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SEP 2017

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40 G.I. JOBS | SEPTEMBER 2017 | GIJOBS.COM SOMETIMES DECIDING TO DO MORE than what you're doing is a process. Sometimes, you decide it in the blink of an eye. Such was the case for Army veteran James R. Johnston Jr. "In 2005 a teammate and friend of mine was mortally wounded on a mission," he recalls. "I decided after that that I wanted to be more than just a medic. It was one of those moments when you realize you need to do more." So while still on active duty as a Special Forces medic, Johnston started using Tuition Assistance to fulfill his premedical degree requirements leading to his ultimate goal: acceptance into an M.D. program and becoming a doctor. Between deployments and trainings, it took seven years to finish his bachelor's degree and fulfill medical school requirements. "The biggest hurdle was trying to take classes in between or on deployments," he recalls. "It was a constant effort to find available courses, mak- ing sure they fit the right requirements for medical school and that I would not have any conflicting events like training or TDY trips." Speaking to professors about potential military- related absences eased conflict. "Professors are more apt to help you if you present them with the problem and a potential course of action that makes sure you do all the required coursework," Johnston explains. "Also, physician assistant (programs) and medical schools can have some unique requirements and often some of these online courses are not ac- ceptable. It is important to know ahead of time what most schools, or at least the schools you're interested in, require for types of credit." FROM SOLDIER TO STUDENT When Johnston joined the military, it was as a Ma- rine infantryman. He later transitioned to the Army and was selected and trained to become a Special Forces medic. He ended his enlisted career as a Special Forces team sergeant; today he is an officer in the National Guard. Reflecting on his 20-plus years in the military, Johnston cites being a Green Beret on a Special Forces Detachment Alpha as the most rewarding element of his career. "I loved our array of missions, all the aspects of being on the teams and felt like I got to walk among giants," he says. "The people I got to serve and fight with were some of America's fin- est individuals and some of my best friends." In the course of only a week, though, Johnston's life as he had known it for a couple decades drastically changed. "I literally had a week or so from exciting ac- tive duty to starting medical school, and that included my PCS move," he says. "It was like getting off one merry- go-round right onto one going the opposite direction. It was madness." Not that Johnston, age 39, would recommend do- ing the same. If given the opportunity to redo the transition, "I would have made sure to give myself more time. All my effort was in trying to get into medical school and I hadn't put a lot of thought into the leaving part," he says. "I had asked some general questions to my command and personnel people, but I didn't have a firm plan. I wasn't even sure if I was actually leaving the military until I got the call that I was in [school]. After that it was a mad dash to figure out how to separate. I was sitting in class four months after I got the call – not a preferred technique." THE PROGRAM Today, Johnston is enrolled at East Tennessee State University's* Quillen College of Medicine in Johnson City, Tenn., located on the campus of Mountain Home VA Hospi- tal. The education center on Fort Bragg helped Johnston navigate the process and told him that because it was a state school, his in-state tu- ition would be fully covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill. After separating from active duty, Johnston worked with ETSU's Office of Veterans Af- fairs to set up his benefits. Johnston's living expens- * School is a paid client. MAKING AN M.D. Army veteran transitioned from active duty to med school student in one wild, whirlwind of a week. Don't do that. EDU STUDENT SUCCESS SPOTLIGHT BY LAURIE COWIN "I literally had a week or so from exciting active duty to starting medical school, and that included my PCS move," he says. "It was like getting off one merry-go- round right onto one going the opposite direction. It was madness." ON TRANSITION

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