U.S. Navy Acting Surgeon General Visits Rocky Vista University – Montana Campus
As U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Matthew Case spoke to military medicine students at Rocky Vista University – Montana (RVU-MT), he imparted words of wisdom from his distinguished career in the Navy working with medical teams. While a role in military medicine is an important one, he emphasized the significance of taking care of each other and having fun along the way.
The visit was a valuable opportunity for RVU students to interact with the U.S. Navy and learn about the variety of healthcare career pathways it offers. Medical students can participate in the Rocky Vista University Montana College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVU-MCOM) Military Medicine Track or the Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVUCOM) Military Medicine Program on the Utah and Colorado campuses. These programs prepare medical students for military residencies and shape them into confident military physicians.
Case visited RVU-MT on Aug. 20 and Aug. 21 during Navy Week in Billings. The Navy Week program is a long-standing outreach effort where the U.S. Navy visits 15 cities in the country each year and hosts engagement events and activities.
Sharing Wisdom
With 32 years of experience in the U.S. Navy, Case shared words of advice with RVU’s medical students, faculty, and staff on Aug. 21 across campuses both in-person and virtually.
While Case juggles multiple roles, he currently serves as the acting surgeon general in the U.S. Navy, ensuring that the branch’s 44,000 active and reserve medical personnel worldwide are trained and prepared to support teams at sea, on land, and in the air.
Case encouraged students to find mentors they admire, listen to their peers, and be approachable to those they’ll work with.
He emphasized that a life in the military is a busy one and reflected on the effects it has had on his family. Having moved his family 21 times over the years, Case emphasized the importance of spending time with loved ones.
“Take time to make sure you’re enjoying your family and loved ones,” Case said. “It’s an important thing to do. Honor them.”
Case visited RVU-MT when the campus first opened in 2023 and was impressed by RVU’s curriculum and faculty and staff. During Case’s visit this year, military medicine students and RVU faculty and staff gave him a tour of the campus. Particularly important to training military medicine students is the simulation lab at RVU-MT, operated by the Office of Simulation in Medicine and Surgery. Both the Military Medicine Track and Military Medicine Program offer students immersive training experiences year-round.
“It was such an honor to host Rear Adm. Case and his team from Navy Medicine,” said Director of the RVU-MCOM Military Medicine Track, Dr. Jamie Riesberg, MD. “Their visit provided our program and our students valuable information about the future of Navy Medicine and how RVU-MCOM can best partner to educate future medical officers.”
The U.S. military funds students’ medical school through the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP), and learning how schools are preparing future military officers is important to see, Case explained.
“We came here to thank the team for helping develop our future doctors and maybe inspire some others to join us,” he said.
A Learning Experience
Case’s visit was especially meaningful to second-year RVU-MCOM student Kaitlin Howard. As the event coordinator for the Student Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons on campus and U.S. Navy ensign pursuing military medicine at RVU-MCOM, Howard was grateful to interact with members of the U.S. Navy.
Among Case’s team members was Capt. Mark Tschanz, DO, who spoke to students about his role as a doctor in the U.S. Navy, sharing his experiences and the various specialties that military medical officers can practice.
Visits like those from Case and his team offer opportunities for students to learn more about the challenges of caring for military populations, and provide valuable insight that helps develop professional growth, empathy, compassion, and leadership, Howard noted.
“As future Navy physicians, it was an honor to learn from him and have the opportunity to ask questions about naval medicine and our future roles,” Howard said.
RVU’s Commitment to Military Medicine
RVU holds a national reputation in military medicine. The RVU-MCOM Military Medicine Track and the RVUCOM Military Medicine Program work collaboratively to offer students unique training experiences and mentorship opportunities to prepare them for clinical rotations and military match into residency. Learn more about RVU Military Medicine on our website and how to apply to RVU on our admissions page.