JP Dinnell Podcast Ep. 119 – "Get Back Up And Run"

Guest: Captain Sara Parmiter, MD
Hosts: JP Dinnell, Lucas Pinckard
Date: January 2, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation with Captain Sara Parmiter, MD—Air Force surgeon, instructor, athlete, and JP Dinnell’s younger sister. The hosts trace Sara’s extraordinary journey from a sport-driven, academically advanced teenager to her current role as a trauma surgeon and Air Force officer, with candid discussions about overcoming adversity, family, trauma, leadership, and the importance of perseverance and faith.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Foundations: Childhood, Sports, and Early Drive

Active Upbringing: Sara and JP talk about being raised by supportive parents who encouraged both their faith and athletic pursuits (basketball, wrestling, water polo, rugby, etc.).
Early Academic Excellence: Sara graduated high school early (age 16), went immediately to community college, started tutoring (often adults and ESL students), and worked at In-N-Out Burger while managing rigorous sports and academic schedules.
Resilience Through Sports:
- Sara describes injuring her knee playing college rugby at 16, learning to tackle with her eyes open despite fear, and powering through adversity—a lesson carried into other areas of her life.
Quote:

“You were scared, yet you were still out there doing it. You didn’t let that fear hold you back.” – JP [06:33]

2. Early Medical Exposure and Path to Military Service

Formative Medical Experiences: Sara recounts early hospital volunteering—dealing with surgical patients, handling medical emergencies as a teenager, and her first experience in the OR (passing out during an open heart surgery at 17).
Military Roots: Inspired by her aunt and uncle (an Air Force flight nurse and pilot), Sara joined the Air Force Reserves as a C-5 Loadmaster at 18—a rare feat straight out of boot camp, handling physical and mental challenges and traveling globally on military missions.
- Describes her loadmaster interview: math test, manually lifting plane doors, and rigorous practicals.
Unique Technical Experience: She explains complex logistics of loading military cargo planes—math, physics, real-world problem-solving under stress.
Humor:

“They literally pulled me out of the chamber before it went up. Apparently I had like two cavities and they were worried my teeth would explode at altitude.” – Sara [26:50]
“That’s just unlocked a brand new fear I never knew I had—my teeth exploding.” – Lucas [28:22]

3. Navigating Life’s Setbacks and Non-linear Progress

Diverse Credentials: Sara’s journey included working as a personal trainer, physical therapy assistant, aquatic physical therapist, and competitive physique athlete—all while moving across the US, single parenting, and maintaining reserve status in the Air Force.
Academic Persistence: Returned to school in her mid-20s while raising her daughter Erin and working full time; encountered setbacks (low MCAT scores, med school application mishaps) but refused to quit, iteratively improving her approach and mindset.
Powerful Life Lesson:

“When a kid falls down, they don’t just stay down... They get up and start running. I fell down and I was gonna let myself stay down... and then I just started running.” – Sara [74:10]
Notable Moment: Facing failing her first med school exam amidst family and custody crises but, with support, pushing through and graduating with honors.

4. Medical Training, Trauma Surgery, and Detachment

Med School Abroad: Discusses her time at Ross University in the Caribbean, balancing intense study with personal sacrifice.
Residency and Trauma Surgery:
- Selected for top-choice general surgery residency at Anne Arundel, completing rotations at Johns Hopkins and Shock Trauma in Baltimore, often while pregnant and with a young family.
- Meditation on the emotional toll of trauma surgery—especially pediatrics, often operating on babies smaller than her own unborn child.
Coping with Trauma:

“You have to show emotion and show that you care ... but also detach yourself as the surgeon... If this patient dies, I have to give myself the moment to accept it and give the next patient 100% of me.” – Sara [103:00]
- Importance of processing trauma early, sharing burdens with peers, and turning to faith/prayer.

5. Returning to the Air Force: Leadership and Instruction

Becoming an Officer: After years in civilian medicine, returns to the Air Force as an O3 (captain/general surgeon) through a selective process.
Role as Instructor: Assigned to the C-STARS program—a civilian-military partnership at Baltimore’s Shock Trauma—where she trains Air Force medics, nurses, and physicians for battlefield medicine.
- Describes running advanced trauma exercises with high-fidelity simulators, coaching decision-making, ownership, and detachment under stress.
Leadership Lessons:

“The natural tendency is not to take ownership—‘It’s the simulator’s fault’... No, you didn’t do the right thing. If you don’t do it correctly here, what makes you think you'll do it correctly there?” – Sara [152:29]
- Emphasizes “prioritize and execute,” decentralized command, and big-picture detachment (drawn from Echelon Front’s leadership principles and her own experiences).

6. Family, Support, and Marriage

Love and Partnership: Shares the story of meeting her husband Brian (Marine and law enforcement), navigating blended family life, infertility struggles, and ultimately building a home based on mutual respect and communication.
Supporting One Another: The couple coped with the uncertainty of military assignments and demanding careers by placing faith and trust above all.
- Memorable Proposal:
  
  “He flew to the Caribbean, was hiding in a bush for hours while I was at brunch … and then proposed on the beach. I totally ruined it by asking ‘what are you doing here?’ but it was perfect.” – Sara [127:40]

7. Reflections on Hospital Culture and Leadership

Hospital Hierarchies: Now an officer and senior surgeon, Sara is cognizant of how her words carry institutional weight—learning to communicate appropriately up and down the chain of command.
Respecting the Team: Observes that showing courtesy to nurses, techs, and staff is essential for effective care and a strong workplace environment.

“If you don’t have good relationships with your nurses, techs, anesthesiologists ... it’s not going to work.” – Sara [169:05]
Detachment Tools: Encourages mindful self-talk, spiritual grounding (“prayer is underrated”), and systematic preparation for high-pressure events—whether surgery or leadership.

8. Health, Supplements, and Daily Rituals

Creatine & Salt Intake: Sara recommends creatine as a safe, highly-studied supplement for physical and cognitive performance (7.5–10g/day), explains the benefits of sodium for hydration, and details her “fuel stack” (multivitamin, vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, krill oil, turmeric, Jocko Fuel).

“Creatine is one of the most studied supplements … it’s also being shown to improve cognitive function… I put it all in my water bottle and sip throughout the day.” – Sara [177:15]

9. POP CULTURE: Which Medical Show Is Most Accurate?

“Scrubs. … We’re all just trying to figure it out, you know? The attendings roast you, the surgeons are the jocks—it’s all very similar.” – Sara [165:21]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Perseverance:

“Get back up and run. Don’t stop.” – Sara [181:35]
On Medical Training Under Adversity:

“I studied for a test with a flashlight. But, you know, here we are.” – Sara [82:08]
On Family and Sacrifice:

“I even talked to Erin – poor, like, six-year-old. … She said, ‘No, Mommy, you need to be a doctor.’ So I stayed.” – Sara [87:53]
On Trauma Surgery:

“This 19-year-old is somebody’s son, brother … you have to give yourself that moment, but then quickly put yourself back into being the surgeon.” – Sara [103:00]
On Leadership:

“The sooner you deal with [trauma], the better … otherwise, it will come out at some point, and the less control you have.” – Lucas [113:24]
On Detachment:

“Your emotions and your frontal cortex, your amygdala and your frontal cortex, can’t operate at the same time. Mindfulness goes into detachment.” – Sara [107:57]
On Being an Officer:

“I have to be really careful. … That wasn’t just me being like, ‘Hey, when you have a second, can you help me?’ That was an officer asking an enlisted to do something, and that’s how she took it. That’s a big responsibility.” – Sara [162:38]

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:00-02:43 – Intro & Sara’s multi-faceted background
02:43-08:16 – Childhood, family, sports, and early college
16:23-19:36 – First real medical experiences/shadowing at 17
21:05-34:25 – Joining the Air Force, Loadmaster stories, altitude chamber mishap
34:25-54:58 – Military service: worldwide deployments, logistics, and technical challenges
62:24-65:04 – Military communication, trauma, and not talking about “the job”
74:10-81:39 – “Get Back Up and Run”—using setbacks as fuel
81:41-89:35 – Medical school abroad, overcoming severe adversity
89:46-104:25 – Residency, trauma surgery, and emotional detachment
119:26-120:17 – Leadership insights as an Air Force officer
140:09-146:10 – Selection for C-STARS, teaching trauma medicine
147:47-155:00 – Running advanced trauma simulations, stress inoculation for medics
158:00-160:32 – Leadership principles (Extreme Ownership) in medicine
177:14-180:59 – Optimizing daily health: supplements, hydration, recovery
165:02-167:52 – “Which medical show is real?” Scrubs wins
181:07-181:35 – Final advice: Get back up and run

Final Thoughts: Advice for Listeners

“When you fall down, just think of what your baby did ... They didn’t stay down and feel sorry for themselves. So get back up and run. Don’t stop.” – Sara [181:35]

Sara’s story is both an inspiring testament to relentless drive and a practical lesson in meeting adversity—whether on the rugby field, in the operating room, or in life—with integrity, faith, and the courage to “get back up and run.”

For more resources on leadership and resilience, see Echelon Front, Jocko Fuel, and related links mentioned throughout the episode.

JP Dinnell Podcast Ep. 119 – "Get Back Up And Run"

Guest: Captain Sara Parmiter, MD
Hosts: JP Dinnell, Lucas Pinckard
Date: January 2, 2026

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Foundations: Childhood, Sports, and Early Drive

Active Upbringing: Sara and JP talk about being raised by supportive parents who encouraged both their faith and athletic pursuits (basketball, wrestling, water polo, rugby, etc.).
Early Academic Excellence: Sara graduated high school early (age 16), went immediately to community college, started tutoring (often adults and ESL students), and worked at In-N-Out Burger while managing rigorous sports and academic schedules.
Resilience Through Sports:
- Sara describes injuring her knee playing college rugby at 16, learning to tackle with her eyes open despite fear, and powering through adversity—a lesson carried into other areas of her life.
Quote:

“You were scared, yet you were still out there doing it. You didn’t let that fear hold you back.” – JP [06:33]

2. Early Medical Exposure and Path to Military Service

Formative Medical Experiences: Sara recounts early hospital volunteering—dealing with surgical patients, handling medical emergencies as a teenager, and her first experience in the OR (passing out during an open heart surgery at 17).
Military Roots: Inspired by her aunt and uncle (an Air Force flight nurse and pilot), Sara joined the Air Force Reserves as a C-5 Loadmaster at 18—a rare feat straight out of boot camp, handling physical and mental challenges and traveling globally on military missions.
- Describes her loadmaster interview: math test, manually lifting plane doors, and rigorous practicals.
Unique Technical Experience: She explains complex logistics of loading military cargo planes—math, physics, real-world problem-solving under stress.
Humor:

“They literally pulled me out of the chamber before it went up. Apparently I had like two cavities and they were worried my teeth would explode at altitude.” – Sara [26:50]
“That’s just unlocked a brand new fear I never knew I had—my teeth exploding.” – Lucas [28:22]

3. Navigating Life’s Setbacks and Non-linear Progress

Diverse Credentials: Sara’s journey included working as a personal trainer, physical therapy assistant, aquatic physical therapist, and competitive physique athlete—all while moving across the US, single parenting, and maintaining reserve status in the Air Force.
Academic Persistence: Returned to school in her mid-20s while raising her daughter Erin and working full time; encountered setbacks (low MCAT scores, med school application mishaps) but refused to quit, iteratively improving her approach and mindset.
Powerful Life Lesson:

“When a kid falls down, they don’t just stay down... They get up and start running. I fell down and I was gonna let myself stay down... and then I just started running.” – Sara [74:10]
Notable Moment: Facing failing her first med school exam amidst family and custody crises but, with support, pushing through and graduating with honors.

4. Medical Training, Trauma Surgery, and Detachment

Med School Abroad: Discusses her time at Ross University in the Caribbean, balancing intense study with personal sacrifice.
Residency and Trauma Surgery:
- Selected for top-choice general surgery residency at Anne Arundel, completing rotations at Johns Hopkins and Shock Trauma in Baltimore, often while pregnant and with a young family.
- Meditation on the emotional toll of trauma surgery—especially pediatrics, often operating on babies smaller than her own unborn child.
Coping with Trauma:

“You have to show emotion and show that you care ... but also detach yourself as the surgeon... If this patient dies, I have to give myself the moment to accept it and give the next patient 100% of me.” – Sara [103:00]
- Importance of processing trauma early, sharing burdens with peers, and turning to faith/prayer.

5. Returning to the Air Force: Leadership and Instruction

Becoming an Officer: After years in civilian medicine, returns to the Air Force as an O3 (captain/general surgeon) through a selective process.
Role as Instructor: Assigned to the C-STARS program—a civilian-military partnership at Baltimore’s Shock Trauma—where she trains Air Force medics, nurses, and physicians for battlefield medicine.
- Describes running advanced trauma exercises with high-fidelity simulators, coaching decision-making, ownership, and detachment under stress.
Leadership Lessons:

“The natural tendency is not to take ownership—‘It’s the simulator’s fault’... No, you didn’t do the right thing. If you don’t do it correctly here, what makes you think you'll do it correctly there?” – Sara [152:29]
- Emphasizes “prioritize and execute,” decentralized command, and big-picture detachment (drawn from Echelon Front’s leadership principles and her own experiences).

6. Family, Support, and Marriage

Love and Partnership: Shares the story of meeting her husband Brian (Marine and law enforcement), navigating blended family life, infertility struggles, and ultimately building a home based on mutual respect and communication.
Supporting One Another: The couple coped with the uncertainty of military assignments and demanding careers by placing faith and trust above all.
- Memorable Proposal:
  
  “He flew to the Caribbean, was hiding in a bush for hours while I was at brunch … and then proposed on the beach. I totally ruined it by asking ‘what are you doing here?’ but it was perfect.” – Sara [127:40]

7. Reflections on Hospital Culture and Leadership

Hospital Hierarchies: Now an officer and senior surgeon, Sara is cognizant of how her words carry institutional weight—learning to communicate appropriately up and down the chain of command.
Respecting the Team: Observes that showing courtesy to nurses, techs, and staff is essential for effective care and a strong workplace environment.

“If you don’t have good relationships with your nurses, techs, anesthesiologists ... it’s not going to work.” – Sara [169:05]
Detachment Tools: Encourages mindful self-talk, spiritual grounding (“prayer is underrated”), and systematic preparation for high-pressure events—whether surgery or leadership.

8. Health, Supplements, and Daily Rituals

Creatine & Salt Intake: Sara recommends creatine as a safe, highly-studied supplement for physical and cognitive performance (7.5–10g/day), explains the benefits of sodium for hydration, and details her “fuel stack” (multivitamin, vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, krill oil, turmeric, Jocko Fuel).

“Creatine is one of the most studied supplements … it’s also being shown to improve cognitive function… I put it all in my water bottle and sip throughout the day.” – Sara [177:15]

9. POP CULTURE: Which Medical Show Is Most Accurate?

“Scrubs. … We’re all just trying to figure it out, you know? The attendings roast you, the surgeons are the jocks—it’s all very similar.” – Sara [165:21]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Perseverance:

“Get back up and run. Don’t stop.” – Sara [181:35]
On Medical Training Under Adversity:

“I studied for a test with a flashlight. But, you know, here we are.” – Sara [82:08]
On Family and Sacrifice:

“I even talked to Erin – poor, like, six-year-old. … She said, ‘No, Mommy, you need to be a doctor.’ So I stayed.” – Sara [87:53]
On Trauma Surgery:

“This 19-year-old is somebody’s son, brother … you have to give yourself that moment, but then quickly put yourself back into being the surgeon.” – Sara [103:00]
On Leadership:

“The sooner you deal with [trauma], the better … otherwise, it will come out at some point, and the less control you have.” – Lucas [113:24]
On Detachment:

“Your emotions and your frontal cortex, your amygdala and your frontal cortex, can’t operate at the same time. Mindfulness goes into detachment.” – Sara [107:57]
On Being an Officer:

“I have to be really careful. … That wasn’t just me being like, ‘Hey, when you have a second, can you help me?’ That was an officer asking an enlisted to do something, and that’s how she took it. That’s a big responsibility.” – Sara [162:38]

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:00-02:43 – Intro & Sara’s multi-faceted background
02:43-08:16 – Childhood, family, sports, and early college
16:23-19:36 – First real medical experiences/shadowing at 17
21:05-34:25 – Joining the Air Force, Loadmaster stories, altitude chamber mishap
34:25-54:58 – Military service: worldwide deployments, logistics, and technical challenges
62:24-65:04 – Military communication, trauma, and not talking about “the job”
74:10-81:39 – “Get Back Up and Run”—using setbacks as fuel
81:41-89:35 – Medical school abroad, overcoming severe adversity
89:46-104:25 – Residency, trauma surgery, and emotional detachment
119:26-120:17 – Leadership insights as an Air Force officer
140:09-146:10 – Selection for C-STARS, teaching trauma medicine
147:47-155:00 – Running advanced trauma simulations, stress inoculation for medics
158:00-160:32 – Leadership principles (Extreme Ownership) in medicine
177:14-180:59 – Optimizing daily health: supplements, hydration, recovery
165:02-167:52 – “Which medical show is real?” Scrubs wins
181:07-181:35 – Final advice: Get back up and run

Final Thoughts: Advice for Listeners

“When you fall down, just think of what your baby did ... They didn’t stay down and feel sorry for themselves. So get back up and run. Don’t stop.” – Sara [181:35]

For more resources on leadership and resilience, see Echelon Front, Jocko Fuel, and related links mentioned throughout the episode.

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Get Back Up And Run | Captain Sara Parmiter, MD | JP Dinnell Podcast 119

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Summary

JP Dinnell Podcast Ep. 119 – "Get Back Up And Run"

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Foundations: Childhood, Sports, and Early Drive

2. Early Medical Exposure and Path to Military Service

3. Navigating Life’s Setbacks and Non-linear Progress

4. Medical Training, Trauma Surgery, and Detachment

5. Returning to the Air Force: Leadership and Instruction

6. Family, Support, and Marriage

7. Reflections on Hospital Culture and Leadership

8. Health, Supplements, and Daily Rituals

9. POP CULTURE: Which Medical Show Is Most Accurate?

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Important Segments

Final Thoughts: Advice for Listeners

Summary

JP Dinnell Podcast Ep. 119 – "Get Back Up And Run"

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Foundations: Childhood, Sports, and Early Drive

2. Early Medical Exposure and Path to Military Service

3. Navigating Life’s Setbacks and Non-linear Progress

4. Medical Training, Trauma Surgery, and Detachment

5. Returning to the Air Force: Leadership and Instruction

6. Family, Support, and Marriage

7. Reflections on Hospital Culture and Leadership

8. Health, Supplements, and Daily Rituals

9. POP CULTURE: Which Medical Show Is Most Accurate?

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Important Segments

Final Thoughts: Advice for Listeners