Here is our new monthly poll. Please vote for the type of setting that you expect to be working in (or already do work in). Non-physician health care folks are also welcome to vote.
For me, academic/teaching hospital.
For me, academic/teaching hospital.
spiderpete, if dreamer you wins let me know. I'll join your team
Fortunately for you, it's not necessary to buy your own helicopter. There are already flight programs affiliated with most if not all trauma centers, and it would be a lot easier for you to work for one of those rather than reinventing the wheel.Cool!
Now I just have to get thru med school, residency, learn what the heck I'm doing as a doc, save enough for the 'copter, move.... Whew. Better get busy
Fortunately for you, it's not necessary to buy your own helicopter. There are already flight programs affiliated with most if not all trauma centers, and it would be a lot easier for you to work for one of those rather than reinventing the wheel.
I find it very interesting that academic medicine is so popular among nontrads. I would not have predicted that, but it's pretty darn cool!
I can't speak to the romantic charm, but it's not the flight docs and nurses who fly the choppers; their job is to take care of the patients. Considering the expense and length of training required for someone to be either a skilled helicopter pilot or a skilled emergency flight responder, you'll almost certainly not be doing both. Even if you could, most people would not want to fly with a helicopter pilot who wasn't extremely experienced (often ex-military). There have been multiple crashes and deaths associated with medical helicopters over the past several years, so this is a serious consideration. But if it's entrepreneurship that you want, then maybe what makes sense is for you to run an emergency flight response company. That's probably doable as an EP, and you could still be an amateur pilot on your time off.
Tsk. Tsk. I didn't see "On another planet" or "In Outer Spaaaaaace!" as poll options.
Tsk. Tsk. I didn't see "On another planet" or "In Outer Spaaaaaace!" as poll options.
Dang Q. You're taking the fun out of it. A pragmatic analysis of a romantic notion kind of defeats the purpose. *sigh* nevermindI can't speak to the romantic charm, but it's not the flight docs and nurses who fly the choppers; their job is to take care of the patients. Considering the expense and length of training required for someone to be either a skilled helicopter pilot or a skilled emergency flight responder, you'll almost certainly not be doing both. Even if you could, most people would not want to fly with a helicopter pilot who wasn't extremely experienced (often ex-military). There have been multiple crashes and deaths associated with medical helicopters over the past several years, so this is a serious consideration. But if it's entrepreneurship that you want, then maybe what makes sense is for you to run an emergency flight response company. That's probably doable as an EP, and you could still be an amateur pilot on your time off.
