Education Benefits and Promotion Question

[Kris1]

I'm going to speak to a Navy recruiter tomorrow about being an EM doc for them. I recall that when I was in the Marines as an enlisted person that had I had dependents I could transfer my GI Bill to them. If I go back in as a medical corps officer, will I be able to enroll in the GI Bill again and transfer those benefits to say my wife who wants help in law school?

Also, with 5 years of time in service, completion of undergrad, medical school, and a three year Emergency Medicine residency, what rank can I expect to be when I begin active duty?

Thanks!

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[Perrotfish]

Wait, I'm confused, did you use your GI bill already? You only get one GI bill, if you've used it already it doesn't matter how many times you join again you're not going to get another one. If you didn't use it already then you already have the GI bill and don't need to join again to get it again.

To transfer the 9-11 GI bill to your dependants there is some minimum amount of time you must be AD (I believe it is 10 years), so whenever you hit that mark you can pass it off to your wife/kids. Until then you're the only one who can use it.

 

[NavyFP]

Post 9-11 to transfer you need 10 years service and must agree to be on AD for 4 more. Agree, you only get one.

Rank - LT (O-3E) with 3 years towards LCDR.

 

[Perrotfish]

Rank - LT (O-3E) with 3 years towards LCDR.

If you're residency complete, isn't there some way to bargain for LCDR? I'm pretty sure I've heard of this happening.

 

[NavyFP]

If you're residency complete, isn't there some way to bargain for LCDR? I'm pretty sure I've heard of this happening.

Sorry, no.

 

[Apollyon]

Sorry, no.

Does the name "Donal M. Billig" ring a bell? He was the O-5 CT surgeon convicted of (I think) Article 119 UCMJ x4 (it was manslaughter, later overturned) back in 1986. He had been in private practice, and entered the Navy in 1983, and was Commander by 1986, and operating at NMC Bethesda. He also had 20/400 vision in one eye, and, apparently by report, was a horrendous surgeon, but it was covered up by highers-up (sound familiar?) and allowed to continue on. He did about 2 years at USDB Ft. Leavenworth before having his conviction overturned.

 

[notdeadyet]

Sorry, no.

That must be specific to Navy. Army-side, I know of a couple direct commissions who came in at O-4. They were both practicing physicians at the time, but residency years and years of practice counted towards establishing rank.

 

[NavyFP]

Does the name "Donal M. Billig" ring a bell? He was the O-5 CT surgeon convicted of (I think) Article 119 UCMJ x4 (it was manslaughter, later overturned) back in 1986. He had been in private practice, and entered the Navy in 1983, and was Commander by 1986, and operating at NMC Bethesda. He also had 20/400 vision in one eye, and, apparently by report, was a horrendous surgeon, but it was covered up by highers-up (sound familiar?) and allowed to continue on. He did about 2 years at USDB Ft. Leavenworth before having his conviction overturned.

True.

The case at hand though is an idividual who is fresh out of residency. When the entry grade credit calculation is made, he will get 4 years for medical school (which gives him LT) and 1 year for each year of residency. If he had time in private practice he would get 1 year credit for each year of practice up to a max of 7. Total entry grade credit is restricted to 14. There can be waiver requests to allow very senior civilian docs to enter as an O5/O6, but these are rare. In 4 years of looking at direct accession packages, I only recall one getting more than LCDR +4.

 

[narcusprince]

Is this the "legend" of the one eyed surgeon. I heard about this sometime when I was a MS3-4. FP does my time as an HPSP and civ residency 8 yrs count towards the GI bill benefits?

 

[Apollyon]

True.

The case at hand though is an individual who is fresh out of residency.

Oh, there was nothing adversarial - I honestly didn't know about staff grade commissions. I didn't know what was the deal.

As for "legend", there's no legend. It's fact.

 

[Kris1]

Sorry, no.

So how long could I reasonably expect to wait to pick up O-4 with 3 years credit towards it? I asked the recruiter today and he said 2-3 years. That seemed like a long time.

 

[Kris1]

Also, without having to start another thread, I wanted to hijack my own. When talking to the recruiter today I asked how I could get one of those dive bubbles. He said I would have to be a UMO (Underwater Medical Officer?). How do I do that?

 

[Perrotfish]

Also, without having to start another thread, I wanted to hijack my own. When talking to the recruiter today I asked how I could get one of those dive bubbles. He said I would have to be a UMO (Underwater Medical Officer?). How do I do that?

You go through DMO training in Panama city and then spend 2 years providing primary care to Navy divers, sub crews (you're not actually on the sub), or possibly the SEALS

 

[notdeadyet]

You go through DMO training in Panama city and then spend 2 years providing primary care to Navy divers, sub crews (you're not actually on the sub), or possibly the SEALS

And according to recent threads (feel free to do a search on DMO), a majority of those slots is being the PCP for sub crews.

 

[NavyFP]

So how long could I reasonably expect to wait to pick up O-4 with 3 years credit towards it? I asked the recruiter today and he said 2-3 years. That seemed like a long time.

Selected in 2, put it on (and paid for it) in 3.

 

[NavyFP]

Oh, there was nothing adversarial - I honestly didn't know about staff grade commissions. I didn't know what was the deal.

As for "legend", there's no legend. It's fact.

Not taken as adversarial.

I remember watching the Bilig case on the evening news. Truly was a bad situation.

 

[narcusprince]

Not taken as adversarial.

I remember watching the Bilig case on the evening news. Truly was a bad situation.

FP I am confused. When I come in I took a four year HPSP scholarship and deferred four years. Will I be an 0-3 w 8 years in or an 0-3 with four years in???

 

[NavyFP]

FP I am confused. When I come in I took a four year HPSP scholarship and deferred four years. Will I be an 0-3 w 8 years in or an 0-3 with four years in???

O-3 with 4. The time in med school doesn't count.

 

[Kris1]

Post 9-11 to transfer you need 10 years service and must agree to be on AD for 4 more. Agree, you only get one.

Rank - LT (O-3E) with 3 years towards LCDR.

What's the difference in O-3 and O-3E?

 

[Apollyon]

What's the difference in O-3 and O-3E?

Google is your friend:

"Members in pay grades O-1, O-2, and O-3 with more than four years prior cumulative service in an enlisted and/or warrant grade are paid increased wages using the special pay grades of O-1E, O-2E, and O-3E respectively. This benefit does not affect their rank and used simply for reward and incentive purposes in recognition of their prior enlisted experience."

From here.