3rd BCT Paratrooper accepted to medical school

By Staff Sgt. Mary S. KatzenbergerApril 19, 2016

3rd BCT Paratrooper accepted to medical school
Spc. Sarah M. Mongold, a Paratrooper assigned to Charlie Company, 82nd Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C., has been accepted to attend the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences Me... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BRAGG, N.C.--Spc. Sarah M. Mongold recently received a phone call proving that if you work hard your dreams can come true.

The Paratrooper, a medic assigned to Charlie Company, 82nd Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, learned this April that she has been accepted into the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences Medical Doctor program.

With the acceptance, she will be directly commissioned as a medical corps officer and will attend the Basic Officer Leader Course this summer.

Mongold said that everything in her life is now coming full circle.

"I was … raised with a respect for Soldiers and everything that they do, so as soon as I got into the healthcare field--even before I joined the Army--I knew that what I really wanted to do was to be taking care of Soldiers," she said. "I'm going to get to do what I wanted to do."

After BOLC and four years of school, the Paratrooper will work through a four year residence to achieve her dream.

Mongold is no stranger to medical education. Before becoming an Army medic, she attended college and ultimately obtained a doctorate degree in chiropractic medicine.

The newly minted chiropractor went into private practice but said she wasn't satisfied, so she decided to enlist only four months later. She said enlisting is a choice she has not regretted for one second.

"I've just had some amazing experiences," Mongold said. "The things that I've seen Soldiers are capable of--my peers and my mentors--has blown my mind. People are so talented and intelligent and good at what they do."

Sgt. Terri Bluebird, Mongold's mentor, said the Paratrooper's potential is out of this world. She said she was impressed by the dedication Mongold showed while studying for the [Medical College Admission Test] on top of being a busy medic and Paratrooper.

"She came in and completed our daily tasks but every spare moment she pulled out her notecards to study for the big test," Bluebird said. "That still inspires me today and sets her apart from her peers."

Mongold said she is thankful for the perspective she's gained over that past two years while serving as an enlisted Paratrooper.

"I'll have that experience moving forward as a provider," she said. "I have so much respect for what Soldiers--especially in this division--go through on a day-to-day basis. It [has been] an eye-opening experience.

"It wasn't always easy but it'll be worth it in the end," Mongold concluded.