Dr. Matt Wilyonson
Episode Description:
Dr. Matt Wilyonson, a former Navy orthopedic surgeon and current Chief Medical Officer of Woobie.io, shares his powerful journey from serving 10+ years in the military to becoming a fierce advocate for veterans navigating the broken VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) disability system. The VA is the U.S. government agency responsible for providing healthcare, benefits, and support to military veterans, but as Dr. Wilyonson reveals, it often fails those it’s meant to serve. After witnessing firsthand how hardworking service members were being shortchanged by bureaucratic red tape while serving as a primary care doctor for Marines, Dr. Wilyonson made it his mission to help veterans get the disability benefits they’ve earned through their military service. In this eye-opening conversation, he exposes how the VA systematically denies or minimizes legitimate service-connected injuries and conditions, discusses the hidden epidemic of veteran mental health struggles, and offers hope through his company’s honest, membership-based approach to securing proper disability ratings and compensation.
Listen to the episode on Spotify here or on your favorite podcast platform and check out the Urban Monk Academy here.
Podcast show notes:
Key Topics Covered
ThDr. Wilyonson’s Military Journey (0:00-6:00)
- Growing up in a military family with Korean War and WWII veterans
- Being 14 years old on 9/11 and its impact on his life path
- Taking a Navy scholarship for medical school to avoid $250K debt
- Training in orthopedic surgery through the Navy
- Political challenges and personal struggles during residency
The Broken System Discovery (6:00-11:00)
- Transition from orthopedic surgery to primary care doctor for Marines
- Shocking discovery of empty medical records and undocumented conditions
- The med board process and its life-changing consequences
- How the system rewards “squeaky wheels” while punishing hard workers
- Fear of seeking help due to career implications
Building a Solution (11:00-16:00)
- Getting his own VA disability rating and experiencing the “screw job” firsthand
- VA incorrectly denied his clearly documented service-connected injury
- Starting by helping friends and colleagues navigate the VA system
- Discovering the predatory “claim shark” industry
- Meeting Cole Tinney and founding Woobie.io
- Growing to over 1,000 clients with data-driven advocacy
The VA’s Systemic Issues (16:00-21:00)
- $7 billion in VA disability benefits paid out annually
- Internal bias to deny claims and reallocate funds
- Pattern recognition in 10,000+ rating decision letters
- Copy-paste denials and overlooked evidence
- Why fringe companies exist to fill the gap
Woobie’s Different Approach (21:00-26:00)
- Truth-telling and partnership with veterans
- Membership model vs. predatory back-pay percentages (some law firms take 50% of veterans’ compensation)
- Staying with clients until they achieve proper ratings
- Evidence-based advocacy, not document factories
- Building trust through authentic connection
Mental Health and PTSD (26:00-35:00)
- The “military misery complex” – constellation of symptoms
- Breaking through shame and building trust
- The importance of validation and financial stability through VA benefits
- Beyond awareness: actual solutions for suicide prevention (22 veterans per day)
- Finding hope and purpose post-service
Notable Quotes:
- “Every single person who served is a patriot one way or another.”
- “The system rewarded squeaky wheels… but the blue collar, hard workers, the real good ones—they didn’t have time to go to the doctor.”
- “I’ve been around long enough to know when something is gun decked, when it’s copy pasted, when it doesn’t make sense.”
- “Money’s not gonna make you happy… but if you have a baseline social safety net that you have earned, not just feeding off the public… it’s almost like beating a gaslighting effect.”
- “You save lives by them finding hope. I can’t just say the right words to give you hope. You gotta believe it.”
Resources Mentioned:
- Woobie.io – VA disability advocacy company
- VA disability ratings system (0-100% disability rating)
- Champ VA healthcare for families of 100% disabled veterans
- Nexus letters (medical documents connecting military service to current conditions)
Action Items for Veterans:
- Don’t suffer in silence – seek help for documented and undocumented conditions
- Consider working with advocacy organizations that use evidence-based approaches
- Focus on comprehensive documentation of all service-connected issues
- Understand it may take multiple attempts to get proper VA ratings
- Use benefits as a foundation to rebuild, not an endpoint
About the Guest:
Dr. Matt Wilyonson is the Chief Medical Officer of Woobie.io, a veteran-founded company dedicated to helping service members navigate the VA disability system. With over 10 years of military service including orthopedic surgery training and primary care experience with Marines, Dr. Wilyonson brings both medical expertise and personal understanding to his advocacy work. After experiencing the broken VA system firsthand, he’s committed to helping veterans get the benefits they’ve earned through honest, evidence-based advocacy.
Connect:
- Website: Woobie.io
- For veterans or those who know veterans needing assistance with VA benefits
Host: Dr. Pedram Shojai – Documentary filmmaker and wellness advocate
- Creator of “Origins” and other health-focused documentaries
- Expert on natural health approaches and environmental toxicity
- Functional medicine practitioner with 20+ years experience
This episode is for educational purposes only and not intended as medical advice. Consult with qualified healthcare practitioners for personalized guidance.
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