Shadow Me Next!

Notes from the ER: why chaos, service, and community shape better care and better leaders | Dr. Josh McConkey, MD

• Ashley Love • Season 1 • Episode 46

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What does it take to run toward chaos and know you will like the result? We sit down with Dr. Josh McConkey, an emergency physician, Air Force Reserve commander, and combat veteran, for a candid tour of the ER and the deeper forces that sustain a life in medicine. From managing codes to navigating the “bread and butter” of primary care concerns that flood emergency departments, Dr. McConkey explains how humility, teamwork, and a calm mind matter most.

We dig into his “Weight Behind the Spear” philosophy. It's an ethos born from years with special operations teams and grounded in a simple truth: great performers are built by great communities. Teachers, coaches, mentors, neighbors are the people who shape the leaders we count on when it matters most. Josh shares how volunteering, coaching youth sports, and serving face-to-face are not résumé fluff but the fastest route to real resilience, communication skills, and interview-ready stories that stand out beyond grades. He offers practical advice for pre-health students and clinicians on building confidence under pressure, seeking discomfort on purpose, and finding purpose that lasts.

To connect with Dr. Josh McConkey, find him at any of the following: 

Instagram: @JoshMcConkeyMD

LinkedIn: Josh McConkey, MD

Websites: joshmcconkeyforamerica.com and joshmcconkey.com

Book: Be The Weight Behind the Spear 

Virtual shadowing is an important tool to use when planning your medical career. At Shadow Me Next! we want to provide you with the resources you need to find your role in healthcare and secure your place in medicine.

Check out our pre-health resources. Great for pre-med, pre-PA, pre-nursing, pre-therapy students or anyone else with an upcoming interview!
Mock Interviews: shadowmenext.com/mock-interviews
Personal Statement Review: shadowmenext.com/personal-statement
Free Downloads: shadowmenext.com/free-downloads

Want to be a guest on Shadow Me Next!? Send Ashley Love a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/175073392605879105bc831fc

Ashley:

Hello and welcome to Shadow Me Next, a podcast where I take you into and behind the scenes of the medical world to provide you with a deeper understanding of the human side of medicine. I'm Ashley, a physician assistant, medical editor, clinical preceptor, and the creator of Shadow Me Next. It is my pleasure to introduce you to incredible members of the healthcare field and uncover their unique stories, the joys and challenges they face, and what drives them in their careers. It's access you want and stories you need. Whether you're a pre-health student or simply curious about the healthcare field, I invite you to join me as we take a conversational and personal look into the lives and minds of leaders in medicine. I don't want you to miss a single one of these conversations. So make sure that you subscribe to this podcast, which will automatically notify you when new episodes are dropped, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook at Shadow Me Next, where we will review highlights from this conversation and where I'll give you sneak previews of our upcoming guests. There's a certain kind of person who runs toward the chaos. Today's guest, Dr. Josh McConkie, is one of them. He's an emergency physician, an Air Force Reserve commander, and a combat veteran who served with special operations teams in Iraq and beyond. He's also a husband, a father, and the founder of the Weight Behind the Spear Foundation, a movement built around the idea that teachers, coaches, mentors, and everyday people are the force that make great leadership possible. In our conversation, Dr. McConkie opens up about the realities of emergency medicine, the pressure, the privilege, and the toll. He shares how combat shaped his view of service, why leadership begins with community, and what it really means to live with purpose in a generation facing both a mental health crisis and a crisis of meaning. This is a conversation about resilience, humility, and remembering why you started. Please keep in mind that the content of this podcast is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered as professional medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company. This is Shadow Me Next with Dr. Josh McConkie. Dr. McConkey, thank you so much for joining us on Shadow Me Next today. You have a wealth of information that you are going to share with us because you've had a wealth of experience across the board. So thanks for being here and thanks for being willing.

Dr. McConkey:

Thank you very much. It's it's been a wild 20-some years, I tell you.

Ashley:

I bet. I bet. How would you, when you are describing yourself in front of a group of people, perhaps even just medical people, what what titles do you use? How do you uh how do you fit yourself into a box?

Dr. McConkey:

You know, some of the unique experience I've had overseas, like in Australia and New Zealand, they don't really use the titles, right? Everyone's on a first name basis. And especially in the emergency department, what I've found is, you know, when you start to get those hierarchies, there's very good studies. I know in aviation, I'm an Air Force flight surgeon as well. In aviation, there's lots of studies that show increased error rates and things, the higher that the hierarchy gets. But, you know, you know, physician, military commander, you know, Pilot Surprise nominated author, I've got all kinds of crazy titles. But for me, the the most important ones are, you know, father, husband. You know, those are probably the most important to me.

Ashley:

I think that's fantastic. I think that's a really good reminder for all of us that just because we have a title or just because we've done some things doesn't necessarily make us an expert, doesn't necessarily make us the person that we want to go to. But in your case, it absolutely does. I am so impressed by what you've done and not just what you've accomplished, but what you are passing on to future generations, to specifically young people, things that we absolutely desperately need to be developing. So thanks for doing that. Let's talk about a day in your life as an ER physician. I think that would be a fantastic place to start to really get a good idea of what your life, at least in emergency medicine, looks like as an ER doc and um and some of the challenges perhaps that you might have experienced and your successes, the wins that you found.

Dr. McConkey:

Yeah. So emergency medicine is a very unique specialty in that there's a lot to know. You can't possibly know everything, of course, but you're a jack of all trades. You've got ENT and cardiothoracic surgery and a little uh little in internal medicine, family medicine, OB. I mean, it's just a anything could walk through the door. You have no control over it. And I'm uh I'm an adrenaline junkie. I always have been. You know, I'm a military physician. I've served with combat search and rescue, special operations, aerospace medicine and the Air Force and the Army. I flew Medevac in Iraq. So I like to stay busy. I like to kind of be on that edge a little bit and get that. You know, the adrenaline rush isn't as good as it used to be, right? Once you've been in combat and been shot at and all kinds of crazy things, like the ER is pretty low-key. But yeah, you anything could walk through the door, which is very, very challenging. Um, you have to think quickly on your feet. You have to thrive under pressure. So when you have those code situations and the true emergencies, I mean, I wish there was more of that, but really it's it's it's the bread and butter, coughs, colds, urinary tract infections, a lot of primary care, you know, in the emergency department, a lot of social health and mental health issues, ton of that. So uh sometimes more than I would like. But you really have to be um ready for anything at all times. So that's very challenging to really stay focused because you're pulled in 20 different directions. As corporate medicine gets more involved with emergency departments and hospitals in general, you know, you tend to see some understaffing and you're really task saturated more than is safe a lot of times. So the probably the biggest challenge is just balancing your own personal health and patient safety with the business side of medicine and what administrators and and and some of these hospital administrators are asking you to do. So that definitely is a challenge. The big wins is I've saved a lot of lives. And when you see a true emergency and you you step in and you do what needs to be done, it's it's never just me. You see some of these physicians with the God complex. It's it's insane. You know, God is working through my hands, right? I study my tail off, I work my tail off, I put myself in situations where I can be successful, you know, and and uh the Lord's gonna use me as as he needs to, and I can't save everybody. So that's always difficult when you when you when you see people die and you want to save everyone, but that's just not reality. But the big wins, when you save a life, that that feels pretty amazing. And you get to walk into that family and just let them know everything's gonna be okay and put them at ease. That's uh it's pretty special.

Ashley:

Absolutely. You've touched on a couple of things that I would really like to develop a little bit more. You described what a person might need to find success in the ER as a clinician, right? Have you experienced a situation where somebody was in the ER as a clinician and realized they just unfortunately they just don't have what it takes? What does that what I'm sure that happens, right? And we've never really talked about this all the time. Break that down for us. What does that look like? How do you um have you ever had to go in and step in and counsel this person and say, maybe, you know, let's consider something different?

Dr. McConkey:

Yeah. So I I've I've been a professor at Duke University, taught in the emergency medicine program. I've taught overseas in several programs in Australia and New Zealand. And you've got a wide range of students, medical students, physician students, physician assistant students, you know, from all different walks of life. And then we have residents from all the different specialties that rotate through the emergency department as well. And, you know, there's there's lots of bright individuals, but a lot of times that doesn't mean that you are clinically, you know, uh skilled as well. So I've met several physicians. I I remember one code in general where I was just giving, I was actually teaching in Chicago for uh was it a national youth leadership forum? I was a second-year medical student. I was in the emergency department at University of Chicago. So I'm giving a bunch of high school kids that want to go into medicine some tours. And there was a code being run, and there was a Harvard graduate, all right, big, big fancy Harvard, ooh, super smarty. And I just watched them fumble, uh, missed an airway. I were doing chest compressions on the stomach, and it was it was kind of one of those surreal moments where I just looked at the attending, I had a like a suit coat on, took off my suit jacket and just kind of gave them a nod and jumped in, started doing chest compressions. Yeah, it's just just hilarious. I mean, I just thrive in those situations. Some people can handle pressure and crazy codes, and some people can't. That's all right. There's tremendous physicians that are dermatologists and immunologists, and good for you. Like I would be bored out of my mind. Exactly. Some people, some people just can't handle those code situations. I I found when things get crazy, when it's super stressful, I'm just I'm just smarter. That's when my mind clicks, that's when things work for me. Uh, I'm just getting I get bored very easy. So I've always enjoyed the uh the chaos in the emergency department.

Ashley:

You know, this is this is a great segue into a question that actually I'm laughing because it's a question I was going to ask, and now I know the answer. You won the North Carolina lottery, right? And many people would have retired or just celebrated and sat back and enjoyed their little my ties on the beach. But I now I know the answer to why you didn't do that, right? You would have just gone crazy.

Dr. McConkey:

No, there's there's so much more you can do. I I I've actually used that money, it's helped me get the messaging out for my book. I started a nonprofit organization raising money for Western North Carolina and promoting community engagement. You know, I just once you've served in combat and I've carried body bags of American heroes and you see people that have sacrificed everything. I wake up every single day. That's what I think about. I'm very blessed. I'm very fortunate. I've got a wife and three kids. And I just wake up motivated every single day. I have to make this world a better place. I have to make their sacrifice worth it. And so those are the things that motivate me.

Ashley:

It's absolutely incredible. And thank you so much for doing that. You mentioned your platform, you mentioned your foundation in your book, Be the Weight Behind the Spear. This is also your leadership philosophy. It's so powerful. Tell us a little bit about what this phrase means to you.

Dr. McConkey:

So that personal leadership ethos, I've been very fortunate. I've worked with special operations. So I was a medical director for PJs, Combat Search to Rescue. And these individuals are amazing. Like jumping out of helicopters, taking down bin Laden, rescuing the children of the Thai caves in 2018. If you remember a few years back, that soccer team that was trapped. Crazy stories from the team. I mean, just unbelievable stories. They all have someone in their life that gave them the amazing confidence to do what they do. So teachers, coaches, volunteers, like family and mentors. Like that's what makes them so special. That's what sets America apart. You know, that's that's the weight behind that tip of the spear. And so the book and the ethos is just getting people involved. You know, that's my call to action to get into your community, go coach, volunteer, you know, volunteer in medical schools and or churches or schools or go to the animal shelters, right? Those animals can be emotional support animals for somebody. So everybody has something to give. And I think a lot of people discount their role in our society, but you know, they have tremendous skills. Like everyone has a different set of skills. So use your skills and get out there and just pay it forward to the next generation because they really need the help.

Ashley:

Absolutely. And I think that's a wonderful, and I'm sure you have stories where perhaps you met somebody who was either was struggling in some way, shape, or form, whether it was mental health or met maybe it was just confidence. And and you saw leadership capabilities in them, but they just needed that push. And I think sometimes that push is actually them diving into these situations where they give back first, right?

Dr. McConkey:

And for you know, a lot out there, I know a lot of students and people wanting to look into health professions are familiar with the pit, that TV show. Yes, yes, uh, you know, I haven't got to watch it myself, but I did see a bunch of articles when it was nominated and won several Emmy Awards. And there's they they showed some clips from an episode where uh Noah Wiley just, you know, just kind of had this just breakdown and talking just because we see horrible things all the time, just death and destruction, and people are at their worst. And and and there was actually one of the characters on the show was you know had suicidal thoughts and and he kind of casually made some comments to, you know, like don't do it on my shift, man. Like, come on. Like you know, like and it just it kind of tried to make light of it, but really pulled them back into the fold. And man, there's a lot of mental health issues in healthcare in general. There's higher rates of depression and suicide. You know, they they tell you that when you start school, and and and and you do see that with colleagues. Yeah, I I've and I'm trying to, I know I've lost some friends from high school and college to suicide. I don't know if any of my medical school classmates yet. Hopefully not, my goodness. But you know, those are things that uh everyone has a breaking point. And and really, if you're looking at some good take-home messages, so working with special operations, these people are the toughest mentally and physically, I mean, on planet earth. And they still have suicides in that population. Wow. So everybody has a breaking point, you know. Bad things happen, life happens, and don't be afraid to reach out to friends and colleagues or mental health practitioners. Like the emergency department is always wide open for you. And I've I've seen physicians and healthcare people come to the emergency department and I sit down with them, and you always have I sit down, sit down, cry with them, like, hey, it's okay, man. Like you came to the right place. We're always here for you. We can always get you mental health. So, you know, I'm really proud of being that safety net for America.

Ashley:

Absolutely. And you know, I think it brings up an interesting point. Uh I was just speaking with a patient about this yesterday. Medicine has become very specialized, right? It's not the once upon a time GP, family GP, where you and your mom and her mom and your baby all went and you got all of the care that you need. We're very, very specialized. And yet, we still are capable of and enjoy talking about a wide variety of these health concerns. Um, uh, weight management is one, right? Either obesity, being underweight, relationship with food, um, uh anything to do with mental health, right? We all need to be able to and willing to have these conversations with people. Um, I think that is what that's what medicine's all about, right? Not just to not just say, well, it's mental health. I mean, could you imagine being here? Oh, it's mental health, it's not really my thing.

Dr. McConkey:

So um, and don't be afraid to talk about it, you know, because people are like, oh, well, if I bring it up, now they're gonna think about it. Like, no, I promise they were already thinking about it. Okay. Like you have to talk about it and get it out there because like just it's uh the the the taboo or oh man, we shouldn't talk about that. No, it's completely incorrect.

Ashley:

You know, the it they're hard conversations, but you are used to having hard conversations. I mean, speaking to young people generally, period, is difficult these days, but especially speaking to young people about leadership and about mental health. Um, the here's a question for you. In a world where social media often rewards popularity over principle, how can young people build just authentic integrity? And how can they just be so true to themselves?

Dr. McConkey:

So critically important. So, my episode on Teen Kids News on mental health and the COVID generation just just aired. So it just came out. So if you go on YouTube, just Google Teen Kid News, I think it's episode 2304, or you just probably Google my name with it, it'll pop up. It's a great episode. But you have to get out there and get engaged in person. So, you know, social media, it's it's a blessing and a curse. I I know it's part of everyday life now, but we are still social creatures. Like human beings have been social creatures for thousands and thousands of years. It didn't just magically stop because of COVID and YouTube videos and TikTok. Okay. So you have to get involved, like face to face. And the best way you can do that is get out in your community. You know, when I say volunteer, yep, coach, teach, you know, get out there and coach a T-ball team. I mean, it's crazy. They just run around and throw dirt at each other. They're wild. You know, the more you get involved or go to those animal shelters, there's so many community organizations that need your help. I mean, the local soup kitchens and there's lots of uh faith-based organizations. You know, during Christmas, you know, this time of year, uh Samaritan's Purse does does a wonderful um volunteer activity where everyone they have these shoe boxes, they just fill up with all kinds of great things for kids and send them all over the world. You know, there's so many things that you can do to help contribute, try to make the world a better place. That is helping your mental health as well, because you're engaged, you're part of something that matters. You know, it's you're not just sitting there watching the video screen all day.

Ashley:

Exactly. Dr. McConkey, I'm imagining these, specifically these high school and college students hearing us talk about, you know, get involved and make sure that you're studying hard. And what what would you tell them if they said, but but Ashley, but Dr. McConkey, I don't have time. I don't have time to do all of this. Where do I make time? I mean, you are the perfect person to speak to making time.

Dr. McConkey:

This this is what makes that's what sets you apart, you know. Because you know, because guess what? Everybody applying to professional school, PA, medicine, nursing, everyone's got pretty good grades. Okay. You don't see the the the flunkies applying to make it into school. You have to set yourself apart somehow. So you put those things on your CV, you get out there, you volunteer, you're part of this organization, you coached a little a youth soccer team. That gives you amazing things to talk about in your interview. Because, okay, there's a gate, all right? Everybody that makes it through the gate, everybody that gets an interview, guess what? You're on the same level playing field now. You know, like, oh, this person had straight A's 4.0. Well, okay, whatever, great. Just because they're super bright doesn't mean anything. So you so you have to, once you get that interview, what makes you different? What sets you apart? What makes you unique? If you can talk about those types of things, your church, your the the teams that you've coached, or you've volunteered in some health organizations, you know, there's there's so many things that you can use to set you apart. That's gonna stand out in an interview. They're gonna recognize, they're gonna see those leadership skills because that's what they're looking for. They're looking for the future of your profession. Who's gonna be a leader, who's gonna make a difference? And like, you know, your grades may not be all straight A's, but they see what you bring to the table on the leadership and the volunteer side of things, that makes a huge difference. That is going to set you apart. So, you know, those things matter just as much as the grades.

Ashley:

You're absolutely right. And and Dr. McConkie, I would love to hear you speak to this because I think you could really paint us a picture. We tell these students these things. We say, you know, develop resilience by by volunteering and by putting yourself in uncomfortable positions, hone in those leadership skills. Does that does it actually work? Have you seen it actually drive these students to success in their careers?

Dr. McConkey:

Yeah, 100%. And the people that push themselves to just you can't be afraid of failure, right? So get out there. I mean, maybe join a theater group, right? I mean, do something crazy. I mean, just those things that put you in a very uncomfortable zone. I did West Side Story in high school, and that was exhausting. I mean, I was a wrestler, I played baseball, and the craziest thing I did was West Side Story. And it was it was fantastic. I learned a lot about myself. Um, I generally did not enjoy like performing in front of people or public speaking, any of those things. And those types of things getting you out of your comfort zone make you a better person. It's gonna make you a better physician or physician assistant or whatever healthcare profession you go into because you're you're gonna be put into some very, very uncomfortable situations. I've seen some crazy mental health issues or like family members that just go absolutely berserk when they get bad news. I mean, just there's there's things you just can't anticipate. And the more comfortable you get with being uncomfortable, you're gonna just you're gonna stay cool. It's cool as the other side of the pillow, right? You're gonna take care of what needs to take care of. You're gonna be a professional and just experience as much as you can. Travel, like healthcare around the world is is very, very different. I worked in Australia, New Zealand. I have an Irish medical license as well. I haven't worked there yet. But you know, when I retire, I hope to chill out in Europe for a little bit. But, you know, just all of those different unique things. Medicine is medicine, right? Is it all the same textbooks and the science, but the healthcare is very different because the resources are different. You know, I've been to Rwanda, like Central Africa. Wow. They have fantastic physicians, but just not a lot of resources. So, you know, things are different. So just, you know, get out there, travel, volunteer. There's lots of things you can do.

Ashley:

It's so interesting. And you never know. You know, we all had hopes of going to medicine when we were going into medicine when we were younger, but you never know where that's going to lead you. And it's so funny now that you mentioned um performing in West Side story and putting yourself in these positions that are uncomfortable, you are running to be lieutenant governor of North Carolina. And I mean, would you have ever considered doing that back when you were trying to develop some resilience as you know, a high school student, maybe?

Dr. McConkey:

Well, never never in a million years. And just what I've seen in 22, 23 years in healthcare and the military, and and just there's been you have to realize that most of these politicians know absolutely nothing about healthcare. And so we need more leadership and healthcare leaders in politics. You know, the decisions that you see made, wow, you know, if they even had the basic understanding, they probably would have made some different decisions. So, you know, just having some purpose-driven leadership, or we're gonna start right here in North Carolina.

Ashley:

How can we support our healthcare professionals who are looking at a role in politics?

Dr. McConkey:

You know, physicians in general. So I what I learned, uh I ran a congressional race uh a year and a half ago. Physicians live in a bubble. Healthcare providers live in a bubble. They're very, very smart, they love medicine, and they just do that. But what they don't realize is everyone around them, like your politicians, and because a lot of them are attorneys, right? And we all love attorneys in healthcare, right? So, you know, with all these decisions and the policy is being made by people that don't know what they're doing. You have to get involved politically because it affects your patients, it affects their access to care. Right here in North Carolina, they've patched, they've passed a bill, HB67. And so, you know, a lot of physicians aren't even aware of it. But what they did is they basically removed the USMLE requirement and residency requirements for rural physicians. Anybody from overseas, foreign physicians, can go practice in rural North Carolina. They don't even have to pass the USMLE now, which is crazy. So, what you've really told rural healthcare providers, right? Rural healthcare, your rural patients is uh, you know, your physicians don't have to be quite as qualified. You know, like we know it's hard. So, and we won't get into the whole politics of it, but just at the end of the day, it was a bad decision. And I think if we had some more healthcare providers in politics, we probably could have come up with some different ideas there, like what we've done in Nebraska. There's a rural health opportunities program for, you know, people from rural areas are more likely to go back to rural areas to practice. So you give them slots in medical schools. It was called RHOP, Rural Health Opportunities Program. I was a part of that program and I I still work in rural Nebraska. I fly out there and work about every every month or every other month just to help out. So, you know, there's um we need more providers in healthcare. So, like for me, if you guys go to strongernc.com, you can learn about kind of me and my platform. And uh, I would love to have you on the team. I need the help.

Ashley:

Absolutely. Strongernc.com. I'll tag that in the show notes below. Before I get to our final question, Dr. McConkey, this is something on the show called Quality Questions. And it's where you and I talk about uh an interview question that either you've heard or you've asked in the past that has been um memorable for one reason or the other. It's to help these pre-health students really develop a cache of interview questions to prepare for. Do you have a quality question for us? Before we hear Dr. McConkey's quality question, keep in mind that there's more interview prep, such as mock interviews and personal statement review, over on shadowmext.com. There you'll find amazing resources to help you as you prepare to answer your own quality questions.

Dr. McConkey:

Yes. So this question I was asked in Kalamazoo, Michigan for residency. And I'll never forget it because it was the stupidest thing I've ever heard. So they sat down and you can kind of get the feel for a program because you're going to meet the other the other residents when they're doing interviews. They sat down and always be prepared for bizarre questions. They just kind of see how you react. So they asked, if you could be an animal, what animal would you be? And this is after you've already done like eight or nine interviews, you've been asked a million questions. It was just so utterly ridiculous. I was like a shark. Like, like why would you?

Ashley:

I like it.

Dr. McConkey:

Like, oh my gosh. It's my I I love sharks growing up. Okay. Like I I read all the books, Jaws, you know, like Shark Week is fantastic. You know, but just you know, so you just be prepared for everyone asked the same questions, you know, you know, as far as like leadership or what things have you done for volunteer. I I used to do uh the the mock interviews for uh other kids in rural Nebraska. I was at uh Botsby General Hospital, it's a very small rural hospital, and they had a health professions club. And so these kids were all trying to get into colleges and professional schools, and I would sit them down and just grill them and ask some of those questions. But you know, what things set you apart? And I said before those interviews, like once you get that interview, like you, your foot's in the door. Like you're on the same playing field as everybody else. And maybe they went to Harvard or Yale, like doesn't matter. Like you're at the same interview. And so what makes you different? And so that's where you get to shine. Talk about yourself, uh, you know, leadership activities that you've partaken in, you know, your family. Um, just they want to know about you. I mean, everyone gets good grades, right? That's what it's about. That's important. But the interview is where you get to talk about the rest of you, and that matters just as much.

Ashley:

And forming that personal connection, which we've already talked about, is so important. And if you haven't practiced that by volunteering in difficult situations or um giving your time back as a coach for a T-ball tea, you know, if you haven't practiced that in your life, faking that during an interview becomes something. Oh, they can tell.

Dr. McConkey:

They can tell.

Ashley:

Absolutely, absolutely. Let me ask you a final question before we wrap up. You have said that we are facing two converging crises here, at least in the United States of America, a mental health epidemic, which we've talked about a little bit, and a decline in purpose, which is so important to me in medicine to talk about purpose. Why tell us why these two things are connected?

unknown:

Yeah.

Dr. McConkey:

So you talk about like that purpose, that why, like what drives you. If you are in healthcare because your mommy and daddy want you to be in healthcare, it's it's not going to be a fun ride for you. Okay. Because it is brutal, it's emotionally taxing. If you go into healthcare because you generally want to help people, or maybe you're just the math and science nerd and you you just you just love the curiosity and like solving problems, and then great, because the world needs you, needs you desperately. And there's it'll open doors for you that you never knew existed for me with the military, with special operations, you know, working overseas, Australia, New Zealand, Rwanda. I've been all kinds of crazy places and have loved every second of it. Healthcare was opened that doorway for me. I grew up in a rural town, Alliance, Nebraska. My dad's a railroader, my grandfather was a railroader, and my great-grandfather. So I literally was the first macaque to go to college. So for me, my future was joining the railroad and living Alliance, Nebraska the rest of my life, you know, which is it's a great town, but I just could not be contained. And for me, healthcare was that doorway to all kinds of amazing things in the world. So, what is your why? Why are you wanting to do that? And then as an emergency physician, as a military commander as well, you just see the younger generation that really struggles with resiliency and the mental health issues, a lot of anxiety, depression, and suicide. You know, and there's some policy decisions, you know, a few years ago that really brought that to a head when you shut out an entire generation from school and church and their communities. Boy, just they already lived on screens and iPads and iPhones, anyway. So there was already some communication barriers there. But we've got a lot of work to do. So the more people get involved with this younger generation now, it's got to be face-to-face, not screens. Okay. Absolutely. And that that that's how we get through this crisis because we need everybody to be successful. Like that's the future of the country. I've been in medicine for 20 some years. I need to retire here in 10, 15 years. I gotta hand the keys to you, you out there, all right. And and I need you to be ready and and have those leadership skills. So, you know. That's what we're all about.

Ashley:

And that is why we do what we do, Dr. Munkonki. Thank you so much for taking the time with us, for sharing your story, for really just giving an incredible motivational talk today. I really appreciate it.

Dr. McConkey:

A lot of fun.

Ashley:

Thank you so very much for listening to this episode of Shadow Me Next. If you liked this episode, or if you think it could be useful for a friend, please subscribe and invite them to join us next Monday. As always, if you have any questions, let me know on Facebook or Instagram. Access you want, stories you need, you're always invited to Shadow Me Next.

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Ashley Love

Host