Rejoice Tapon —
Doc Rejoice
I'm Rejoice Tapon — "Doc" to the Marines I served alongside, and a name I intend to keep earning as a future surgeon. I was born and raised in Africa's Sahel. I grew up without electricity, running water, or a birth certificate. I arrived in the United States unable to multiply or write well.
Today, I'm a U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman, a pre-med student with a 3.83 GPA, and one step away from transferring to a four-year university to begin the next phase toward medical school and a surgical career.
REJOICE TAPON — Navy Hospital Corpsman. 'Doc' to my Marines. Future Surgeon.
A path built on service and discipline
Navy Hospital Corpsman
Deployed aboard a humanitarian hospital ship and embedded as the sole medical provider for an infantry platoon, at times covering as many as 108 Marines.
Pre-Med, Transferring 2027
Transferring in Fall 2027 as a junior, likely majoring in Biology, Neuroscience, Molecular & Cell Biology, or Psychology depending on program fit.
Fluent in Five Languages
English, French, Hausa, Fulfulde & Kanuri.
3.83 GPA
Across five California community colleges, on the pre-med track.
From a village with no electricity to the front line of medicine.
Read about my journey from Houloum, Cameroon to the U.S. Navy — and the road ahead to surgical residency.