LTC JACQUELINE THOMPSON, M.D., OB/GYN: LEARN AS YOU SERVE.

For Lieutenant Colonel Jacqueline Thompson, serving in the Army Reserve Medical Corps has given her the opportunity to develop skills beyond her normal role as an OBGYN.

Dr. Thompson first decided to join the Army in 1985 when she was a medical student to take advantage of the Health Profession Scholarship program the Army was offering. In 1999, she resigned her Army commission to go into a private gynecology practice. But the lure of returning to boost her retirement benefits, combined with the patriotic call brought on by September 11, convinced her that joining the Army Reserve was a chance to serve her country while still continuing her career in private practice.

For the last five years, Dr. Thompson has served in the Army Reserve Medical Corps, where, most times, her 16 hours of duty every month are performed at various military medical treatment facilities in her area. Recently, she served a two-week stint in Guatemala as a medical support person for a joint task force operation involving Guatemalan soldiers as well as our military. The experience was both challenging and rewarding.

“I was the sole doctor at this remote location,” said Dr. Thompson. “Unlike my normal role in civilian life as an OBGYN, in this role I served mostly male patients. So I had to expand my knowledge base, branch out into other areas of medicine, specifically in the area of orthopedic injuries and gain knowledge with on-the-job experience in crisis situations. It was a challenge, but like all challenges that force us to reach deep inside, this was something I could do,” she said.

Through the years, Dr. Thompson has always been impressed at the level of technology available through the military. “I have been privileged to use some of the most technologically advanced equipment during my service time at the hospitals, and that has helped my civilian practice, gaining experience using equipment that civilian doctors do not have access to,” said Dr. Thompson.

Serving in the Army Reserve has also changed her as a doctor. “I’m much more community-oriented now,” said Dr. Thompson. “I’m always looking for ways to serve outside of my usual job, seeking opportunities to teach others. I think that heralds back to my military training. We’re always looking for opportunities to teach and show others what they can do to make their health better.”

In addition to gaining more knowledge and developing more willingness to volunteer, being in the Army Reserve also brings a certain prestige that’s simply not available through civilian life. It’s like “a badge of honor,” said Dr. Thompson. “And that’s something you cannot get in a civilian practice,” she added.

Although many of her civilian patients don’t quite understand the ranks and lingo used by the military, there is a certain sense of awe they share that their OBGYN is also a military officer. “When my patients see the photo of me dressed in my camouflage BDUs standing next to a Black Hawk helicopter, that’s a pretty impressive shot,” said Dr. Thompson. “I got to ride in that helicopter. And I was also able to meet the president of Guatemala. Those are experiences that a civilian physician would normally never have.”

Ask Dr. Thompson what is the biggest reward of serving in the Army Reserve Medical Corps and she is quick to answer. “It’s the privilege of taking care of the military in uniform and their families. I have a special place in my heart for active duty and it’s something I feel very strongly about. They deserve the very best, most compassionate, comprehensive medical care available.”

Thanks to Dr. Thompson and many other Army Reserve doctors like her, that feeling continues to be turned into reality on a daily basis.

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