Two Corpsmen from the Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) were selected as candidates for the U.S. Navy Medical Degree Prepatory Program (EMDP2) beginning in August 2017.

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Ezechiel Fenelon and Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Tania Rodeiro were two of five selected throughout the Navy.

"Leaving NMRC is the hardest part of this experience," said Rodeiro. "Being one of the few lab technicians for the Navy's only rapid deployable mobile laboratories gives me a great sense of pride and responsibility and it will be hard to let it go, but at the same time NMRC has broadened my horizons and I am very grateful to have been able to experience what Ph.D. scientists do in research labs. This gives me the opportunity to expand my naval career."

Fenelon and Rodeiro have been two major contributors to the operational readiness of NMRC and have spent time both in and out of the labs contributing to a variety of research endeavors. They have been stationed at the NMRC Biological Defense Research Directorate (BDRD).

"Their attention to detail and their passion in making sure their work was accurate really made a big impact on the BDRD mission," said Chief Vilma Bauer, senior enlisted leader, NMRC BDRD. "They are always prepared to go the extra mile to be effective team members. Both [are] outstanding team members I knew I can always depend on."

She continued, "With their perseverance and dedication, along with strong planning, flexibility and ability to work independently, and their desire to always strive for excellence, I am confident they are the right choice for this program."

For the next two years, the two will spend most of their time preparing for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), taking prerequisites, and completing graduate science-level curriculum before starting medical school.

As is common with new opportunities, when one door closes, another must open.

"The application process for a Navy academic program like this is quite rigorous and meticulous," said Fenelon. "Both Rodeiro and I only had about two months to put our packages together, which felt like no time at all."

EMDP2 is a two-year undergraduate education program that consists of intensive coursework, preparation, and mentoring to prepare students for application to medical school. Upon completion of the program, successful students will be competitive for acceptance to any U.S. medical school.

All applicants are required to submit paperwork including recommendations, tests, and evaluation reports. To be selected for the program, an individual must have met the following requirements: a high cumulative grade point average, a strong commanding officer endorsement, compelling appraisal recommendations, a well-articulated personal statement, as well as a demonstrated sustained superior and academic performance in the classroom and on prerequisite standardized testing.

"My goal will remain the same as it has for the past seven years of my Navy career, to give everything my all and hope for the best. I'm shooting for nothing but A's in all of my future courses," said Rodeiro.

Both are planning on dedicating most, if not all, of their time to their academics in order to meet their goals.

"I have an enduring goal that encompasses any type of activity I engage in," said Fenelon. "I want to succeed and be the best I can. Notwithstanding the challenges, I will do what it takes to meet my objectives. I will use this opportunity to serve at higher capacities in the military and become a leader in international health."

When asked if they had anything to add to on their accomplishments thus far, both echoed a common word anyone familiar with a big challenge is familiar with - hope.

"I have an atypical passion for success and I want to believe that we are all built with an iota of pervasive hope," said Fenelon.

NMRC wishes both Fenelon and Rodeiro continued success on their future endeavors.

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