SAMOPS Specialty Spotlights

This episode is the second recording in the SAMOPS 2023-24 Live Lecture Series. In this episode, we hear from Dr. Jaysun Frisch, a Program Director of the Air Force Operational Medicine Residency discussing his experiences within the Air Force as well as the residency itself. DISCLAIMER: All the opinions presented in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the opinions of any branch in the U.S...

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Roxanne Wallace, an Army Orthopedic surgeon who has had numerous experiences as an orthopedic surgeon both in and out of the military.  DISCLAIMER: All the opinions presented in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the opinions of any branch in the U.S. Military or the Department of Defense. 

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Amy Hernandez who completed her Navy General Surgery Residency after spending time on the "green side" with the Marine Corps.  DISCLAIMER: All the opinions presented in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the opinions of any branch of the U.S. Military or the Department of Defense. 

In this episode, we talk to Susan Roberts, who is currently a surgical intern at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. She provides a lot of great advice about navigating the HPSP world and how to be a competitive applicant for the match, both within the surgical specialty, and in general. She also discusses intern year as a surgical resident, and provides advice for students beginning their surgical s...

In this episode, we talk to Dr. Allen a retired Air Force emergency medicine physician who is currently an assistant professor at the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine. We talk leadership, special operations, being a flight surgeon, choosing emergency medicine, and words of wisdom for future military physicians.  DISCLAIMER: All the opinions presented in this pod...

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Fry, who is currently a PGY-2 EM resident at Naval Medical Center San Diego. He discusses his journey to becoming an EM resident, including completing a civilian TY internship prior to becoming a flight surgeon at MCAS Miramar in San Diego. He compares and contrasts his civilian and military training, discusses the unique opportunities he had as a flight surgeon,...

In this episode, we talk to Dr. Fomin. He is the chief of Dermatology at Irwin Army Community Hospital. He talks to us about what dermatology really is, what being a solid applicant looks like, the training pipeline in the Army, and being a military physician. Dr. Fomin has graciously offered to speak to anyone interested in talking Army Dermatology via email. He can be reached at darenfomin@gmail...

In this episode, we chat with Dr. Brandenburg. Dr. Brandenburg is originally from Austin, Texas. She graduated from Turo University in Vallejo, California, in 2019 and completed a transitional year at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. She then moved to Pensacola, Florida, where she completed Naval flight surgeon training. She is currently stationed in Pensacola, Florida as the flight s...

In this episode we talk to Dr. Switaj, a Army Family Physician currently holding the title of Market Assistant Director for Clinical Operations and Chief Medical Officer for the San Antonio Market under the Defense Health Agency. He talks to us about being a successful medical student, resident, and attending as well as the many different military experiences he has had over his years of service....

In this episode we talk to Dr Lederer. She is a 3rd year general surgery resident at Kiesler Air Force Base and a graduate of LECOM. Our conversation centers on ways a medical student can make themselves the best applicant they can for general surgery, what life as a resident in her program is like, and being in the military. DISCLAIMER: All the opinions presented in this podcast are our own and d...

In this episode we speak to Dr. Eonta about her journey in Navy medicine as a GMO and her training as a current pediatric resident at San Diego Naval Hospital. In addition, as the Research Chair for RAMOPS Dr. Eonta talks to us a little about research and deadlines for submitting research for the AMOPS Annual conference in San Antonio, Texas. DISCLAIMER: All the opinions presented in this podcast...

This episode is with Dr. Loftsgaarden, an Army PM&R physician, who has been heavily involved in SAMOPS, RAMOPS, and now AMOPS throughout here career. She did her residency at Walter Reed and currently practices at Brooke Army Medical Center - Center for the Intrepid. We discuss what PM&R really is and she provides valuable insights, from the perspective of a previous chief resident, for ma...

Dr. Davis is an Air Force staff radiologist assigned to the 88 Diagnostics and Therapeutics Squadron at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. He graduated medical school at Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine as a top graduate, completed his intern year at Southhampton Hospital in New York, and his radiology residency at Travis Air Force Base in California. Dr. Davis was also deploy...

DISCLAIMER: All the opinions presented in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the opinions of any branch of the U.S. military, or the Department of Defense.  Dr. Monteil attende the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and completed her residency at NMCSD in pediatrics. She then went on to do a genetics fellowship and now works with various patient populations. In this...

DISCLAIMER: All the opinions presented in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the opinions of any branch of the U.S. military, or the Department of Defense. Dr. Napier is a 3rd generation military officer, working as an OBGYN in the Airforce. She attended the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and completed her residency in Bethesda, MA. She is passionate about women's he...

Dr. Cuevas is currently an Army Reserve Anesthesiologist and Staff Anesthesiologist at Marion General Hospital in Ohio. He was also a prior Air Force Health Services Administrative officer before attending medical school at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. In this interview he discusses his path to anesthesia, imparts wisdom on thriving in military medicine, and discus...

CDR Marra discusses her personal journey of coming out, meeting her wife, and forming her own rainbow family with the help of a military fertility treatment center. She describes being double board certified in family medicine, with a CAQ/fellowship training in Sports Medicine (FAAFP/CAQSM), and her time working in Okinawa Japan. CDR Marra focuses on her experience with policy changes within the m...

Dr. Moore is board certified in Family Medicine and a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He has over 27 years of military service, first as a Marine Officer, then as a Naval Doctor. He earned his BS degree from the United States Naval Academy, DO degree from Nova Southeastern University, holds a master's degree in public health from the University of West Florida, and has complet...

In this podcast, we have the privilege of interviewing Dr. Cote, a retired US Army Colonel with over 30 years of service. Dr. Cote is a graduate of Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences' College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his Internship, Internal Medicine residency, and a Nuclear Medicine Fellowship at the former Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center. He is board certified by the...

In honor of National Infertility Awareness Week 2021, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Plowden to the podcast! Dr. Plowden is the OB/GYN Department Chief at Womack Army Medical Center - she completed her OB/GYN residency at Tripler Army Medical Center and her REI fellowship at NIH. Tune in to listen to Dr. Plowden discuss everything OB/GYN, Infertility, and, what we, as future healthcare providers, c...

Dr. Rogers attended the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences School of Medicine and spent 24 years in the U.S. Air Force before retiring as a family physician in Colorado Springs, CO. He also holds additional board certifications in Aerospace Medicine and Occupational Medicine and continues to perform flight physicals through the FAA. He talks about the importance of taking the tim...

Dr. Rogers attended the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences School of Medicine and spent 24 years in the U.S. Air Force before retiring as a family physician in Colorado Springs, CO. He also holds additional board certifications in Aerospace Medicine and Occupational Medicine and continues to perform flight physicals through the FAA. He talks about the importance of taking the tim...

Dr. Nicholas was a cook in the Army for 3 years and a medic for 3 more. She left the Army for undergrad (National Guard and ROTC) before attending medical school on the HPSP. She completed her OBGYN residency at Trippler Army Medical Center. Interestingly, she never saw herself going into her specialty, but ended up falling in love with it during rotations. Dr. Nicholas discusses the pros and cons...

Captain Jordan Damschen graduated from Timberline High school in Boise, Idaho in 2011. He then obtained an Associates of Biology degree at Arizona Western University in 2013 followed by a bachelor’s degree in Biology at Idaho State University in 2015. He was accepted into the HPSP scholarship program that same year and completed his medical training as a Doctor of Osteopathic medicine in 2019 from...

Dr. Thomas completed his PM&R residency at Walter Reed. He discusses what PM&R physicians do in their daily practice, and touches on the fact that it’s a smaller field within the military, but an integral part of our workforce. He provides some advice and insight into matching into PM&R, given how few spots there are each year, and how competitive the specialty can be. Dr. Thomas also...