Featuring:

• Sub-Lieutenant Margaret Natynczyk​

• ​Captain Mike Thomasen

About Sub-Lieutenant Margaret Natynczyk:

Canadian Certified Physician Assistant
Field Ambulances - ​Edmonton, Alberta
Canadian Armed Forces

I joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) as a non commissioned member (Sailor 3rd class) in August 2007 as a Medical Technician (Medic), with a diploma in paramedicine. I’ve complete three tours, one each with the Army, the Air Force and the Navy. I’ve sailed with the Navy for three and half years as a Sailor 1st Class on the East Coast as the medic aboard. As a Master Sailor, I lead a Unit Medical Station (UMS) for 2nd Canadian Engineer Regiment (2CER) and assisted in running a brigade pharmacy for 2 Field Ambulance in Petawawa, ON. In 2018, I was accepted to the PA program at the Canadian Forces Health Services Training Center in Borden, ON as an Officer Cadet. Delayed by COVID during the middle of my clinical rotations, I graduated in 2021 with a BSc Physician Assistant granted by the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), NB, USA. PACCC was completed successfully and I am now posted to 1 Field Ambulance in Edmonton, Alberta. I work with the Integrated Support Platoon. IS PL supports the regiments stationed in Edmonton for medical care in the field on exercises, home operations (the floods in BC, 2010 Olympics) and overseas (ex. Afghanistan, Ukraine). When I am not tasked (assigned) to medical coverage off base, I am working in a primary care setting, conducting sick parade, periodic health exams appointments and other primary care appointments. I am also involved with Mentoring and enhancing the training of Medics in the clinics and am the officer in charge of a UMS in the field. I am currently in my second semester of my Master’s of Physician Assistant DOA program that I am completing via distance and proctorship from UNMC. I’m specializing in FMed and ER/Trauma.

About Mike Thomasen

Canadian Certified Physician Assistant
Advance Dive PA/Basic Aviation Medicine
Canadian Submarine Force
Canadian Armed Forces

My name is Captain Michael Thomasen and I am from Mount Pearl Newfoundland. I joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1993 and have been employed by the Canadian Armed Forces ever since. After serving as an Infantry Soldier for 9 years with The Royal Newfoundland Regiment and representing Canada at multiple International Army Marksmanship Competitions, I decided to become an Army Medical Technician. I transferred in 2001 and attended my initial medical training at Canadian Forces Health Training Center located at CFB Borden ON. After graduation I was posted to CFB Halifax where I worked at Stadacona Base Hospital and served aboard different naval vessels as an assistant to their integrated PA’s. I completed my Primary Care Paramedic program in 2005 with The Justice Institute located in Chilliwack BC. Shortly after I was posted to CFB Moosejaw for two years where I completed my next level of Med Tech training and supported the Nato Flying Training Canter as well as our Snowbird aerial team. Here I worked alongside Flight Surgeons providing aeromedical support to Air Force Pilots and ground teams while actively flying in training aircraft in order to understand their occupational stresses. In 2007 I was posted back to an Army base and an Army Medical unit whose job it was to support all combat trades within an Army Brigade. During my time at 2 Field Ambulance at CFB Petawawa, I deployed in support of other combat trades, became a tactical medicine instructor, and worked alongside elements of our special forces. I primarily taught Med Techs and Combat Soldiers the Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) program but with my Infantry background, I was also employed teaching Med Techs Marksmanship, Field Craft, and how to integrate within different types of offensive and defensive operations. While working here I was offered my Physician Assistant Course in order to progress in rank. I accepted and was then posted back to our Medical Training Center in CFB Borden. I completed my PA program and convocation with The University of Nebraska. Once qualified I requested a posting back to CFB Halifax as I wished to volunteer for Submarine service. I immediately went back to school at CFB Halifax in order to qualify as a Submariner and act as the sole medical provider in one of the most austere and isolated environments within our armed forces. This also allowed me to complete my Basic/Advanced Dive and Submarine Medicine Programs at the Canadian Forces Environmental Medicine Establishment located at DRDC (Defence Research and Development Canada) Toronto. When not operating on-board Submarine, I am also employed with our Fleet Dive Unit (FDU) supporting Naval Clearance Divers, Port Inspection Divers, their Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team, as well as instruct on Basic Naval Dive Programs. Thus far I have deployed internationally and in a domestic capacity multiple times for direct operational medical support.

Today I am still located in Halifax as a member of the Canadian Submarine Force (CANSUBFOR). I have just completed my Basic Aviation Medicine Course and will be posted to CFB Trenton ON later this year. I am married and have three children. When I’m not working locally or deployed, I enjoy hunting, fishing, and most other outdoor activities with my family. I am quite passionate and involved in different marksmanship sports. I also teach Firearm Safety for the Nova Scotia Provincial Government and work part time with 24/7 Occupational & Environmental Medicine Solutions.

What is Military Medicine?

Military medicine is a specialized field that encompasses the practice of medicine in a military context. It involves the application of medical and health sciences to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases and injuries in military personnel and, at times, civilian populations during conflicts, peacekeeping operations, and humanitarian missions. Military medicine is not only about providing healthcare in war zones but also involves a broad range of activities aimed at maintaining the health and readiness of armed forces personnel in various environments and conditions.

Key aspects of military medicine include:

• Operational Medicine: Focuses on providing care in combat and operational settings, including battlefield medicine, where medical professionals must deliver care under potentially hazardous conditions with limited resources.

• Preventive Medicine: Aims to prevent disease and injury and promote health among military personnel. This includes vaccinations, hygiene measures, disease surveillance, and fitness programs to ensure that troops are ready for deployment.

• Disaster and Humanitarian Response: Military medical personnel often play critical roles in disaster response and humanitarian missions, providing emergency care, public health services, and support to affected populations in the aftermath of natural disasters, outbreaks, or other crises.

• Aerospace Medicine: Focuses on the health and well-being of personnel in the aerospace environment, including pilots and astronauts. It deals with the medical challenges of flight and space travel, such as the effects of acceleration, microgravity, and hypoxia.

• Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine: Involves the treatment and prevention of diving-related illnesses and conditions associated with high-pressure environments, such as decompression sickness.

• Occupational and Environmental Medicine: Addresses the risks and health issues associated with military occupations and environments, including exposure to hazardous materials, extreme climates, and psychological stressors.

• Trauma and Critical Care: Military medicine has contributed significantly to advancements in trauma care and emergency medicine, focusing on the treatment of severe and life-threatening injuries, including those from blasts and gunshot wounds.

• Psychiatric and Behavioral Health: Addresses the mental health and psychological well-being of military personnel, including the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety, related to military service.

• Rehabilitation Medicine: Focuses on the recovery and rehabilitation of injured service members, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and prosthetic services, to help them regain function and return to duty or transition to civilian life.

Military medicine requires healthcare providers to be adaptable, resourceful, and capable of working in diverse and often challenging environments. It encompasses a wide range of medical specialties and requires an understanding of military culture and the unique demands of military operations.

Medical professionals in this field may include physicians, nurses, physician assistants, medics, and other healthcare specialists who are either part of the armed forces or civilian contractors. Their work is critical to ensuring the health, operational readiness, and effectiveness of the Canadian Armed Forces.

The PA role in the Military

Physician Assistants (PAs) play a vital and versatile role in military medicine, providing a broad range of healthcare services to military personnel, their families, and sometimes civilian populations during humanitarian missions. Within the military, PAs are commissioned as officers and serve in all branches of the armed forces, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. Their roles and responsibilities in military medicine mirror the diversity and dynamism of the field itself, adapting to the unique demands of military operations, whether at home bases, in field hospitals, or in combat zones. Here are some of the key functions PAs perform in military medicine:

• Primary Care: PAs often serve as primary care providers, delivering comprehensive healthcare to service members and their families. This includes preventive medicine, routine check-ups, diagnosing and treating illnesses, and managing chronic conditions.

• Emergency and Trauma Care: In combat and operational settings, PAs provide critical emergency and trauma care, stabilizing patients with life-threatening injuries, performing life-saving procedures, and preparing patients for evacuation to higher-level care facilities.

• Operational Medicine: PAs are integral to operational medicine units, where they support the health and operational readiness of military units. This involves tailoring medical services to meet the specific needs of units in diverse and often austere environments, including aboard ships, in submarine operations, and in aviation units.

• Preventive Medicine: In line with military medicine’s focus on prevention, PAs conduct screenings, vaccinations, and health education sessions to prevent illness and injury and to maintain the overall health of military personnel.

• Medical Command and Administration: Experienced PAs may take on leadership and administrative roles within the military healthcare system, overseeing medical units, managing healthcare services, and participating in planning and policy development for military medicine operations.

• Training and Education: PAs in the military often have responsibilities for training and mentoring medical personnel, including medics and junior PAs. They may also provide health education to military units on topics such as combat life-saving skills, disease prevention, and health maintenance.

• Humanitarian and Disaster Response: Military PAs may participate in humanitarian missions and disaster response efforts, providing medical care to civilian populations affected by natural disasters, conflict, or other crises.

• Research: Some military PAs are involved in medical research, contributing to studies on topics relevant to military medicine, such as trauma care, infectious diseases, and mental health.

Military PAs are required to maintain a high level of medical proficiency and adaptability, as their roles can change rapidly depending on their deployment and the needs of the service. Their extensive training and diverse skill set make them invaluable members of the military healthcare team, capable of delivering high-quality medical care in any setting, from peacetime bases to front-line combat zones.

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