Sarah Arnold, MD, MPH

Current Position: Physician in Private Practice; Government Reviewing Medical Waivers for the Navy and Marine Corps

Story Last Updated: Summer 2024

Why I Chose GMercyU

I am the ninth of 12 kids. I have an older sister who was already a student at GMercyU studying Early Childhood Education. Financial aid was a huge priority. My family chose our schools based on the best financial aid package. That's just how it works when you’ve got 12 kids.

I was looking for a small college. My mom was particularly impressed with GMercyU from day one with my sister, who was four years older than I. She was also very impressed with the Sisters of Mercy and all of their work.

I just felt at home at Gwynedd before I even went there. The Sisters of Mercy are committed to service and that has always been my thing. I was always interested and involved in service and service professions, so it really was a very good fit for me.

Experience in the Biology Program

I originally wanted to be a physical therapist. I went to high school in the 1980s and sports medicine was really popular. I just thought that was the coolest thing.

I was interested in the health sciences during high school, and I even volunteered at Holy Redeemer Hospital, but it really wasn't until I got to GMercyU when I entertained the idea of going to medical school. I just never thought I was smart enough for it. I wasn't the most confident. Dr. Barbieri, who was the pre-med advisor, convinced me I could do it. She had all of the information on the medical schools in the Philadelphia area.

All I had to do was score well on the MCAT. I was a horrible standardized test taker, but Dr. Barbieri helped me through it.

Medical School Journey

Medical school tuition was high, and there was no way I was going to go to my family for it, and there's no way to work while you're medical school. So, I thought the U.S. Navy was my ticket to pay for school. My parents weren't too thrilled about the military, but once they realized they gave me a scholarship, they were on board.

Once I got the scholarship, it was just a matter of getting accepted into medical school. I was accepted into Hahnemann University School of Medicine. The only summer you get off in medical school is the summer between your first and second year, but I had to go to Officer School in Newport, Rhode Island. I found that experience fascinating. It was like Catholic school on steroids. I didn't find it that hard. We had to wear uniforms. Well, I wore uniforms my whole life. We had to share a bedroom. Well, I was one of 12 children. I was used to it.

After I finished school, I had to apply for internships. I didn't match in the U.S. Navy for internship, so I completed a civilian transitional internship in Philadelphia at Presbyterian Hospital. I was glad for this experience because in medical school, you have all these experiences, but you're not the one in charge of anything. You still aren't in charge as an intern, but you're the first one there. You're seeing a full clinic. You're making medical decisions.

U.S. Navy Career

I completed operational tours in Flight Surgery, Surface Warfare Medical Department Officer, and Feet Marine Force.

Flight surgery is occupational medicine for pilots and their crew. I thought if I'm going to be in the military, then I want to do something like the military -- I didn't want to go the same route as any other civilian physician. I even had to be a better swimmer as a flight surgeon because you have to go through water survival training. So, I booked myself YMCA swim lessons.

The best part about the military is you're not just around medical people. You're around brilliant people from all around society who decide to serve. It's just the whole different experience. I came from a middle class, white household. I didn’t have the understanding of what other kids went through. For some people, the military saved their lives. It's a different experience than just going through medical school with the top percent of society.

Residency Experience

I wanted to complete a residency in family medicine. The Navy's family medicine residency programs were in community size hospitals. There was only one residency program in the hospital, which to me, is the best way to do family medicine instead of at a huge academic center where you just don't get the same experience. At the large hospitals, you're not the one delivering babies. The OB residents are. You're not the one taking care of sick babies. It's the pediatric residents. That's what I liked about the Navy. I trained at Naval Hospital, Camp Pendleton, where family medicine residents were doing everything because when you're practicing medicine and your ship is out at sea, you have to know everything.

By the time I finished residency at Camp Pendleton, as luck would have, it was 2001. I went to a fleet surgical team out of San Diego. One morning as I'm driving to my ship, I turn on the radio and hear what is happening in our country, and there was no going home that day. That's when things changed career wise. It was hard to plan anything because of the operational tempo. Shortly after that in 2003, the Iraq war started. There was a stop-loss. So, while I had finished a commitment, I had to stay. We were a nation at war on two Fronts. When you take an oath, it's an oath. It's a promise. You hold up your end of the deal. And I did.

I served two tours in Iraq. My first tour in 2004, I was the Officer in Charge of casualty evaculation for the Marine Corps deployed in Western Iraq. My second tour was in 2008, and that was more preventive medicine. By that point we were closing bases. When you close up things overseas, there's a lot of abatement that has to be done with all kinds of hazards. I inspected bases for six months so that was a little tamer than my first tour.

Public Health Career

I spent a year getting my master's in public health as part of a preventive medicine residency. It was a little respite. I was studying in Bethesda, Maryland, which was nice because you have every government agency in public health just a stone's throw away. After I completed my preventive medicine residency, my tour then was with the Marines, and my flight surgery tour back in the beginning of my career was with the Marines, so I felt comfortable.

By then, I was a mid-level Commander. I could do preventative medicine jobs or I could do family medicine jobs. I was in California at the time. I was 40 years old and my parents were getting older, so I wanted to be closer to home. The US Public Health Service had a pilot program for military service members who were Commander level and below and had less than 15 years in the military to transfer to the Public Health Service. Well, I had 14 years, so I kind of slid under the deadline and transferred to the Public Health Service because I wanted to stay in one place. So, I moved to Cape May, New Jersey, and worked with the Coast Guard for a little bit, and then changed over to Department of Defense and then switched to FDA where I am now. This is my last job. I'm retiring next year. I promoted to Captain back in 2016, so that's my terminal rank.

I really attribute a lot of why I am the way I am to GMercyU. For a short period of four years, I really felt like I got a lot more than I paid for. I got a great education. I was cared for and nurtured during a very difficult time of life. I do feel that like GMercyU really was a big help to me. Somebody donated so I could go, right? That's why I donate every year.