• A World of Opportunity and Life-Changing Experiences

  March 11, 2011

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  Tags:  

  amedd   travel   disaster-relief  

  I started my military career in college when I joined ROTC, but it wasn’t until I applied for medical school that I was really impressed with the opportunities a career in Army medicine offered. I had gone to college with the understanding that I would eventually go to medical school, so I was excited to start that adventure with the Army. I never could have imagined a more fulfilling career with experiences that continue to impact my medical practice even beyond retirement from the Army two and a half years ago.
   

  I certainly enjoyed the Army as a medical student as it allowed me to attend medical school without a mountain of debt. But even more importantly, my career in Army medicine allowed me to serve my country – which I highly valued. Looking back, the 24 years I served in the military were a tremendous experience – with opportunities that very few of my civilian colleagues enjoyed. The ability to practice medicine in many different environments is not replicable in civilian medical careers. For instance, I have served as a physician in Turkey, Germany, Hungary, Bosnia, Ukraine and Afghanistan, attended courses in Denmark, Switzerland, and Italy, and lived in a number of states in the U.S. All of those experiences enhanced my personal and professional growth as an orthopaedic trauma surgeon.
   

  Now as a civilian surgeon, I still maintain close ties with my military colleagues, as we share a bond rooted in unity of purpose caring for our nation’s soldiers. I’m also involved in disaster-relief work and humanitarian missions – another extraordinary opportunity to work with military and civilian colleagues utilizing my diverse experiences to provide care in austere environments, such as the devastating earthquakes in Haiti. I am working with my colleagues to develop programs to help communities prepare for potential disaster situations, and train volunteer providers to participate in disaster relief and humanitarian missions in and outside of the U.S.
   

  I truly believe humanitarian missions are the epitome of what medicine is, particularly in the military – helping those who need it without expectation of reward in return. Providing care through disaster relief and humanitarian missions is really the heart and soul of practicing medicine because you can truly save people and help them live their lives to the fullest. The missions that I’ve been on were extraordinarily rewarding, and my military career prepared me for them. I hope that sharing my story with other physicians – both military and civilian – will inspire them to get involved with disaster relief and humanitarian care. Certainly there are plenty of places and people all over the world who stand to benefit.
   

  submitted by Colonel (ret.) Roman Hayda, MD on Mar 11 2011

Comments

• Tim

  Mar 31, 2011 1:10 AM

  That's a great story, thanks for sharing. I'll be entering Army ROTC this fall as a freshman in order to start on my prerequisites for medical school. I've got a long way to go, but hopefully I'll make it there eventually. I want to become a physician assistant, with the hope of being accepted into the IPAP after I graduate with my Bachelor's. I love these inspiring stories...hopefully someday I'll be able to contribute some high points of my own.

  
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