Walter Reed doctor shares personal story, benefits of Health Professional Scholarship Program - DVIDS

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By Bernard S. Little
WRNMMC Command Communications
When Capt. Roy Villalobos, U.S. Army Healthcare Recruiter at the Pittsburgh Medical Recruiting Station, reached out to “hundreds” of Army physicians with his request for assistance regarding a presentation geared towards pre-health and medical students, Army Capt. (Dr.) Zachary Brooks, a psychiatric resident at Walter Reed, “was the first and only resident volunteer” to answer the call.
Villalobos explained Brooks “was among four other esteemed physicians (lieutenant colonel and above) who expressed interest in becoming a presenter [for the recruiting initiative].”
Recruiting medical professionals is a challenge for the Army Medical Department (AMEDD), Villalobos shared. “It’s a formidable mission, one that cannot be achieved by recruiters alone. It necessitates the active engagement, presence, and first-hand experiences of our medical professionals…,” he added.
The recruiting event, held July 11, allowed Army medical professionals such as Brooks, a Healthcare Professional Scholarship recipient, to share their stories with those with an interest in possibly pursuing Army medicine as a career.
“[He] skillfully shared his Army story and adeptly crafted a comprehensible lecture tailored for pre-health and medical students while maintaining the interest of attending residents, fellows, and providers. This undertaking presented significant challenges, yet [Brooks] surpassed all expectations, setting a remarkably high standard for all future presenters,” Villalobos added.
“His interpersonal skills, charisma, and unwavering passion were truly contagious and inspiring. As a result of his engaging presentation, 17 individuals have expressed a keen interest in pursuing a career within the AMEDD. Furthermore, all attendees gained a much clearer understanding of the similarities and differences between Army medicine and medicine in the private sector,” Villalobos added.
An Alabama native, Brooks is currently in his post-graduate year four in psychiatry at Walter Reed. “I recently finished my outpatient behavioral health clinic year, and I am now primarily spending my time rotating at various services both here and throughout the National Capital Region learning to do the various service chief roles prior to my first post-residency ‘real job,’” he explained.
Brooks shared that he became interested in psychiatry because of his family. “I have a family history of mental illness and being able to see the drastic difference in life and functional outcomes based on whether people had access to psychiatric care, inspired me to want to become a psychiatrist with a goal of improving access to high-quality mental health care for people.” He added he has a particular interest in community psychiatry, social determinants of health and medical education – with his interest in these areas growing from his time as a third-grade teacher in New Orleans with Teach for America prior to medical school.
After completing his undergraduate degree and spending a few years as a teacher, Brooks was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army through the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP). He went to medical school at Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine in North Carolina, graduating in 2020.
“I first heard about HPSP when I was in undergraduate and Army health care recruiters came to my school. A few years later when it came time to apply to medical school, I reached out to the local Army health care recruiting office,” he added.
“I hope that ultimately many more people participate in HPSP and consider how this program can both allow them to achieve their goals of working in the health care field and serve their country,” Brooks added. He explained this was one of the reasons he decided to be a presenter at the Pittsburgh Medical Recruiting Station event.
“There is significant data that shows people from underserved communities are much more likely to go back to those communities and address the health care disparities as compared to their peers. Medical school can be cost prohibitive for many talented, well-deserving people who could potentially address health care deserts. As the oldest of 11 children from a medically underserved area in Alabama, without HPSP it would have been very difficult for me to go to medical school. My school’s tuition cost more than my childhood home. HPSP helped me become a physician and hopefully can help many others achieve their dream of becoming health care workers and making a difference in their communities as well. Given my positive experience with HPSP and Army medicine, I volunteered to help,” Brooks shared.
In addition to sharing his Army story during the Pittsburgh Medical Recruiting Station event, Brooks discussed a medical case initiative focusing on what to do when a patient’s presentation doesn’t neatly fit into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5-TR) – Psychiatry’s handbook and guide to diagnosing many mental health disorders.
“I hope people felt that their time was well spent, and ultimately many more people participate in HPSP,” he added.