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MILITARY SAN ANTONIO
MEDICINE MEDICINE

The Challenges Women Faced

Reflections to Break into Medicine

on Military By Jaime Pankowsky, MD, FACS

Medicine A lthough for many centuries women nancy and delivery. She wrote a book on also attributed some of the women’s problems

were pressed into caring for the
to the Biblical original sin.
women’s health. She described menstruation
sick, they did so intuitively and in-

FROM A stinctively. Because they were not admitted to in a precise way and made observations during Florence Nightingale
childbirth. Menstruation and its abnormali-
Florence Nightingale was born in 1820 to a
FOURTH- YEAR existing medical schools, they could not be- ties would not be studied or published in sci- well-to-do English family with nobility con-
entific papers again until the XIX century.
long to the guild of barbers and surgeons, and
MEDICAL STUDENT no self-respecting doctor would accept a She ordered all drinking water to be boiled tacts. She grew up developing a complex per-
woman as a pupil to learn his trade. before consuming in the convent and in the sonality. She could be selfish and
By Christian B. Wells, 2 LT US Army So, most of them were usually well-mean- village. Thus, she might have prevented many compassionate, dedicated and impatient. Flo-
ing religious members of convents who were premature deaths. She cultivated many herbs rence learned to speak five languages and be-
more concerned with the spiritual well-being that she used as medications, although some came familiar with the new science of
of the patient and his or her deliverance to of her treatments were frankly, “batty.” She statistics, helping her win arguments with the
heaven or purgatory, rather than learning how
O n December 8, 2021, I had the privilege of joining hun- the world and that residency in the military will not only train me to to treat their condition. There were a few FLORENCE
caregivers who were neither spiritual nor hon-
dreds of medical students across the nation as we fervently be an excellent clinician but will also develop me as a leader and well-
awaited our residency match results from the Joint Services rounded human being. The military medical mission is unique in that
worldly possessions the patients had before or
Graduate Medical Education Selection Board. For most medical stu- there is a focus on operational medicine and occupational medicine. est and were there only to take whatever
dents, this was just a typical busy day of rotations, interviews or lec- This means that physicians can find themselves serving as commanders after they expired. NIGHTINGALE
tures; however, for the few graduating military medical students, it or advisors, all in the pursuit of taking care of servicemembers, their One Medieval exception was Hildegard von
was a day we will never forget— the day we learned where the military families and veterans. The military and medicine are both careers that Bingen, who lived in what is now Germany in
would be sending us for residency training. This day felt like the be- place an emphasis on leadership, adaptability and service to others. the XII century. Born in 1198, she was the
ginning of my career in military medicine, but now I cannot help but Military medicine has provided me with the opportunity to live a youngest daughter of a wealthy, noble family
reflect on the journey I took to reach this point and my motivation to fulfilled life. An authentic life is one lived in service of others while and, as was customary at the time, was as-
pursue military medicine. building relationships with those around you. The fundamental core signed to be given to the Church. Against her
I was predisposed to a career in the military before I was even born. of medicine is about humanity and our journey through both life and will, she had to enter a convent.
My parents met each other in the Army and my father went on to have death; therefore, there is something deeply enriching about being able She was not happy in the convent. Praying
a 32-year long career. He initially enlisted to escape poverty but quickly to serve those who dedicate their lives to the service of others. While and serving meals was not enough for her. She
found himself in love with serving others. He always instilled in me the on the precipice of starting residency, I cannot help but feel that mili- developed what she described as “visions.”
necessity of helping those around me and leaving the world a better tary medicine has provided me with opportunities and a career that I Through them, she wrote beautiful oratorios.
place than I found it. He preached excellence in all aspects of our lives, never imagined I would possess. I hope to always acknowledge the sac- Her abbess was not happy, but her bishop pro-
from academic pursuits to our spiritual lives. It was no surprise to any- rifice of the veterans who came before me and the servicemembers that tected her because he thought her visions
one that all three of his sons have served or are serving in the military. dedicate their lives to service every day. could be messages from God.
The values that he engrained in me ultimately lead me to decide that I After several years, her father died and she
wanted to give back to others as a physician. Christian B. Wells, 2 LT US Army is a fourth-year medical inherited part of his fortune. She had enough
A major factor that led me to military medicine is the emphasis on student at the University of Texas Health Science Center San of charity and chastity and walked out of the
leadership—a core attribute that is inherent to the military. I believe Antonio Long School of Medicine. He will be starting internal convent to build her own convent by the River
that the U.S. military is one of the greatest leadership organizations in medicine residency at Brooke Army Medical Center in summer 2022. Rhine. There, she began to care for the women
of the nearby villages, particularly during preg-
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