44: Iraq War Doctor-Soldier + Stroke Survivor Jon R. Kerstetter

Jon R. Kerstetter completed three tours of duty in Iraq with the U.S. Army as a combat physician and flight surgeon from 2003 to 2006. After his return from Iraq, Dr. Kerstetter suffered a stroke while undergoing surgery for a brain aneurysm. The resulting cognitive and physical impairments left him unable to continue his career as a doctor and military officer. Through extensive physical and cognitive rehabilitation, he enrolled in a graduate writing program at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio, earning his Master of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction, and is the author of Crossings: A Doctor-Soldier's Story.

In this interview, the Iowa City, Iowa resident reflects on his childhood growing up on an Indian reservation in Oneida, Wisconsin, changing course in middle age to become a doctor, and contributing his medical skills in international conflicts before serving in Iraq. He also talks about the differences between civilian and military medicine, and shares a handful of remarkable experiences being challenged during his time in Iraq as well as on the long road to recovering from his stroke through writing his memoir.

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Jon's Recommendations:
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
- Killing Crazy Horse by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

Shuva's Recommendation:
- Marvel Studios' The Falcon and The Winter Soldier

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