By Sarah E. Marshall, Uniformed Services University of the
Health Sciences
BETHESDA, Md. -- Former contemporary Christian
singer-songwriter Paden Smith once sought to heal others with his music and
lyrics.
Smith, who has served as a Navy linguist, graduated from a
two-year medical degree preparatory program May 16 and will begin studies this
summer at the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services
University of the Health Sciences here.
He said he grew up listening to both genres and always
considered contemporary Christian music to be a blend of the two, with gospel's
uplifting messages and country's storytelling. His music career started in high
school when he began writing his own songs.
“Christian music just felt natural to my taste in music and
my upbringing,” he said. “Plus, I knew that I wanted my music to be a tool for
good, and I felt that Christian music was a great way to make a positive and
lasting impact on listeners.”
Collaboration
In college, he started working with friends on an album and
eventually decided to make the leap to recording his own music. He collaborated
with friends to co-write many of the tracks on his debut Christian/gospel
album. Drawing on his own experiences, he said, he tailored the lyrics in hopes
that others would find this music to be as uplifting and therapeutic as it had
been for him.
Following the album’s successful release, he went on to film
a military tribute music video inspired by the military town he calls home:
Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Joining the Navy
Smith grew up surrounded by patriotic culture and looked up
to several family members who served in the armed forces. While producing the
tribute video, he worked closely with service members and surviving family
members. He was so impressed by their level of sacrifice, he said, that this
sparked his own interest in serving his country. Soon after, he enlisted in the
Navy.
Smith spent his first eight years on active duty serving as
a Chinese linguist, but he had dreams of becoming a doctor. In 2015, he learned
about a physician pathway program for service members, USU’s Enlisted to
Medical Degree Preparatory Program, or EMDP2. The 24-month program is a
partnership with the U.S. armed forces and George Mason University’s Prince
William campus that allows highly qualified enlisted service members to remain
on active duty while completing pre-med coursework that makes them competitive
for application to medical school.
Path to Medical School
Students are required to apply for medical school at the
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, but they may also apply
to other accredited U.S. medical schools through the Armed Forces Health
Professions Scholarship Program. Nearly 70 students -- including military
combat medics and corpsmen, musicians, intelligence analysts, infantry soldiers
and others -- have been accepted into the EMDP2 program since its inception.
Smith graduated from the EMDP2 program along with 14 other
enlisted members from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. He sang the
national anthem in an auditorium filled with thousands of students, faculty,
staff and family members at GMU’s graduation ceremony.
Immediately following the ceremony, Smith and his classmates
were commissioned as ensigns or second lieutenants in their respective service
branches.
“Whether through music or medicine, I have always wanted to
help heal others, and I feel that this next chapter in my life will allow me to
achieve that goal,” Smith said. “EMDP2 has given me the incredible opportunity
to transition from my career as a Navy linguist to a career in the Navy Medical
Corps, for which I will always be grateful. I am looking forward to the
academic, personal and military experiences unique to Uniformed Services
University.”
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