Seal of the Warrior Transition Unit
I recently graduated from family medicine residency training in the Pacific Northwest. I now am the primary care manager for the Warrior Transition Unit in Baumholder, Germany. I’m not in the Army. I’m a civilian hired by the Army to help fill in the many gaps in military primary care.
I lead a team of nurse case managers, counselors, pharmacists and military command staff as we try to help injured soldiers recover from all kinds of injuries. We then help them decide to either stay in the military or move into civilian life. The work is generally rewarding, with many real American heroes. I am also regularly challenged by a good number of narcotic addicts, secondary-gainers and people trying to avoid deployment.
I believe strongly that our soldiers deserve world-class care, especially those that sacrificed their bodies, minds and souls on the battlefields of the world. America is at war. This is a fact. I have always disagreed with Iraq, and oppose further action in Afghanistan. But, justified or otherwise, we all need to be involved in the war effort in some fashion. This is my way.
Officially launched in the Winter of 2008, this blog has now garnered nearly 100,000 unique visitors. I’m honored that anyone would listen to my prattle.
If you post questions or comments to this site, I’ll probably answer. Maybe. Depends on the quality of breakfast, frankly. Extra-keen questions may be honored as a full blog post.
After my family (wife + 3 daughters + 1 son), I love surfing, traveling and writing. Aside from the lofty motivations mentioned above, you can imagine how much fun I’ve been having here in Europe.
As for the blog title…only one other person understands the secretwave101. It has to do with surfing. It has to do with how I became a doctor. That’s all I can say and keep my life.
For privacy reasons – and because I’m a dreamer – most stuff on this blog is embellished. At least a little. Especially any surf stories. Beware, ye gullible ones!
Here’s a picture of the chapel, not far from the WTU Barracks, on Baumholder:
Here’s a summary of my edjumacation (aka, the 3 most expensive decisions of my life):
Soroka Medical Center....*sigh*...such nostalgia.
M.D. – Medical School for International Health
Ben Gurion University (Israel) and Columbia University (New York)
2001-2005
B.A. Biology – Westmont College
1993-1997
A.A.S. Professional Photography – Colorado Mountain College
1991 – 1993
Saw your link on Fat Doctor’s site. Nice to meet another “Dr. A” – hehe. Nice blog. I’ll be back to read more….
Man, I dig your blog. I am at the other end of the medical journey, and have been in Family Practice for many years. I chose to write about my experiences in fiction, mostly out of HIPAA concerns, and I’m having a grand time.
I play bluegrass mandolin and a half a^^ game of golf. Come visit me at drtombibey.wordpress.com
Dr. B
Dear Dr. Secretwave,
Hope you are doing well.
My medical news website, Hot Medical News http://hotmedicalnews.com, features a variety of well-researched and entertaining medical articles, with some that are quirky and a little offbeat. I think your readers would find my material interesting, and if you agree, perhaps you might link to my site.
Thanks for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Brian Carty, MD, MSPH
What are you doing after your residency is up in Olympia?
Don’t know. Hopefully working in Europe, but that’s a long shot. Probably stay around here as a family doc or hospitalist…or both.
Checked out “surfer”, but it doesn’t pay well. Even if I an in “weekend fisherman”. Still pretty slim income.
So, doc it is.
Hello, Dr. Ankeney.
I also sent you a message through studentdoctors.net. Hopefully everything is going well with you. The weather in Olympia has been perfect since three days ago, hasn’t it? Anyways, i’m stopping by if you would be avaialble to have some conversations with me about your experience at Ben Gurion. Your advice would be very appreciated doc. What was the best thing about studying at Israel? I would love to hear.
When you get a chance, please let me know.
Thanks
Sincerely,
Minsoo Kim.
Hello, Dr. Ankeney !!
Have a wonderful thanksgiving! Best wishes on you and your lovely family!
Sincerely,
Minsoo Kim
Hi Geoff, I stumbled onto your blog this morning. I read your recent blogs to the staff this morning. There were parts that I got rather choked-up. We are so impressed with the work you are doing. Your stories have made others want to do similar outreach. We miss you. Heidi V.
Hey Geoff, we miss you tons and I wish that I was there with you all!!! Stacie and I watched your Dx X on your blog. We both smiled….think you have a future in the movie industry. Tell Sawyer (oohhh like Sawyer in LOST) and everyone hi. See you when you get back…..MG
M,
Thanks for enduring my attempt at acting. Yes, I’m waiting for the offers to come flowing in…although the phone’s been strangely silent these past 2 years. Juuust a matter of time.
Sawyer got scruffy, like the guy from Lost…but the similarities sorta end right about there.
I feel kinda stupid… but has that ever stopped me from doing *anything*? I think not.
( just got a MSF newsletter, with a lead article about Haiti — you most likely have it, also…
You are de facto the leading ‘spert on Haiti at the moment — what do you think? Is there effective action that can be brought to bear that will really… work?
http://doctorswithoutborders.org/press/release.cfm?id=3532&cat=press-release&ref=enewsletter&source=ADN090401E01
Ciao. I’m busy going crazy with ramped up crps pain. May amputate leg and promise to write a great blog post if i do…
My dear loyal-reading professor: As usual you bring some of the most perceptive and informed commentary to my humble little virtual world.
I’m pondering your question and will shortly glorify it with an individual blog. Short answer is, of course, that I have no answers. I never will. I’m just a white spoiled brat from the suburbs of America and I’m not yet sure anything actually good can come from there. We’re an indulgent and over-fed lot.
There are some things that flat-out OBVIOUSLY need to be done (and not done). I’ll try to highlight some of them. Soon. Lots of call recently.
To Whom It May Concern:
Our website NewDoctor.com is a Medical Professional Database that is used by over 100,000 users monthly to connect to and seek Medical professionals. We make this possible by implementing our IP phone network that has taken 3 years to set up around the globe. This technology enables any user to contact any medical professional FREE of charge on any phone number of their choosing. We have compiled a list of roughly 1000 professionals for our users to contact and receive the best possible advice. The professionals we have listed on the site are very active in the medical world and are contacted by our team sporadically to update their information and most recently discuss their practices. We are deeply involved in the medical world and take pride in the many products we have to offer. Among them is Physician.com, which is one of the biggest online names in the health world and will prove to be the largest social medical network in history. We have turned these medical websites into the largest in the health industry and take what our users and affiliates say into account to make these websites much more user friendly. We recently ran a poll asking the professionals listed what types of informational resources they use to keep up to date or even to simply find great information. Our users primarily are interested in blogs or overall great informational resources. I have reviewed your blog and must say, I absolutely love the information you have made available to the public and would love to make your blog a part of our site. I would like to offer you our Featured Blogger badge that can be posted on your site, which recognizes you as a top blogger in the medical health field or simply a text link within your blog roll (Find A Doctor). I would also like to post your blog in our resources page with a FULL banner to make your blog available to my thousands of users. Thanks again for the great information and I look forward to the great responses your blog will receive from my users!
Ryan Flaherty CHECK OUR RANK IN GOOGLE!(#5)!
Sr. Marketing Director
1 International Blvd.
Mahwah, NJ 07430
1(201)247-8553
NewDoctor.com
Here is a List of some of our affiliates:
American Telemedicine Association
Prevention First
TeleHealth World
Latin American and Carribean Telemedicine Association
Telemedicine Information Exchange
Georgia Southern University
Trinity University
ATALACC (Latin American Telemedicine Association)
TeleHealth World
TelePathology
The Keston Group
UCSB
Indiana State
Greetings,
My name is Barbara O’ Brien and my blogging at The Mahablog, Crooks and Liars, AlterNet, and elsewhere on the progressive political and health blogophere has earned me the notoriety of being a panelist at the Yearly Kos Convention and a featured guest blogger at the Take Back America Conference in Washington, DC.
I’m contacting you because I found your site in a prominent health and medicine blog search and want to tell you about my newest blogging platform —the public concern of health care and its reform. Our shared concerns include health reform, public health, safe workplaces, and asbestos contamination.
To increase awareness on these important issues, my goal is to get a resource link on your site or even allow me to provide a guest posting. Please contact me back, I hope to hear from you soon. Drop by our site in the meantime—www.maacenter.org/blog.
Happy Holidays,
Barbara O’ Brien
barbaraobrien@maacenter.org
My inlaws are frequent visitors at Matthew 25 on the way to the smaller villages during their trips with Friends of Haiti. What is the best thing we can do in Green Bay, Wisconsin to make the most impact?
Hi there!
I wanted to talk to you about MSIH before I go to their interview!
Hi:
I just came across your blog.
The church that is in your Germany section.Is this in Kaiserslautern by any chance ?If so,would you happen to know the name of the street it is on.
Also,I have a niece who’s husband is a Navy doctor in Heidelburg.Not sure if he is still there or not.
Thanks
Charles
There are numerous churches in our area. We attend the FEG in Ramstein (translated, it means “Evangelical Free” church). There is one in Kaiserslautern as well, on Kaiserstrasse, I think. I can find the specific address if you are interested.
Will you let your friends get colon cancer? Watch their back(sides)!
Hey Dr Secretwave—great blog!
Six percent of Americans will get colon cancer—it’s our #2 cancer killer (Really, number two? A coincidence? I think not!)
Studies tell us that UP TO A THIRD of your friends and loved ones don’t get the recommended colonoscopy because they’re afraid or embarrassed. Then they get colon cancer. That’s gotta change. And now you can help us do something about it.
In honor of March’s Colon Cancer Awareness Month (Slogan: “Be Aware of Your Derriere”) we’ve posted a fun digestive ditty to You Tube—you can reach it at http://www.ButtMeddler.com
Enjoy the video, then forward this page to your friends and relatives so that they can join in the fanny fun!
Warmly,
Pat Raymond MD
Aka the divine Ms. Butt Meddler
PS- if you want an unusual ringtone or just love to listen to bowel ballads, you can download the song from iTunes!
BEEP BEEP I’M A JEEP
I’m really proud of you dude. I’m gonna catch up with you by READING.
>!!<
-Shtove
PS my lil nephew (now almost 3) calles me 'Unka Tove Top'. He doesn't even know my name. And my band mates now refer to me as 'Two Take Tove Top'. ALL your fault. :]