(Editor’s Note: September is Women in Medicine Month, a time dedicated to recognizing the growing number of women physicians within the profession. This week on the blog, we are featuring an extraordinary woman who is an accomplished physician, an active leader in the Navy and a national health care advocate.)
Lt. Cmdr. Josephine C. Nguyen
Q: Why did you decide to pursue a medical career in the Military?
A: I always knew I wanted to be a doctor, since I was a young child. My sister got into the Naval Academy, and she encouraged me to attend also, saying that they had 15 scholarships a year from the Academy to go to medical school. I applied to the Naval Academy, I got in, and I knew that I had to do well in order to get a scholarship to medical school. I was so determined to do well, that I was able to excel academically, militarily and physically. I graduated second in order of merit from the Naval Academy in 1999, and received an HPSP scholarship to attend Stanford School of Medicine.
My family and I are deeply committed to our great country, because in 1975, our family fled Vietnam and sought shelter in the United States. We didn’t have any money or possessions, but a church in Alexandria, Virginia sponsored 15 members of our family. We all got to stay together, they helped us get back on our feet, most of us have gone to college, and many of us are employed in government service.
I wear my uniform with pride, and it is a great honor to take care of the men and women that serve our country.
Q: Tell us more about your current job (or medical training, if in school or residency).
A: I am currently the department head of Dermatology at Naval Hospital Bremerton (NHB). As the sole Navy dermatologist to the Pacific Northwest, it’s exciting to be challenged in seeing and taking care of all dependents, active duty and retirees. Although it’s a wide geographic area, it shows you how small the Navy can be, because you get to know everyone.
In addition, as part of my collaterals, I serve as the Wardroom Vice-President, helping to increase morale and camaraderie amongst the officers in the hospital.
My most recent project at NHB has been to oversee and lead the telemedicine project at Naval Hospital Bremerton, using information technology to increase access to care, while ensuring high quality care. My goal with dermatology has been to recapture the $542,000 that is lost to the network. In the past three months since spearheading the project, we have seen a 65 percent reduction in patients lost to the network.
Q: How would you explain what you do to somebody without military or medical experience?
A: I would tell them, I get to do all the exciting stuff that civilian medical doctors do, but I don’t have to worry about haggling with insurance companies. In addition, I get an amazing opportunity to lead my staff towards a common vision: providing excellent, high-value care. I am also directly involved in their mentorship, career development, and help ensure their personal well being.
Q: What does a typical day for you look like? Walk us through a normal day including both military and non-military aspects.
A: I do some sort of physical exercise in the morning from 0530-0630, which is also my time of prayer. Then I see patients from 0815-1145, lunchtime/admin, where I go walk my dogs on the forested area on base, patient care from 1315-1600, then administrative work/meetings from 1600-1700/1730. Go home, do paperwork/research for other collaterals.
Q: What are the most exciting aspects of your job (or medical training/residency)? What are the things you do that make your job special?
A: The most exciting part of my job is all the new projects that you can get involved in and all the amazing people you meet! Navy medicine is extremely small. You get to know many of the people in your community. Once people know your work and your product, they will ask you to do more projects.
I am co-leading a Navy Surgeon General Assessment Cell #3, which is retaining talent in Navy medicine. I am leading a group of 12 to 15 O5/O6 medical corps officers, and over a three-month period we will develop a plan to present to the SG about how to best retain talented medical corps officers in the Navy. I get to have three civilian consultants work under me and I get to direct teleconference meetings, leading people that have a lot more experience than me. It’s an unbelievable opportunity to excel and grow as a leader.
Q: What do you like best about your job (or medical training/residency)?
A: The best part of my job is that is it multi-faceted. I not only get to see patients, I get to continually hone my leadership skills and develop programs that I am passionate about. In addition, I am allowed opportunities to grow as a leader, taking on new projects. I started a leadership development program at NHB, which is targeted towards the leadership development of officers, but many enlisted are encouraged to come. We have to ensure the leadership development of the younger and current generations, because the military is held to a higher standard of leadership, morality and ethics.
Q: Are you involved in any medical research? If so, please explain.
A: I was involved in medical research during my time at Stanford for medical school as well as during residency at University of Pennsylvania, where I took part in running clinical trials. I have not been involved in research since finishing residency.
Q: What do you want to accomplish in your military medical career in the next few years? What’s coming up next for you?
A: I would like to go back to DC to do a congressional or White House Fellowship, and learn from the top leaders in the country. Being first generation Vietnamese, I am completely committed to service to the United States because of the opportunities it gave for my family to start over, after they fled Vietnam in 1975.
Q: Tell us about one unforgettable and/or rewarding moment you’ve experienced during your Military career specifically related to medicine.
A: The most rewarding moment was every time I stood in front of a group of college students to talk about military medicine, about the leadership opportunities available, about how it has helped open my eyes and doors to the opportunities available to lead people, to travel, to impact large numbers of people…the gratitude and excitement that these students respond with is priceless. To open the eyes of the younger generation to something they have never been aware of has instilled a great respect about the importance of mentoring the younger generation.
Q: What do you like to do when you’re off-duty?
A: I run with my dogs and I spend time in fellowship with church friends. I also hike on the beautiful trails of the Pacific Northwest.
I am extremely involved in health care advocacy on a national level. I serve in two key positions in our national medical society, the American Medical Association (AMA):
(1) In June 2014, I was elected to serve as Chair of the Women’s Physician Section of the American Medical Association (AMA), where I lead our section to identify and address emerging professional issues affecting all women physicians and their patients in the United States and represent them in the bi-annual AMA House of Delegates meeting. As such, I am a voting member of the House of Delegates, tackling issues that are brought to Congress for consideration.
(2) I also serve as one of two Navy Junior Officer appointed to represent more than 2,600 Junior Officers to the AMA, effectively serving biannually as Chair of committee to review resolutions targeted at eliminating health disparities, improving patient care and physician reimbursement for all U.S. physicians. As such, I was one of 20 dermatologists selected nationally to receive prestigious Presidential Citation from American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) March 2014 for exemplary service representing the specialty and the AAD as the Navy Delegate to the American Medical Association (AMA).
Q: Did you have any sort of hobbies before you joined the Military? Do you still have time for those hobbies? Have you discovered new ones?
A: My passion is leadership development, which began during my time at the Naval Academy. So I enjoy reading about how to enhance leadership development in others. I was selected by Corps Chief to serve as Navy Action Officer for the Tri-Service Female Physician Recruitment and Retention Council. In the past year, I spearheaded efforts to develop a tri-service, worldwide female physician mentoring group, with the goal of improving female physician morale, commitment to the military and retention. The pilot program at Naval Hospital Bremerton will be completed in three months.
Josephine Nguyen, MD, currently serves as the department head of Dermatology at Naval Hospital Bremerton (NHB), is the director of Telehealth for the hospital, chair of the Healthcare Ethics Committee, and Wardroom Vice-President. She is a nationally recognized leader, both within national medical associations as well as within her specialty. She serves as the Navy’s Young Physician Representative to the American Medical Association (AMA), serves as a Navy Action Officer on the Tri-Service Committee for Female Physician Recruitment and Retention, and recently was re-elected to a second term as chair of the AMA Women Physicians Section. In her passion for leadership development, Dr. Nguyen established a “Leadership Development Circle” for all officers and enlisted staff at NHB to increase morale and leadership development, where noted leaders are invited to give a monthly leadership lecture.