My journey in medicine began in 1988 in the United States Army, where I studied nursing. Following ten years of hospital nursing in general medicine, critical care and nephrology, and deployments with the Army Reserves in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and IFOR/SFOR in Bosnia-Herzegovina, I was accepted into the Interservice Physician Assistant Program, graduating in 2001 and gaining a commission in the USAR. I joined a Rheumatology practice that year with my mentors, Dr. Robert Ettlinger and Dr. George Krick, with whom I practiced until 2012 in Tacoma. In addition to clinical practice, I served as a subinvestigator or blinded assessor on more than sixty clinical studies. During that time, I was activated three times, practicing for a year at The United States Military at West Point from 2004-5; Interim Chief, Rheumatology at Madigan Army Medical Center, 2007-8; and again to MAMC from 2012-13, writing narrative summaries for Army disability boards. From 2013-16 I practiced at Arthritis Consultants of Killeen, TX, also serving as a flight surgeon for 7/158th Aviation, the Army's largest aviation battalion. in 2016, I joined Multicare Rheumatology Associates in Tacoma, WA. I retired with the rank of Major from the USAR in 2017 after 33+ years of service. I am active in the American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Professionals as a volunteer, session moderator, workshop facilitator and Chair, member of the precourse committee and professional education committee. My greatest passion, however, remains with patient care and the personal connection of provider and patient.