June 2021
Dreamcometrue time ROBIN FISH/ENTERPRISE
Twice retired, Kathy Wood now works part-time at the Military Entrance Processing Station at Fort Snelling in Minneapolis, giving exams to people who want to enter the military.
Wood challenges retirees to find their passion ry of her father, a former U.S. Marine who later served in the North Dakota National Guard, that Kathy Wood has retired twice, inspired her to pursue the MEPS more or less. Yet she still works job. “He always had this love of the two jobs – one in the medical field, and another as a small busi- military, till the day he passed ness owner in downtown Park away,” she said. “He was a Marine for life.” Rapids. Giving health exams to mostly Ask her about it, and she may open a discussion about pursuing 17- and 18-year-olds has been a your passion and staying mentally different experience, compared to and physically active, even after Wood’s previous medical work. “We’ve had some 50-year-olds your first career is over. A medical doctor, Wood cur- try to get into the military, too, rently works part of each week at but most of them are younger the Military Entrance Processing kids,” she said. “They want to Station (MEPS) at Fort Snelling serve their country. It’s been an in Minneapolis, providing exams inspiration to work for them. It’s to people trying to enter the mil- a job I thoroughly enjoy.” itary. She also owns Truly Vintage, an Changing specialization antique shop on the third block of For the first 35 years of her Main Avenue South. medical career, Wood specialized Wood said it was the memo- in radiology, working at a variety By Robin Fish rfish@parkrapidsenterprise.com
of hospitals in North Dakota and western Minnesota – including the Park Rapids hospital, about 20 years ago. She also served as the first woman president of the North Dakota Medical Association. Then she decided to make a change, partly because her parents were in ill health and partly because she was getting burned out. “It was difficult being on-call, especially,” she said. “The medical field has changed a lot since I first went into medicine, and sleepless nights were just not my thing anymore.” She added that a radiologist tends to spend a lot of time sitting in dark rooms, looking at backlit images. “Not much physical activity at all,” said Wood.
DREAM: Page 3
Art Beat Quarterly Regional Guide
Inside this issue... 2 Pep up your pesto 4 Talking about money with their kids 5-8 Art Beat 9 Long-lived houseplants become heirlooms 10 Moving our bodies every day has many benefits 11 How to downsize your home for a move 12 The many symptoms and stages of grief
