Considering Options On Graduation and Why I Chose DoD Research
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
| Title: | Considering Options On Graduation and Why I Chose DoD Research | |
| Author: | Marc Taylor | |
| Your Rating: |
|
|
|
In May 2005, I completed my doctoral work in Exercise and Sport Science, specializing in sport psychology and exercise physiology. Up to that point, I had been pursuing two major research interests 1) the effects of physical activity and exercise on multiple physical and psychological health outcomes, and 2) factors influencing human performance in “extreme” environments, such as extreme sports (e.g., rock climbing, mountaineering) as well as occupational environments (e.g., firefighting and military operations). For my dissertation work, I completed a summer fellowship at the University of North Wales, Bangor. From this fellowship, my dissertation evolved entitled “factors influencing physical risk taking in rock climbing.”
Throughout this process, my fascination with human performance in extreme environments continued to grow. I developed several recreational interests such as rock climbing, mountaineering, and kayaking. These interests, in turn, greatly affected my academic pursuits. I also have a brother who is a firefighter and a father who was a career Marine Corps infantry officer, and I was interested in the multitude of factors that may influence their health and performance, such as environmental circumstances, heat, cold, stress, physical hazards, sleep deprivation, and fatigue.
The Options
As graduation neared, I began to consider the options for the future – that is, what is the best way to pursue work with my newly attained educational background? At the time, I was working in a Psychiatry department at a leading medical research center, and so I was primarily exposed to scientists writing for NIH and NSF grants, administering large clinical trials, and examining health outcomes in diseased populations. The area of work in which I completed my dissertation was substantially different from this world. With that, I entered a decision process to determine if my interests in human performance in extreme environments would become an academic hobby of sorts, taking backseat to a conventional medical research career; or if there might be some way to effectively channel these interests and market my work to organizations who have a vested interest in the type of knowledge I was creating.
I began exploring postdoctoral fellowships and applied to one. It was a two-year fellowship at the Duke University Medical Center, Dept of Psychiatry, where I proposed to study physical activity and health outcomes in elderly patients. I was accepted into the program, and was planning to start immediately upon graduation. My wife, Debbi, and I had been living and working in the local (Durham) area for several years, so there would be no move involved. Debbi had a stable job at the Duke Fuqua School of Business, so it seemed like a seamless transition. I also considered a second postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Georgia, where I would have been studying physical activity and health effects in pregnant women. In addition, I applied to one faculty position, for which I was not granted an interview since my research vita wasn’t yet extensive enough and my grant writing experience was limited.
During this time, I had been searching the Internet frequently for funding lines to support my work in human performance in extreme environments. These internet searches frequently led me to the Office of Naval Research website, where it became clear that there are organizations out there with a vested interest in enhancing and sustaining human health and performance across a spectrum of extreme, complex, and hostile circumstances. This interested me greatly. I was often given points of contact, who were uniformed Naval officers with graduate degrees in biological and psychosocial sciences. Fellow scientists! Until that point, it had never occurred to me that biological scientists were employed with the Armed Forces, and that perhaps I could be one of them. As I continued searching, I discovered that there were several job types for scientists in physiology, psychology, clinical psychology, aerospace physiology, aerospace experimental psychology, and many other related fields.
A Confluence of Identities
These events led me to reminisce on several dreams and aspirations I had entertained as a kid. As I mentioned earlier, I grew up as a military “brat,” as we were affectionately known – I was the younger son of a Marine Corps infantry officer. My father was and still is a tremendously powerful figure in my life. He spent three tours in Vietnam, earning the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star, and continued on to a rewarding 22-year military career. With this background, I developed a great deal of pride and respect for those serving our country in uniform. In high school, I had aspired to follow in my dad’s footsteps. In college, I opted for an athletic scholarship over Navy ROTC.
After college and throughout graduate school, I transferred the focus and dedication previously invested in college sports to academics and science. As a result, I developed an identity as a scientist. Now, as a result of my Internet searches and concomitant reminiscing to childhood aspirations, I was envisioning a possible convergence of skills and interests, or perhaps more accurately, a confluence of identities! Is it true that one can be a military officer and a scientist? This notion fascinated me.
I called the local Navy recruitment office and was referred to a recruiter specializing in medical programs. We discussed several job types and I decided to submit my CV to the program manager in the Navy research physiology program. I received a reply within one week and was invited to Washington DC for an interview. My recruiter met me in DC and escorted me to each of three interviews with key members of the physiology community. The interviews went well. I was pleased to find that they were interested in my research examining human performance in extreme sport environments, and they thought it was applicable to similar areas of work being performed in the Department of Defense. It was a gorgeous day in Washington, DC – snow on the ground and a brilliant blue sky. It felt like I had found a home!
After returning to Durham, my recruiter contacted me within a few days and told me that the feedback from the interviews were positive. He then asked me to come in for an extensive physical exam, and I also submitted for a background check for a security clearance. After waiting a few weeks on the results, I was sworn in as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, Medical Service Corps! |
||
|
Marc Taylor received his PhD in Exercise and Sport Science from the University of North Carolina. Marc’s interests relate to human performance in extreme environments, with special foci on brain function, stress resilience, and strategies to enhance performance in aerospace and special military operations. His has done consulting work with the National Football League, United States Olympic Committee, Navy Special Warfare (SEALs) and collegiate and high school sports programs. Marc’s recent work has appeared in Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments, Journal of Physical Activity and Health, and Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine. His present post is with the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego, CA, where he serves as a Principal Investigator in Department 162 (Warfighter Performance) and directs the Stress Physiology Research Core. |
||
|
Copyright, 2007, Marc Taylor Published with permission |
||
