An oath to military service
When he began medical school at Carolina, Matthew Braswell said he was eager to meet other students interested in military medicine.
Matthew Braswell has long known he was called to service. Raised in Wilmington, North Carolina, the son of two teachers, Braswell said his parents stressed that whatever career he chose to pursue should be one that helps people.
After attending UNC-Chapel Hill as an undergraduate, Braswell looked for a way to combine his desire to serve his country with a career in medicine. He met a Navy recruiter who told him about the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP), which is offered by all military branches to provide scholarship funding and stipends for students who make a commitment to active service after completing their medical training.
“When I found out about the program, I thought it sounded like a great way to accomplish my career goals and also give back in the way that I wanted to,” Braswell said.
An Empty Table
When he began medical school at Carolina, Braswell said he was eager to meet other students interested in military medicine. He attended a student organization fair, where he saw a Military Medicine Interest Group on the list of participating organizations.
“I went to the table and it was empty,” Braswell said. “There was no one there, no sign – nothing. It was a huge disappointment.”
Braswell found out the group’s former faculty advisor had retired and student participation had waned. Even though he was just beginning his first year of medical school, he took it upon himself to get the group going again.
“North Carolina is such a military-friendly state,” Braswell said. “We serve veterans, military members, and their families every day at the hospital. I felt there was a real opportunity to connect that community more with our students and faculty.”
Braswell reached out to Georgette Dent, MD, associate dean for student affairs, and Julie Byerley, MD, MPH, vice dean for education, who were both supportive of his effort. They helped connect him to UNC’s many military-affiliated faculty members.
“I was so fortunate from the beginning to get plugged into an incredibly special group of people,” Braswell said.
To keep reading, see: http://news.unchealthcare.org/news/2016/january/an-oath-to-military-medicine.
