Karin Pivaral
Class of 2019
STUDENT, MPH PROGRAM/ON-CAMPUS
Class of 2019
STUDENT, MPH PROGRAM/ON-CAMPUS
Karin Pivaral’s career in healthcare was ‘born’ in the U.S. Army. Pivaral enlisted in the Army soon after graduating from high school, and she earned a college degree as an active duty soldier. After earning a B.A., she commissioned as an army medical operations officer—the Army equivalent of a healthcare administrator. After holding a number of positions within the Army, Pivaral’s career as an active duty officer culminated with her serving as a medical troop commander supervising 90 medical personnel supporting 3,000 soldiers in the U.S. Army base in Vilseck, Germany.
After leaving active duty, Pivaral returned stateside and enrolled in the University of Oklahoma where she earned an M.A. in international relations. Her next stop was San Diego, California, where she completed a Pathways internship at the Department of Homeland Security’s San Diego Field Office. The Pathways program is designed to provide training and career development opportunities for individuals who are at the beginning of their federal service careers. An interest in public health and health policy next led Pivaral to The Dartmouth Institute, where in addition to being a full-time student, she also serves as the chief health services officer for a medical support unit in the Army Reserves.
“Because of my military background, I am especially interested in understanding issues military veterans face accessing healthcare and resources. Shaping policy to ensure our military men and women are taken care of after all they sacrifice for our country would be very rewarding for me.”
POSTED 9/4/2018 AT 12:32 PM IN #mph on-campus