Summary

In this episode of Medical Mariner Ink, host Paul Stewart explores the significance of understanding one's 'why' as a source of motivation throughout various life challenges, particularly in education and career paths. He shares personal anecdotes from his educational journey, including his experiences in Uganda and the rigorous path to becoming a Physician Assistant (PA). The conversation emphasizes the importance of keeping one's purpose in focus to navigate difficulties and achieve goals.

11:19 You can find the Kelty Redwing backpack on Kelty's site here: https://www.kelty.com/redwing-50/?srsltid=AfmBOoouNmmGFi-aKrpXUwpaSEi6vejHWUAI9BpypjYNaH-QU-cYhF5_

13:04 I am not trying to disparage any of these cities, there are just some places in them that do not seem nearly as friendly as the folks I know in Uganda.

13:22 You can get more information on and even book a stay at the Adrift camp here: https://www.adrift.ug/ Also check out the Wildwaters Lodge for more luxuriant accommodations https://www.lemalacamps.com/stay/wildwaters-lodge/

13:53 https://www.hope4kidsinternational.org/

14:34 Here by EMT I mean Emergency Medical Technician, quite a different scope of practice than a Medic or PA. However, when in Africa, sometimes they make you do more that you usually can in the US...

15:06 The Buckhall VFD Website: https://www.buckhallvfd.org/

15:26 When I travelled to Uganda in 2014, I was upgraded to business class on the leg from Dulles Airport in Virgina to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It was on a brand new 777 that still had that new airplane smell. If you ever get the chance, I recommend flying business class on Emirates once in your life at least. https://www.emirates.com/us/english/

15:37 Outreach to Africa's website is www.outreach-to-africa.org/ 16:04 The clinics I worked in with Outreach to Africa in Uganda were in Fort Portal, Rwebsingo, the Paul Devlin School in Kigarama, and Bundibugyo

In this episode, Paul Stewart shares his personal journey through various careers, including lifeguarding, construction, the Navy, information technology, and ultimately medicine. He discusses the importance of knowing your motivations, the value of mentorship, and the lessons learned along the way. Paul emphasizes that it's never too late to change careers and the significance of education in achieving one's goals.

04:02 The Lee Bridge in Richmond is still named the Robert E. Lee memorial bridge as of 10 January 2025.

04:30 The move to forklift operator did not give me a raise, but the work was definitely less physically taxing.

08:20 In bootcamp I won the Navy Club of the United States award. In apprenticeship training (ATD) I won the Joseph Gregg award. In my first duty station I won Sailor of the Year my first year.

08:37 SIMA stands for Shore Intermediate Maintenance Area, repairs can be done, but it is less capable than a ship yard.

08:33 Mobile Diving Salvage Unit 2 is also called MDSU2 or "Mud Sue"

08:42 The USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN71 a nuclear (reactor powered) aircraft carrier backed down accidentally over Leyte Gulf CG55, a guided missile cruiser on October 14, 1996.

13:41 Mark Dunn was a great mentor. I actually sent him a note the day I graduated PA school thanking him for making me get the undergrad degree.

14:17 Part of this training plan actually included an agreement from the Federal Division's corporate sponsor. This really was important when about 2/3 done, the company decided it would no longer do educational reimbursements. However, with my documented training plan, I was able to get them to fully fund that degree.

I attended the University of Phoenix online and got my bachelor of science in computer information systems. https://www.phoenix.edu/

My MBA was from Western Governors University, also online.

https://www.wgu.edu

My PA training was an onsite Master of Medical Science with Nova Southeastern University at the Jacksonville, Florida campus. https://healthsciences.nova.edu/pa/jacksonville/

14:58 The ropes course is Upward Enterprises https://upwardenterprises.com/

15:34 The company in question is Network Appliance or Netapp, the best IT sales working environment I ever found. https://www.netapp.com/

15:57 See upcoming episode 2014: The Big Change

18:02 Scope of practice refers to what procedures you are capable of performing at a given level of training. On medical missions in Uganda, often your scope of practice is eleveated

18:40 What Amy meant here was I would be in my 60's when I could begin practicing. Medical school itself is 4 years long with a 3-5-year residency after than followed by a fellowship 1 - 2 years long.

19:45 Many rural primary care locations and some other groups do provide reimbursement of federal student loans. This can be attractive as PA school is expensive.

21:43 Credentialing is a in depth and lengthy process and usually takes 6 weeks to complete after all information is supplied. That is if the provider already has a medical license and a DEA license in that particular state. Every time, all information needs to be resubmitted, and it is very time consuming and error prone.

In this episode of Medical Mariner Ink, Paul Stewart shares his life journey, the inspiration behind starting his podcast, and the significant role that faith and friendships have played in his personal and professional development. He discusses his transition from IT to medicine, the impact of a serious injury, and how these experiences have shaped his outlook on life and his future aspirations.