Emergency Medicine in Army

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icecubemit

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I am a soon to be 3rd year medical student interested in EM and considering signing up for the Army Medical Corps. I've thought about joining the military for awhile (turned down USAFA appointment in 1999), but I'm considering it again. I'm particularly interested in the trauma experience the military can offer.

1. Am I stupid for doing this at the start of my 3rd year? Will I get any money back for my first two years of medical school? Am I at a disadvantage in the military match for joining later? Would it make sense to sign up later in my career?

2. Is it harder to match in EM in the military? I've heard yes. Does anyone know how much harder? I don't think I'll have a problem in EM as a civilian.

3. My preliminary plan is to join, try to be deployed as much as possible during my commitment to gain experience, and get out after that. Does this seem reasonable?

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I am a soon to be 3rd year medical student interested in EM and considering signing up for the Army Medical Corps. I've thought about joining the military for awhile (turned down USAFA appointment in 1999), but I'm considering it again. I'm particularly interested in the trauma experience the military can offer.

I think it's a fallacy that the military offers great trauma training. The Army has only level I trauma center, and it has a EM program. But, of course, that means that every other EM program isn't a level I trauma center. So, all other things being equal, in the Army you probably won't get your EM training at a level I trauma center. Sure, as long as there's a war or two going on, you will eventually see plenty of trauma when deployed. But I don't think that trauma is a strength of Army EM training programs, where many Army ERs amount to nothing more than all-night primary care clinics.

1. Am I stupid for doing this at the start of my 3rd year? Will I get any money back for my first two years of medical school? Am I at a disadvantage in the military match for joining later? Would it make sense to sign up later in my career?

Sort of. The minimum commitment is 3 years. So even if you get the paper work done in time to get 3rd year paid for, you're already not getting your "money's worth". You will not get any money back for the first two years. You will not be at a disadvantage. Yes, or not at all.

2. Is it harder to match in EM in the military? I've heard yes. Does anyone know how much harder? I don't think I'll have a problem in EM as a civilian.

I'm not sure what the numbers say, but the military match is much smaller than the civilian match. That means it's subject to greater variability from year to year. An easy specialty to match into one year can be the hardest the next.

3. My preliminary plan is to join, try to be deployed as much as possible during my commitment to gain experience, and get out after that. Does this seem reasonable?

Let me guess. You aren't married and don't have any kids? Your enthusiasm is refreshing but also naive. A 12 month trip to the sandbox will change your tune pretty quickly vis-a-vis deployments.

See bold statements above.
 
Don't go into Army EM if trauma is your interest. Although you'll probably have a deployment or two where you get to take care of some cool trauma, most of your career will be less "traumatic" than a typical civilian job, especially if you are at a Level I.
 
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