Welcome to Beyond the Test: Connecting Communities Through Pathology, a podcast for medical students, residents, and early-career pathologists navigating their journeys into the profession. Pathology is more than what happens behind a microscope. Each month, you’ll hear honest conversations with people who are just a few steps ahead, sharing the lessons they’ve learned, the challenges they’ve faced, and the advice they wish they’d received sooner. Whether you’re exploring pathology for the first time or taking the next step in your career, our goal is to help you feel more connected, more confident, and inspired by the community you’re becoming a part of. New episodes drop monthly.
Because beyond every test is a story, a mentor, and a future waiting to be discovered.
LISTEN TO THE LATEST EPISODE
SEASON 2 EPISODE 7 | From Military Service to Medicine: Finding a Path in Pathology
September 14, 2026
How can military service shape a career in medicine? Couger Jimenez Jaramillo, MD, Maj, USAF, MC, an active-duty Air Force physician, researcher, and educator, has built her career at the intersection of service and pathology.
Dr. Jimenez Jaramillo shares her journey into medicine and how her military training and pathology residency at Brooke Army Medical Center helped shape her approach to leadership, teamwork, and patient care. She and Joanna discuss the experiences that inspired her work in neuropathology and brain injury research, as well as the opportunities that come with pursuing both a military and medical career.
They also explore the importance of understanding what matters most to you, remaining open to unexpected opportunities, and allowing your values to guide your next step.
This episode is a look at how service can shape not only the path you take, but also the physician, educator, and leader you become.
PREVIOUS EPISODES
