From Corpsman to Future Physician: METC Instructor Accepted to Medical School
After serving as a hospital corpsman, pharmacy technician and, most recently, a Pharmacy Technician course instructor at the Medical Education and Training Campus, Liu will attend medical school next summer.
Liu was accepted for the 2027 academic year to the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Edward F. Hébert School of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland, where he will join the Class of 2031.
Originally from Singapore, Liu came to the United States in 2015 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2018. He attended Hospital Corpsman “A” School at METC on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston before graduating from the Pharmacy Technician course in 2019.
Following time in the fleet and completion of a Bachelor of Science degree in biological sciences from Arizona State University, Liu returned to METC in 2023. This time, he came back not as a student, but as an instructor—teaching future pharmacy technicians in many of the same classrooms and laboratories where he trained only a few years earlier.
Liu said his experience aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford helped solidify his interest in becoming a physician.
“My time aboard USS Gerald R. Ford really opened my eyes to the world of medicine,” Liu said. “Even though I am a pharmacy technician by trade, I had the opportunity to fill a myriad of roles in the medical department, including responding to medical emergencies, interacting with patients during sick call, running a tobacco cessation clinic, and training other hospital corpsmen and other Sailors in tactical combat casualty care.”
Those experiences gave Liu a firsthand view of the demands placed on Sailors while underway and the importance of accessible, compassionate medical care.
“What left a lasting impression on me were my interactions with the patients,” Liu said. “Getting sick while underway or deployed can be stressful and demoralizing; being able to help these Sailors feel heard and get better is a rewarding experience.”
For Liu, caring for service members also means recognizing the families supporting them from home.
“Behind every service member is a whole support system of family,” he said. “I know firsthand that it can be stressful if someone back home is sick while you are underway. Pursuing my Doctor of Medicine would allow me to support service members in person, as well as indirectly.”
Transitioning from a Navy hospital corpsman and pharmacy technician to a future medical officer, Liu’s journey reflects a profound commitment to the Sailors he serves alongside. As he prepares to trade his instructor badge for the uniform of a medical student, Liu brings a wealth of hands-on fleet experience and a patient-first mentality to the next chapter of his military medical career.
Liu hopes his path encourages others to pursue ambitious goals—regardless of doubt or uncertainty.
“Go for it,” Liu said. “Do not let anyone’s doubts, or even your own, get in your way because you never know what you are truly capable of until you do it.”
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