Air Force EM

[Snowdon48]

Hello, I'm a second year med student on an AF HPSP scholarship and am curious about AF Emergency Medicine. I found a couple of older threads on this topic but couldn't find anything recent. Here are my questions:

1) How is the overall quality of AF EM residencies? Do you feel that you see the same type of acuity as civilian EM residents?

2) How frequently do you deploy? In a 4 year commitment should I expect to deploy more than once?

3) How is the lifestyle of an AF EM doc? Most civilian EM docs I have talked to say they chose EM because of being able to work long shifts and then have significant time off, does that principle apply to mil EM too?

4) Is skill atrophy still a big concern due to lower acuity in mil ED's?

Thanks

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[met19]

you might change your mind about your specialty in your 3rd year. navy EM doc here.
1) dont know the quality. but speaking from the navy side- less acuity
2) deployments are overall ramping down, but still happen- Navy goes for 7-12 months depending on billet. AF I heard goes 3 months. Number of deployments depend on what is happening in the world and in your specialty.
3) first off- most civilian em docs work similar schedules to active duty em docs- it depends on the site- 8,9,10,12's ( don't think any place in the military world does 24s). You can find some civ places with low acuity and low volume that does 24's. Most places you can work 4-7 days in row. As a resident- you will need to average 1 day off a week and can't work more than 65 hours averaged per week (RRC and ACGME rules).
4) its a concern unless you moonlight as an attending. but I think thats it every field in milmed.

 

[Snowdon48]

Thanks for the reply

Peds has always been my frontrunner but I want to keep an open mind as I head into 3rd year rotations so I am trying to become more educated on other specialties that the military offers.

Skill atrophy is something that worries me but I guess there is no avoiding that now. I have heard this is not as severe in primary care fields but I guess that depends on where you get sent.

 

[deuist]

2) How frequently do you deploy? In a 4 year commitment should I expect to deploy more than once?

At least once, maybe twice. Depending on your deployed job (e.g., CCATT, TCCET, SOST) you may deploy early and often.

3) How is the lifestyle of an AF EM doc? Most civilian EM docs I have talked to say they chose EM because of being able to work long shifts and then have significant time off, does that principle apply to mil EM too?

I work twelve 12-hour shifts a month.

4) Is skill atrophy still a big concern due to lower acuity in mil ED's?

Yes

 

[Hans Gruber01]

At least once, maybe twice. Depending on your deployed job (e.g., CCATT, TCCET, SOST) you may deploy early and often.



I work twelve 12-hour shifts a month.



Yes

Are you able to moonlight during your ADO in order to overcome the skill atrophy issue? Is this easy to do? Thank you

 

[deuist]

Moonlighting is dependent upon the hospital command. My command allows it and the civilian hospitals that are nearby are open to having us there. I have friends at other locations who are not so lucky.

 

[NJEMT1]

1) How is the overall quality of AF EM residencies? Do you feel that you see the same type of acuity as civilian EM residents?

Can't say. I did civilian training

2) How frequently do you deploy? In a 4 year commitment should I expect to deploy more than once?

AF EM deploys for 6 months, not 3 months as mentioned above. We are on an 18 month cycle with 6 months deployed, then 1 year home.

3) How is the lifestyle of an AF EM doc? Most civilian EM docs I have talked to say they chose EM because of being able to work long shifts and then have significant time off, does that principle apply to mil EM too?

Lifestyle is ok however you cannot have significant time off as active duty military (regardless of being EM) without taking leave. Can only have 3 days off in a row without taking leave, or 4 days if owed a holiday. You cannot work many shifts in a row in exchange for a week off or you would be AWOL. Also, when you are "off" you cannot leave local area without taking leave. I find the schedule benefits of civilian EM don't really apply to military EM due to general requirements of active duty military.

4) Is skill atrophy still a big concern due to lower acuity in mil ED's?

Absolutely. Good acuity during deployment but that's it.

Thanks[/QUOTE]

 

[Vandalia]

the civilian hospitals that are nearby are open to having us there.

Remember the ultimate bosses are politicians. The determination if 'moonlighting' was allowed was primarily based on the local practice environment - and the regs (as they were) were specifically written to reflect this. If there was an oversupply of local physicians it would not be permitted. If there was a need, it was allowed. The politicians did not want military physicians taking jobs away from civilians. The corollary is if a local hospital expressed strong interest, it was often rewarding for the hospital CEO to express how beneficial military physicians would be to the local community during one of the community social events with the WG/CC. Just make sure your fingerprints are not around.