Two Carle Illinois College of Medicine students have answered a dual call to serve patients with their unique medical training and a commitment to serve their country as members of the US military.
Students Chris Lingat and John Squire are physician-innovators at CI MED while also holding the rank of second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Through the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP), Lingat and Squire are combining medicine with military service to make a difference during and after medical school.
“As a physician-innovator in military service, I hope to contribute by advancing patient care through both surgical expertise and targeted medical research to enhance recovery outcomes and operational success,” Lingat said. “I would really love to practice as a general surgeon after military residency, operating on and serving those that serve,” he said.
The HPSP program pays for tuition, fees, and a stipend during medical school in exchange for future service as an Air Force physician. Scholarship recipients are required to attend Officer Training School (OTS) and away rotations at military institutions while in medical school.
"Being an HPSP student puts me in a unique position. I am able to practice medicine while serving my country. Being a student at CI MED puts me in an even more unique situation of being able to identify potential system problems and help innovate in those areas,” Squire said. At CI MED, he has used his background as a biomedical engineer and his skills as a self-taught computer coder to develop a machine learning application that helps researchers isolate the brain using magnetic resonance elastography. The project is part of his work with Health Innovation Professor Brad Sutton’s Magnetic Resonance Functional Imaging Lab. “In the future, I hope to complete my radiology residency through the military and give back to my country not only by helping other service members as a physician but also by finding ways to improve the military practice of medicine,” Squire said.
Upon receiving their MD degrees, Lingat and Squire will be promoted to captain and attend a military residency program. Once board-certified, each is committed to serving as an Air Force physician for four years – one year for each year of medical school that was covered by their scholarships.
Squire and Lingat have both graduated from Officer Training School (OTS) at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Squire has also completed the Reserve Commissioned Officer Orientation course and completed the first part of the Air Force Operational Medicine course at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio. His next steps are military ‘away’ rotations in his chosen field of radiology. As an aspiring surgeon, Lingat is also exploring unique learning opportunities available through the Air Force that will broaden his future impact as a physician. He is interested in attending aerospace medicine training that will give him an up-close look at the work of flight surgeons.