779 --> 03:01.479 hard worker and willing to put in the , 03:01.490 --> 03:04.720 the , the work and effort my superiors , 03:04.729 --> 03:06.896 and more importantly , my subordinates 03:06.896 --> 03:08.951 have every single time , met me more 03:08.951 --> 03:11.559 than half way and without their support , 03:11.570 --> 03:13.570 I wouldn't be able to be where I am 03:13.570 --> 03:15.792 today . So , you know , based on all of 03:15.792 --> 03:18.126 that , the Navy has been , you know , a , 03:18.126 --> 03:20.292 a great experience for both myself and 03:20.292 --> 03:20.720 my family .