Help!

I am an EM PGY3 in a deferred residency program with a 4 year HPSP commitment. I just got my list for bases and have been asked to make my ranking within the next 2 weeks. The bases and total number of Emergency Physician slots at each are listed below. If you have any information on this process it would be appreciated, specifically:
Is there anyway to game the system? What is the best way to actually get one of the 5-7 places that are acceptable to me? Is it better to rank my second choice, which has more slots available, ahead of my first choice, which it seems I would be unlikely to get? Which of these assignments have a high deployment tempo, and which ones have a low one? Which ones see higher acuity than the average AF/Glorified urgent care slots? Which ones does everyone seem to want, and which ones are less competitive? What happens if I rank a less competitive slot in my top 5 or so, will I automatically get that? I don't need info on the locations, I need info on the jobs. Does anyone have a list of the emergency department directors at each position that I can call or email? What is the hospital and emergency department like at each position? I have rotated at Wright-Patt and interviewed at Lackland, so I know a bit about each of those. Most of the rest of these I know nothing about however.

Thanks in advance for all your help.

BASE/Total Positions
ACADEMY, 8
ELMENDORF, 8
BITBURG, 2
LAKENHEATH, 1
LANDSTUHL, 2
NELLIS, 5
KEESLER, 9
LACKLAND, 18
EGLIN, 7
W-PATT, 11
ANDREWS, 8
SCOTT, 7
TRAVIS, 6
AFSOC, 4

Speaking as a former AF EM GMO,

Best not to try to play "mind games" with the assignment system. Simply put down what you want in the rank order in which you want them. Bottom line is: You will go wherever they want you to go, for whatever reasons they want you to go there. You do have some input into the process so you might as well take advantage of it, keeping in mind that assigments are often made wiithout a great deal of thought on the part of the assignment officers at AFPC. They just don't have the time or ability to put a tremendous amount of thought and effort into the process and they can never satisfy everyone in their first choice. Keep in mind, their job is simply to fill slots.

Having said all that, you are accurate in your perception that most AF ED's are nothing more than 24hr urgent care centers, this is why so many AF EM's moonlight in civilian ER's to maintain their skills (I was included in that.) I would suggest that you decide where you want to live first, you want to be able to have fun when you are not working in the "urgent care center". That would be my first consideration. After that, select an "urgent care center" you would like to work in. The work is going to be pretty much the same at all of them, with some being better equipped and with more specialty back-up than others.

Moving on, we lived in Landsthul for two years and loved it. Great opportunity for European Travel. I would seriously consider it, although civilian moonlighting would be extremely difficult if not impossible-probably the biggest draw back. Bitburg would get you to Europe also, but Landsthul has more going for it. Same for Lakenheath.

Nellis is Vegas. A great place to live and play and with the VA and AF hospitals having merged there is probably more clinical exposure. Fantastic moonlighting opportunities there.

There are some other good spots on the list, geographically speaking. Academy for skiing and outdoors. Same for Elmendorf. Eglin if you like the beach.

I am surprised Keesler is on the list, thought it was destroyed. Don't know anything about AFSOC, must be for the "hooah" types.

PM me if you have any more questions.

Help!

BASE/Total Positions
ACADEMY, 8
ELMENDORF, 8
BITBURG, 2
LAKENHEATH, 1
LANDSTUHL, 2
NELLIS, 5
KEESLER, 9
LACKLAND, 18
EGLIN, 7
W-PATT, 11
ANDREWS, 8
SCOTT, 7
TRAVIS, 6
AFSOC, 4

You have some great bases to chose from! Decide what's important to you (location, moonlighting, etc) and draw up your ROL in descending order. I hope my options are as good as yours.

One other important thing to consider is staffing level of the ED. In a 24/7 operation you want plenty of other people to help you. If the ER is like the clinics, the AF has a tendency to understaff it's operations.

Help!

I am an EM PGY3 in a deferred residency program with a 4 year HPSP commitment. I just got my list for bases and have been asked to make my ranking within the next 2 weeks. The bases and total number of Emergency Physician slots at each are listed below. If you have any information on this process it would be appreciated, specifically:
Is there anyway to game the system? What is the best way to actually get one of the 5-7 places that are acceptable to me? Is it better to rank my second choice, which has more slots available, ahead of my first choice, which it seems I would be unlikely to get? Which of these assignments have a high deployment tempo, and which ones have a low one? Which ones see higher acuity than the average AF/Glorified urgent care slots? Which ones does everyone seem to want, and which ones are less competitive? What happens if I rank a less competitive slot in my top 5 or so, will I automatically get that? I don't need info on the locations, I need info on the jobs. Does anyone have a list of the emergency department directors at each position that I can call or email? What is the hospital and emergency department like at each position? I have rotated at Wright-Patt and interviewed at Lackland, so I know a bit about each of those. Most of the rest of these I know nothing about however.

Thanks in advance for all your help.

BASE/Total Positions
ACADEMY, 8
ELMENDORF, 8
BITBURG, 2
LAKENHEATH, 1
LANDSTUHL, 2
NELLIS, 5
KEESLER, 9
LACKLAND, 18
EGLIN, 7
W-PATT, 11
ANDREWS, 8
SCOTT, 7
TRAVIS, 6
AFSOC, 4


A bit unrelated but-- I'm AFHPSP interested in EM. I'm curious, how did you secured a deferred slot? Any suggestions on how to get deferred?
Thanks,
Megan

A bit unrelated but-- I'm AFHPSP interested in EM. I'm curious, how did you secured a deferred slot? Any suggestions on how to get deferred?
Thanks,
Megan


There's another thread right now talking about this same question, but basically, I interviewed at both AF EM programs and told them I really wanted to do EM but I would prefer to train in a civilian program. You're only required to go to one interview, so I suppose that meant something. I rotated at one of the two programs and told them the same thing there. It helps that I did well on my rotation and I had good board scores.

some advice...if you have a higher ranking officer that you are close to have them work the system. Too many people sit back and let AFPC decide for them. The O-6 I work for has gotten every assingment he's wanted in 24 years because he's learned to work the system. Most people down at AFPC are captains and they're personnel, so getting an O-6 or even flag officer to call for you can really help you!

I'm stationed at W-P currently and if you need any additional info on the area in general let me know.

Jaime
(USUHS class 2010)