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[adiplayer]

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[comp1]

Interesting. The certification isn't super important, but how are you not board eligible if you are licensed? What state? What sort of training did you do post med school and why did you not finish it? I'm guessing no matter where you're applying for a job, these will be the first questions. It's hard to say what your options are (anywhere) with the CV info you've provided so far.

 

[adiplayer]

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[Apollyon]

Ouch. You might not get a lot of responses if you respond like that.

 

[SirGecko]

The questions about why the person you are talking about is not board eligible are relevent to the questions you are asking. The military is generally speaking not interested in employing non board eligible physicians. We wind up with some due to obtaining undifferentiated medical students but generally once someone is a doctor the military wants them to have finished residency. (And they are putting increasing pressure on people that haven’t finished residency to go finish it or not promote, the days of the 20 year GMO are generally gone). It isn’t an infrequent post on this forum where someone doesn’t match or is failing residency thinks the military is going to be an outlet for that but it’s not. I’m not saying it’s impossible for the military to take a non board eligible physician but it is very unlikely and the reason is probably going to matter. If you look at the coast guards posted materials online they actually specifically say they employ BE/BC physicians. (Healthcare | United States Coast Guard)

As for the Coast Gaurd, it’s a much smaller community than the other services so you may be less likely to get some answers from someone with specific experience. Up until a few years ago they only way to serve with the Coast Gaurd was through the Public Health Service but they did start directly commissioning a few medical corps people, I’m not sure about the status of that program. The types of physicians they are looking for are likely to be more restricted as well. (Like their website says mainly primary care, PHS has always been a little more limited on what was available for specific specialties but I don’t have specifics at my fingertips)

Hope the person you are advising is able to figure out their next steps. While they should take information from recruiters with a grain of salt if they are truly interested in joining the Coast Gaurd they could probably get some information about feasibility by contacting the Coast Gaurd and then coming back here to get what they hear back.

 

[Helpful Troll]

Hello all. Seeking advice.
What are options for a licensed physician without BE/BC joining a branch of the military (specifically the CG)?
Age requirements? Where are you stationed (I assume where there is need-- but what have your experiences been?)? What is the time commitment? What are the loan repayment options? What are the pros, cons, and unasked questions to be aware of?
This is for an American citizen, no prior military background.

Not eligible: Go Coast Guard Healthcare "Through a combination of direct employment and partnership with the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), the Coast Guard employs board certified/board eligible primary care physicians who are typically residency-trained in family medicine, internal medicine, or emergency medicine. Positions also exist in psychiatry, aerospace, occupational, preventive medicine, and pediatrics."

Similar BE/BC requirements exist for military services unless already part of a military medicine training program from a service obligation like HPSP, USUHS, and ROTC. Prison contracts might be an option or Missouri's Assistant Physician program.

 

[adiplayer]

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[armytrainingsir]

So to be clear, they should not consider applying military to be a physician? The main concern I think would be the loan burden.

lol, nice edit.


Correct. The .mil isn’t interested in bringing in any sort ‘problem’ physicians not on the typical path of progression to BC in the hopes of fixing them, nor is it a collection of physicians that can’t get a job anywhere else.

I guess some folks are still thinking of the old movie cliche where the judge tells the wacky wayward youth to either go to jail or join the Marines.

It certainly sucks to be a physician that falls off the standard path. The system isn’t very forgiving or tolerant of that which why those folks end up in some generic corporate job, urgent care or peddling the latest fad drug in a fly by night clinic.

 

[DeadCactus]

This basic question is frequent on this forum. While the military is often actively recruiting medical personnel, it's not some last resort bastion for people failing in their civilian life. I'm all for second chances for people who fall off the traditional path, but the idea that one of the most competitive branches of the uniformed services would throw loan repayment at someone who can't finish basic medical training is frankly insulting enough without the rude replies to genuine responses.

 

[comp1]

I'm glad to see others supported my instincts about this. I think it's great that a mentor is looking out for a mentee, but mentors have to be realistic and generally open about a situation to get any sort of viable feedback.