I was born and raised in Pennsylvania. My father dropped out of high school to join the Navy during World War 2. I was the first member of my family to attend college (and by default, Medical School). I figured out quickly that my classmates whose parents had gone to college understood what expect and “how the game is played” much better than I did and when I needed help navigating the system, my parents were unable to provide that assistance in the same way theirs did. Not having the means to pay for medical school, I joined the Navy under the Health Professions Scholarship Program. My 4 year required payback turned into a 28 year career. On retirement in 2020, I joined the Department of Family Medicine here at Iowa where I currently serve as Chair. I have benefited greatly from my many mentors during my career and am grateful for the opportunity to pay that forward.