Military Experience
Back in 2004, I was promoted to Staff Sergeant in the Air Force. I immediately went from being colleagues with some Senior Airmen to supervising them. Needless to say, it was an awkward overnight transition. I was not prepared to lead, not because I wasn’t equipped, but because I didn’t know how I was equipped.
I had a break in service (worked in the civilian sector for a while). During that time, I earned my bachelors degree in Organizational Management and my MBA in Healthcare Administration. I received my commission as Medical Service Corps officer in 2011. I worked as a Medical Service Corps officer for nearly a decade and recently separated. I loved my daily opportunities to build my experiences in leading people, collaborating, and team building. There were ups and downs. There have been victories and setbacks. My time serving in military medical has provided me with most of my experience in leadership.
Medical Industry Experience
I worked as a Biomedical Equipment Technician for 5 years. It was my indoctrination into the world of the ministry of medical service. It was a great job! As an introvert and a type B personality, I enjoyed working on equipment all day and leaving it on my work bench when I went home. During my time as a BMET, I earned my BA in Organizational Management and my MBA in Healthcare Management.
After getting that much education, I thought the natural progression would be to apply to be a medical admin officer in the military. It was a highly competitive process, and I made it! (Yay, me!)
My first job as medical admin was as a group practice manager. I learned how important it was to understand coworkers’ individual communication styles and what motivates them to ensure effective communication.
My next job was overseas in Turkey. I lead the TRICARE Operations Patient Administration flight which included the appointment line, records department, patient liaisons, patient travel, referral management, the Exceptional Family Member Program, and benefits counseling. We were a large team, and I needed to learn how to synergize a team and keep morale up.
I work in an administrative support function of medical care delivery. Although not considered “front line” of patient care, it has value and feeds into the primary objective.
After Military Service
Since I have separated from military service, I have been blessed to extend my service as a civil servant. I am the Group Practice Manager for a military clinic. I supervise three civilians. My role is a consultant and access manager. This position provides me an opportunity to lead in a whole new way. It is exciting to create and innovate without the confines of military service (i.e. additional duties, having to move to a new base every couple of years, the rank structure). It is important to take advantage of every opportunity to increase your influence. It can be scary, but as a Type B personality, you can manage it just right because you are deliberate, purposeful, and intentional!
Life Lesson Cookies
My boys, the oldest child and the middle child, love Chinese restaurants. It’s our thing, since my husband and my daughter are not fans. It seems that every time we go to a Chinese restaurant, my younger son never gets a fortune cookie. I don’t mean that he doesn’t get a cookie…just that his “fortune” is never a fortune. It is always some kind of “life lesson” instead. They are always cautioning him to be more careful with his money or giving him advice about expressing kindness to his fellow man. He always gets so annoyed because he wants a fortune! He wants a tiny piece of paper to tell him that he is going to have a visit from an unexpected visitor soon or that he will win a contest or something.
As I get older, I feel like my life has accumulated a series of life lesson cookies. Each of my leadership experiences, whether good or bad, have contributed to my leadership story.
I am a Type B, non-confrontational, introverted individual. You may not think that I have the right disposition for leadership. I thought the same thing until I took a chance and stepped out in faith with the audacity to lead.
I have acquired many things through trial and error, suffered some minor (and major) setbacks, and continue to evolve and add tools to my leadership toolkit. I am eager to share my knowledge and experience with you!