A Life in Service: Dr. Joshua Lieberman’s Journey from MCW to Military Medicine and Beyond

Josh Lieberman, MD ’82, traces the path that carried him from Milwaukee to Okinawa, from emergency rooms in Seattle to research labs in Sweden, back to a letter he received in high school. The invitation was to apply to an accelerated program created by the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and the Medical College of Wisconsin for students with strong scientific aptitude and early interest in medicine. The program condensed undergraduate and medical training into seven years, offering him both a challenge and a fast start.

For a teenager who loved science fiction, imagined a future in aviation or space medicine, and demonstrated a knack for first aid as a Boy Scout, the opportunity felt like a perfect fit. “I was brought up reading Asimov and all the classic science fiction writers,” he recalled. “I was interested in space medicine before I really understood what that meant.”

Choosing Service – and Finding His Calling

Dr. Lieberman was determined to pursue medicine without placing a financial burden on his family. While studying at MCW, he applied for and received a Navy Health Professional Scholarship – an opportunity that aligned naturally with his interests in aviation and aerospace medicine. “The Navy had a strong relationship with NASA at the time, and I thought that could be a path toward the kind of medicine I imagined,” he said.

After completing his internship at MCW, he was called to active duty in 1983 and sent to serve with the 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines in Okinawa. What followed was a long and varied military career marked by adaptability, courage, and service in conditions ranging from remote islands to combat zones. He practiced medicine in the field, performed search-and-rescue operations, navigated medical evacuations across the Aleutian Islands, and later deployed to Iraq, Kuwait, and Africa.

Along the way, Dr. Lieberman trained as a flight surgeon – a role in which “surgeon” refers not to a surgical specialist, but to a physician responsible for the health, safety, and operational readiness of aircrew. He eventually soloed in a T-34 aircraft – an honor rarely granted and a rare privilege even then. “I loved flying,” he said. “And it helped build trust. Pilots need to know their flight surgeon shares their love of flying – slipping the surly bonds of Earth right alongside them.”

The MCW Mentor Who Shaped a Career

Even as his career carried him around the world, Dr. Lieberman repeatedly drew on the lessons he learned at MCW – especially from Robert Condon, MD, then Chair of Surgery. Dr. Condon, he said, became one of the most influential figures in his life.

“He taught us not just how to be surgeons, but how to be physicians,” Dr. Lieberman said. Dr. Condon emphasized what he called the Four A’s of being a good doctor: available, affable, adaptable, and able. Those principles shaped Dr. Lieberman’s approach to medicine in every environment – from a makeshift aid station abroad to the VA emergency department decades later.

“His work ethic and life ethic stayed with me,” Dr. Lieberman said. “He set the standard for what it means to care for people, not just their injuries or diseases.”

A Career of Service and Science

After leaving active duty, Dr. Lieberman pursued additional postgraduate training and research, including 16 years studying transplant immunobiology and intestinal fatty acid binding protein.

Ultimately, his work carried him to where he served veterans in the VA hospital in emergency department, urgent care, and primary care. He also played a key role in the VA’s COVID-19 response and vaccination efforts, bringing to the crisis the same steadiness, adaptability, and compassion that defined his military service.

A Legacy of Service

Dr. Lieberman reflects on his decades of service with appreciation – for the service members he served alongside, for the patients he cared for across continents, and for the mentors who taught him the meaning of responsibility.

Although he is retired, service continues to shape his daily life. He volunteers with paramedic education programs and community medical initiatives, contributes to the arts as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, and stays connected to his military roots through the Naval Aviation Training Command Alumni Choir, which performs for veterans and military communities across the country.

“We were trained to care for people,” he said. “That’s what I carried with me through every chapter of my life.”

Staying Connected to MCW

Dr. Lieberman remains connected to MCW as a member of MCW/Marquette Medical Alumni Association Board, representing Region 6. His continued involvement reflects gratitude for the education, mentorship, and opportunities that shaped his life – and a desire to support future generations.

“MCW gave me the foundation that allowed me to serve,” he said. “Staying involved is a way to give back to the institution that helped me become the doctor I wanted to be.”