“Healer of children,” new Pediatrician ready as ever

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jose L. Hernandez
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Parents of infants, toddlers and adolescents at Minot Air Force Base can look forward to meeting Capt. Javier Padial, the new pediatrician on board the 5th Medical Group.

"I love what I do-- I really do," Padial said of his line of work.

Surprisingly for the doctor, becoming a pediatrician was not on the schedule during his initial studies in medicine. It was a job he fell in love with while working clinical rotations in medical school. Pediatrics was the one rotation where he would arrive early, stay late, and have a feeling of great fulfillment and joy after working with patients.

When he realized what he would focus his career on, he did not hesitate at the idea of doing his job while serving his country.

Padial said he knew the military lifestyle, having grown up in a military family and moved around from place to place.

"My dad is a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army," explained Padial. "All my brothers were born in different states."

He said the great thing about being in the military is getting the chance to meet people with all types of backgrounds and many who have been all around the world.

"I like meeting with them, I like talking to them and learning about their experiences," added Padial. "I am amazed at what all these people have been through."

In addition to being able to travel throughout different states or countries, the military can offer him the opportunity to take part in various medical readiness training operations or humanitarian missions if the opportunity presents. It was this uniqueness in the job environment he found appealing and was attracted to as well.

Padial said it is very challenging to deal with children because they are in their most vulnerable state, as well as worried parents, which is not easy, but nonetheless he said he enjoys working with service members' dependents.

"To gain the trust of a child and the parent is always very challenging," Padial continued. Yet, in the end it is all worth it because he gets to interact with children, meet with families, and see their progression.

Luckily for him, he is both happy and surprised to have found a big sense of community here in Minot.

He has noticed everybody helps each other out and everyone worries about each other's well being, making sure each other's head is held high.

"At larger bases, it is hard to find a great sense of community," the doctor explained. "Everybody goes about their own business and does their own thing."

He's already received a lot of words of encouragement from patient families, colleagues, and most everybody he's met at the 5th MDG, about staying strong through the cold winters.

Padial sees his assignment at Minot as an opportunity to discover a part of the country that he might have otherwise never seen. A native of Puerto Rico, his travels had taken him to the southern and eastern parts of the country, but never to the north-western side.

"There are a lot of things that you have to be exposed to," said Padial. "I know a lot of people who have never been to the cold and when they get there they enjoy it."

During his time here, he hopes to find out about all activities and different places there are to visit around the area alongside his wife, who is also a pediatrician and from Puerto Rico as well. They plan on exploring the great outdoors of North Dakota, and finding out how the winters are together.