Hard Numbers

[The White Coat Investor]

This data is taken from a 2006 AMA newsletter and supposedly submitted by the various HPSP offices. I am curious how much of this can be attributed to the war and how much to this website.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/site/free/prl20828.htm


Fewer military physicians

In 2005, the Army and Navy awarded fewer scholarships for medical school than planned. Students taking the financial assistance are the main source of military doctors, and the groups have stepped up recruitment efforts this year. Here's a look at the numbers.
200320042005Air ForceScholarships awarded225213220Goal201211191Percent of goal112%101%115%ArmyScholarships awarded319294237Goal284300307Percent of goal111%98%77%NavyScholarships awarded289232162Goal290265291Percent of goal99%88%56%
Source: U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force Health Professions Scholarship Program offices

How it's going

After declines in previous years, the Army and Navy are actively recruiting medical students for the Health Professions Scholarship Program. This is the status of program awards as of June 30:
Air Force: Goal is 191 scholarships; 191 awarded.
Army: Goal is 295 scholarships; 179 awarded.
Navy: Goal is 300 scholarships; 80 awarded.
Source: U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force Health Professions Scholarship Program offices


Some scholarship, they can't give those things away. I just outprocessed a guy who is being paid $305,000 to LEAVE the air force due to force shaping (no, he isn't a doctor.)

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[Out in 2008]

Unfortunately the military can rarely think more than 3-4 yrs ahead from the manpower standpoint. They're constantly chasing their tails to keep the manning numbers within a certain window (which also doesn't seem to be stable). When I was a Navy SWO they were paying guys to get out,; now they're paying SWOs to stay in. I did a sep physical on an NFO who they were paying 150K to get out. He was starting in a fairly highly regarded MBA program. Nice little nest egg.

BTW, military docs- Did the military appear to make any effort to keep you guys in? I've perceived zero effort to retain me in the Navy (not that anything would have worked). No calls from BUMED, no friendly email reminders when GME app window came and went, No snickers bars with "I Hart Navy Med" ribbons,.. nothing.

 

[usnavdoc]

BTW, military docs- Did the military appear to make any effort to keep you guys in? I've perceived zero effort to retain me in the Navy (not that anything would have worked). No calls from BUMED, no friendly email reminders when GME app window came and went, No snickers bars with "I Hart Navy Med" ribbons,.. nothing.

I had the same experience and it surprised me as well. Not that I would have considered it. In actuality it was nice not having to deal with them trying to retain me.

 

[USAFdoc]

Unfortunately the military can rarely think more than 3-4 yrs ahead from the manpower standpoint. They're constantly chasing their tails to keep the manning numbers within a certain window (which also doesn't seem to be stable). When I was a Navy SWO they were paying guys to get out,; now they're paying SWOs to stay in. I did a sep physical on an NFO who they were paying 150K to get out. He was starting in a fairly highly regarded MBA program. Nice little nest egg.

BTW, military docs- Did the military appear to make any effort to keep you guys in? I've perceived zero effort to retain me in the Navy (not that anything would have worked). No calls from BUMED, no friendly email reminders when GME app window came and went, No snickers bars with "I Hart Navy Med" ribbons,.. nothing.

no effort to retain from my observations. I take that to mean that admin was at least listening and aware that the docs want nothing to do with the current broken milmed system stateside.

and why the USAF still fills?....my take is that future HPSPers know that the ARMY means the desert and the Navy means the boat out to sea and they picture the USAF as working stateside in a nice clinic somewhere. Again, I assumed (huge blunder on my part) that the quality of a Primary care clinic in the USAF would be decent and the quality of life for me and my family would be decent. Less $$$, less autonomy, less control over where you live were all sacrifices I would make.

Now sacrificing quality of care, and watching staff treated like hired help at the pickle farm was not.

 

[BomberDoc]

It is going to hurt in a few years when the pipeline runs dry. I have heard Air Force SG level management repeatedly say that it is cheaper to train new docs than to retain the ones they have. They WANT us to get out. That is why there is no attempt to retain docs. As long as enough incompetent or lazy docs stay in to fill the top of the pyramid, nothing will change. I'm fine with not being harassed to stay. I wouldn't stay in if they doubled or even tripled my salary. Start talking 7 figures and I'll think about it.

As for why the AF still fills... it must be the foolish assumption that the Chair Force treats people better. WRONG! I hope this board enlightens enough people so that the AF can't meet goals along with the Army and Navy.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

As for why the AF still fills... it must be the foolish assumption that the Chair Force treats people better. WRONG! I hope this board enlightens enough people so that the AF can't meet goals along with the Army and Navy.

The Air Force deployments are significantly cushier than the army and navy ones. Working at home is a different story though, in my experience.