COnavydoc said:James & Michelle,
My husband and I are both Navy HPSP M3 students trying to figure out the whole thing too. There is a great contact at NMETC-Marianne Pedersen. She's the head of Professional & Career Planning. She told us: "The Intern Selection Committee will give married HPSP couples preference and try to assign them together. I don't think in my 10 years I have seen a married couple split up."
Marianne did tell us too that is would probably be easier for us to rank Portsmouth as our #1 choice opposed to our favorite, San Diego. This is just cuz it's less competitive to match at Portsmouth and we are more likely to get into our specialty.
The distance that counts as co-location isn't 200 miles as far as I know, it's closer to 50miles. That means if one of you is interested in family med, they could conceivably be at Camp Pendleton and the other at Balboa and live in between. With traffic, that kind of sucks too, but it is co-located.
I'll let you know if we gather anymore new info. We're also hopefully going to meet with a retired Capt. who was involved with the selection committee for advice.
Kelli & Kris
militarymd said:Once you become active duty, you no longer fall under NMETC. What Pederson says about internship is accurate. However, after internship, you are at the mercy and whim of the your detailer. 200 miles IS co-location. I know of multiple couples who are "co-located" within 200 miles.
You don't have to believe me, but, if in the future, you are separated, remember X-MMD.
You may be lucky, or you may be not. You cannot predict your future at this point. I would prepare for separation. If you get lucky, then GREAT.
That is the advice of someone who has been there....done that.
COnavydoc said:dear lord you are very bitter! my husband is a former SWO and we're friends with several (happy) navy physicians and have a good idea of the good and bad. so, i always take your comments with a grain of salt. but come on, must everything be doomsday? i will grant you that being separated for 4 yrs would absolutely suck, but really can you honestly say that is the norm? retention is bad enough already, i can't imagine that is it. i know you're just making people aware of the harsh horrible reality that is possible and has happened. but geez, sounds like you're in dire need of a vacation.
militarymd said:No, what I describe is not the norm, however, it is also not that uncommon. With your knowledge of the military (your husband) your reactions to what may happen to you is tempered by his prior experiences.
For those who have no point of reference, they need to know of the possibilitiy of getting screwed because of whatever situation exists at the time of their orders, etc.
I am very bitter about my military experience. I'm in private practice right now, and wonder why I ever took the scholarship. Paying back a loan right now would be incredibly easy.....I would gladly pay off loans for the rest of my life (although in reality just a few years if I had taken loans) and get back the years that I lost with my family.
jajst35 said:If you don't mind me asking...What specialty are you? and what did you not like, have trouble w/, wish was different about your military experience?
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