Orthopedics in the Military

[Diesel_ortho]

Is any one familiar with orthopedic surgery in the military? Is any one branch better for orthopedic case loads, deployment?

Also, it seems several chairman in orthopedics have military experience, does military service make one candidate stand out compared to another?

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[Diesel_ortho]

To clarify the above post, I am considering joining the reserves in residency. Loan repayment (50K) and monthly stipend are offered. In turn I will owe 10yrs of reserve time after residency.

I am considering pursuing a 1 yr fellowship after residency and I am not sure how that will work with the reserve committment.

 

[Galo]

To clarify the above post, I am considering joining the reserves in residency. Loan repayment (50K) and monthly stipend are offered. In turn I will owe 10yrs of reserve time after residency.

I am considering pursuing a 1 yr fellowship after residency and I am not sure how that will work with the reserve committment.

No one jumping in here, so I'll give it a try from my general surgery background.

The biggest drawback you have, is you WILL be called into active duty, and whatever practice you have will likely suffer or be destroyed in your absence. Ortho is the one specialty that is truly busy in Iraq. Most torso injuries are lethal, and that leaves the majority of survivable wounds as extremity. All services are stretched to the max, and even in major med centers, the OR is so underserviced, that our ortho guys were booked out over 2 months.

I personally do not think its worth the money, and then the potential loss of money, freedom, loss of practice. You will be forced to take multiple vaccines, including anthrax, which is currently in the midst of huge controversy, and probably illegal.

Get your training, your fellowship, and then if you want, you can always join, in a more limited or full fashion.

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[dry dre]

To clarify the above post, I am considering joining the reserves in residency. Loan repayment (50K) and monthly stipend are offered. In turn I will owe 10yrs of reserve time after residency....

If you're strapped for cash and want military, go the FAP route.

I'm ortho and am considering going back in the military, but not for financial reasons. If you end up in ortho and are willing to move to BFUSA, you'll likely have the opportunity to land a 50k signing bonus somewhere. You can find a spot (where you'll get abused) and make more in the first year than your first year of military pay and all repayment bonuses combined. You may not want to work in rural Wyoming for the signing bonus, but Wyoming is arguably better than sitting on a boat (or in a clinic) for 6 months thinking about the stuff you used to know how to do.