Josh Intro

If you hadn't already figured it out yet, my name is Josh Stoddard. I was born and raised here in Reno and as far as I'm concerned, there is no better place to live, or that I can to afford to live to be more precise. I am currently a medic for the local air national guard. I went through training at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas through a joint branch program called METC. There I was a flight commander for 4E/4F in the 383 TRS and a member of color guard. After graduating on the dean's list from "phase 1," I then proceeded to Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio where I did clinical rotations throughout the entire hospital. In a short span of time I had evaluated newborns, assisted in colonoscopies, and observed operation such as cervical fusions. After the completion of my 4N031 training, I came back home. Needless to say, after Texas and Ohio, I had learned to appreciate Reno a whole lot more. Once back home I worked on base in the clinic and at the Renown ER, before moving back into traditional status in order to pursue higher education. Now here I am, a couple weeks into my first normal college semester, working for a duel major in Biology and Psychology in order to go to med school for Psychiatry.

On a more personal note, after all the experiences I've had in such a short period of time, I have grown to appreciate a lot of things I couldn't have cared less about in the past. I love to discuss philosophy and religion, and am delighted when someone teaches me something new or shows me a completely different perspective on ideas I thought I knew well. I also enjoy drinking tea or coffee with friends, or reading a book in quiet spot. I find the great outdoors alluring, were I can think and ponder as I listen to the trees dancing in the wind. Ironically, considering the main topic of this class, I find that my favorite meditative practice is cooking. Whether it is the laborious process of kneading fresh pasta, or the careful cultivation of a loaf of sourdough, I find that the tastes and smells of the kitchen work like magick to draw my mind out of the past and future, and into the present. In spite of all this, though, I think the most fundamentally important part of me, is my desire to grow and to be the best me possible.