Rick Lawson, MPH ‘16
USAR 2002-2006, OIF II
Tell me about your current role at Yale University?
After completing my Master in Public Health from the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) ’16 I began a consultancy and began working with a research intervention at the Yale School of Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine in the Emergency Medical Services section.
Would you share some of your military experience and transition to the private sector?
I spent four years enlisted in the US Army National Guard. After a yearlong deployment in Iraq where I ran a medical laboratory in an outpatient clinic, I transitioned back to the civilian workforce. I worked in various capacities for several years while pursuing undergraduate studies for a few years until I decided upon a Bachelor of Science at George Washington University. After completing my degree in Clinical Management and Leadership I applied to YSPH program in health policy and management to broaden my perspective on the healthcare system as it operates in our country.
How does your military experience impact your position at Yale?
I think my military experience provided a deep understanding of my capabilities physically and mentally and allows me to make thoughtful decisions quickly under pressure, work well with others, but also enables me to take action without need for direction of others. In my work at Yale it has allowed me to apprehend opportunities and exceed the expectations set for me in my roles.
Could you discuss some of the intangible skills that veterans like yourself bring to an organization?
Because of the pace of life in the military things happen quickly. You wouldn’t know it when you hear cliche’s like hurry up and wait that describe military culture. However, the pace of things is fast in the military. Because the environment is constantly changing and one has to work with a multitude of others, the space is created to become highly functioning and performing in high stress situations by being adaptable and flexible to circumstances. My analytical skills were also fine tuned through this process having to gather and sort lots of information and allow it to inform my decision making in a short period of time. The military experience has a great emphasis on personal and group safety that refines ones sense of intuition about their surroundings and the intentions of others.
What do you think about the Yale Veterans Network?
I think YVN is a great resource for networking and also for furthering the inclusion of Veterans within the Yale system. I have enjoyed attending the various events YVN has sponsored or co-sponsored.