Positive HPSP/Military Med experiences

[NavyUMO]

I deleted original post.

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[IgD]

I did the 4-year HPSP scholarship through the Navy and did a psych residency. I think the training was top notch. The standard of care was better than in the civilian world a lot of times. It made me a better person and taught me good leadership skills. I also worked with Marines which was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

At the same time, it was difficult at times both professionally and personaly. I don't agree at all with your comment about the nurse administrators. That's B.S.

 

[AF M4]

I did the 4-year HPSP scholarship through the Navy and did a psych residency. I think the training was top notch. The standard of care was better than in the civilian world a lot of times. It made me a better person and taught me good leadership skills. I also worked with Marines which was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

At the same time, it was difficult at times both professionally and personaly. I don't agree at all with your comment about the nurse administrators. That's B.S.

Nurse admins. They're like those banal demons in the Screwtape Letters. I swear to God, I've gotten emails that sound exactly like they were taken from one of those chapters.

To the OP: You write like a giddy 14 year old girl. You are purporting to be a male physician who has at least completed internship, and yet your diction, punctuation, and the fact that your font is different from the normal style (indicating you're copy/pasting from Word) makes me think that you're an enlisted teenager in a recruitment office somewhere cribbing post material from brochures and blogs.

 

[faith2]

Thank you OP. I love reading positive threads from my senior officers and doctors.

 

[MSS07]

Nurse admins. They're like those banal demons in the Screwtape Letters. I swear to God, I've gotten emails that sound exactly like they were taken from one of those chapters.

To the OP: You write like a giddy 14 year old girl. You are purporting to be a male physician who has at least completed internship, and yet your diction, punctuation, and the fact that your font is different from the normal style (indicating you're copy/pasting from Word) makes me think that you're an enlisted teenager in a recruitment office somewhere cribbing post material from brochures and blogs.

Ok so lets try to keep this thread positive please, and NavyUMO, thanks for the input I was starting to worry that all my future colleagues were going to be bitter and unhappy.

 

[orbitsurgMD]

We all know that people who need to gripe/complain . . . . military that they can look forward to, we might get more docs and fill the scholarships which leads to more interns and happier residents and staff.

Please post your good experiences!

Navy Unidentified Medical Officer: welcome to SDN. Sometimes it is helpful to post your creds; all your positive experience will have a little more believability that way. No names needed.

 

[csnitchl]

To the OP: You write like a giddy 14 year old girl. You are purporting to be a male physician who has at least completed internship, and yet your diction, punctuation, and the fact that your font is different from the normal style (indicating you're copy/pasting from Word) makes me think that you're an enlisted teenager in a recruitment office somewhere cribbing post material from brochures and blogs.

This may be the first time I've ever seen or heard the "you write like a girl" argument in any setting. Awesome.

 

[notdeadyet]

OP- There's already an active stickie called Military Pro's, Con's and Opinions designed for folks looking to stroke folks for joining or gripe about something they don't like. You might get more traction there in case folks are tired of posting the same stuff.

 

[orbitsurgMD]

We all know that people who need to gripe/complain seek out a forum to do so and that people who are content and happy usually don't. I think that it is great that you all who have experience with military medicine offer insight to those who have questions. That being said it is time that we take the time to talk about the good aspects. I have looked at this forum on and off for years and it is always the same stuff when it comes to complaints.

I agree. Always the same old complaints. I think it's time we had some fresh, new complaints, not those stale old ones.

Any of you who are considering an HPSP scholarship or joining the MC if the thought of a deployment doesn't scare the crap out of you it can be an incredible experience. No matter where we go physicians are complaining civilian or military.

True. But why take lower pay and deployment obligations, along with delay to training for a questionable financial package?

I for one was expecting to be one of the complainers as I joined for the wrong reasons (money) I didn't want the big loans and I was married and wanted to afford to start a family and have enough money to let my wife be a stay at home (that is what she always wanted, though she is educated and made us a comfortable living during med school) we had our first less than 3 months into internship. There are so many posts about how much money you can make on the outside, for those of us who have families if you haven't figured it out already I would rather earn 20,000 a year and be able to spend time with my family than earn 1,000,000 and not. The HPSP scholarship and Navy Medicine has allowed me to not only live Very!! Comfortably!!

I am not sure whether I should feel sorry for you. A little bit, maybe.

but I got to start living like that with my wife as a stay at home and everything my kids need since the day I graduated from med school. I have had 99% good experiences. Sure, I have had senior officers who are not physicians (usually NC) in positions of power making decisions that affect our practice, but there are similar situations on the outside. I could go on about the good things (ill leave out the bad because they have been said 1000 X in this forum) but ill stop for now I have work to do. If we start letting all those young premeds out there know that there are opportunities and experiences in the military that they can look forward to, we might get more docs and fill the scholarships which leads to more interns and happier residents and staff.

Please post your good experiences!

I dunno. You say you're a Navy doctor, even tag yourself "NavyUMO", but pardon me if I seem a little skeptical, because you write so much more like a recruiter, and not a terribly sophisticated one at that.

 

[orbitsurgMD]

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[Jet915]

I'll post about my positive military experience. I always wanted to join the military since I was a kid so that's probably why I might perceive my experience as positive. I took a 3 year HPSP scholarship to an expensive private medical school. Did my internship near my home in San Diego. Went to 6 months of flight school in Pensacola Florida where I got to fly a fixed wing plane and helicopter (at the controls). I did get kinda screwed by getting stationed on the east coast (NC) since I'm originally from the west coast. It all worked out though, I got attached to a marine helicopter unit and am currently deployed to Afghanistan where I work in a tent near the flight line doing primary care, get to shadow anesthesiologists at the nearby hospital and fly in combat missions 1-2x a week. How cool is that? I get out in Jul2011 where I will start an civilian anesthesiology program.........all of that and I have no student loans!

 

[faith2]

Wow sounds exciting!!!! Do army get attached to a marine unit, or do army only stay with army?

I'll post about my positive military experience. I always wanted to join the military since I was a kid so that's probably why I might perceive my experience as positive. I took a 3 year HPSP scholarship to an expensive private medical school. Did my internship near my home in San Diego. Went to 6 months of flight school in Pensacola Florida where I got to fly a fixed wing plane and helicopter (at the controls). I did get kinda screwed by getting stationed on the east coast (NC) since I'm originally from the west coast. It all worked out though, I got attached to a marine helicopter unit and am currently deployed to Afghanistan where I work in a tent near the flight line doing primary care, get to shadow anesthesiologists at the nearby hospital and fly in combat missions 1-2x a week. How cool is that? I get out in Jul2011 where I will start an civilian anesthesiology program.........all of that and I have no student loans!

 

[jabreal00]

---------------- Listening to: Bigga Bush Vs. Kocani Orkestar - L'Orient Est Roots via FoxyTunes

My residency training was better than the average civilian university program. It was in a pretty good location. I got screwed and PCSed to a hell hole after graduating. Luckily was only there for one year prior to getting picked up for a fellowship. I am still in my fellowship training. I love going to work daily. However, once I finish I probably will get screwed again. I'll do my time. Moonlight on the side and then get out after my 4yr obligation is over.

All in all, I saved a ton of money during my residency. I have no debt. I get the experience I need in my sub-specialty and once I get out I will more than double my pay.

The only problem is that my experience is not reproducible. If I did it again, I might be in the middle of Afghanistan hating life.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

I've had lots of positive experiences, but the bad definitely outweighs the good. Here's a brief list of the good ones (keep in mind that like the above poster this list is hardly reproducible.)

Med school was paid for-no debt.
Got what I wanted in the military match and matched at my number one civilian choice.
Got to spend 2 months in Europe
Got to go on a humanitarian mission
Got to be a disaster team chief
Got to be an EMS director
Got to be a department head
Got to be a department medical director
Got to be on significant hospital committees
Got to teach residents without having to do research
Didn't get shot at on deployment

Good luck and hope things work out for you.

A couple more I thought of:

I enjoy my colleagues, at least those on their first tour. I also enjoy working with some fantastic techs (not that well trained, but great people.)

 

[Jet915]

Wow sounds exciting!!!! Do army get attached to a marine unit, or do army only stay with army?

I don't think so, Navy sometime get attached to Army against their will but not the other way around, the Army has helo units so you can get similar experiences w/the Army I would think...

 

[faith2]

Why against their will?

I don't think so, Navy sometime get attached to Army against their will but not the other way around, the Army has helo units so you can get similar experiences w/the Army I would think...

 

[notdeadyet]

Why against their will?

GMO tours are rarely by choice. Army GMO tours are relatively rare, so when they happen, they stay in the Army. Navy GMO tours are relatively common, so they are occasionally slotted to Army deployments. This can cause frustration because being in a tent in a FOB in the desert is probably tough if you had visions of being on a boat somewhere.

 

[dru2002]

Why against their will?

Just my opinion. Most sailors (in particular those who have spent time with the Marines) don't really like the army. Again just from my perspective, if I have to go spend time in the desert it better be with some leathernecks. This could just be my blinded view of navy doctors from spending 4 and half years with the Marines.

 

[faith2]

I am sorry I do not understand why the navy does not like the army, and vice versa. I mean I know we have a little sibling rivalary that my recruiter explained in a way that was an attack on the navy. Then the ROTC teacher at my job is retired navy, and he explained it as in the army we are not smart although I have a BS and a MS before I joined. I love all the branches, but of course I love mines the best and I will stand by them. However it would be nice to know why my branch is not liked, and why I can not like the navy.

 

[Jet915]

I am sorry I do not understand why the navy does not like the army, and vice versa. I mean I know we have a little sibling rivalary that my recruiter explained in a way that was an attack on the navy. Then the ROTC teacher at my job is retired navy, and he explained it as in the army we are not smart although I have a BS and a MS before I joined. I love all the branches, but of course I love mines the best and I will stand by them. However it would be nice to know why my branch is not liked, and why I can not like the navy.

What I meant my comment was that it is pretty common for Navy Docs to be IA'd to Army billets for 1 year tours, case in point, I had a fellow flight doc in my class get IA'd to the Army to Afghanistan for an infantry unit for a whole year. It's always Navy docs going to Army billets but never the other way around...

 

[faith2]

Thank you I get it now.

What I meant my comment was that it is pretty common for Navy Docs to be IA'd to Army billets for 1 year tours, case in point, I had a fellow flight doc in my class get IA'd to the Army to Afghanistan for an infantry unit for a whole year. It's always Navy docs going to Army billets but never the other way around...

 

[NavyUMO]

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[NavyUMO]

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[dru2002]

I am sorry I do not understand why the navy does not like the army, and vice versa. I mean I know we have a little sibling rivalary that my recruiter explained in a way that was an attack on the navy. Then the ROTC teacher at my job is retired navy, and he explained it as in the army we are not smart although I have a BS and a MS before I joined. I love all the branches, but of course I love mines the best and I will stand by them. However it would be nice to know why my branch is not liked, and why I can not like the navy.

I should have clarified better. I spent most of my time with the Marines, who perform basically the same mission as the army (not doctrinally but rather in practice). And I feel that Marines are much better at they job than than soldiers. This is shaped by two deployments to Iraq one with a Marine infantry battalion and another attached as an advisor to an army stryker brigade. Do I respect them for serving their country? Most definitely. Am I glad that I'm a sailor? You betcha.

This rant is directed at war fighting ability not medical care capability. I don't enough to speak intelligently about the differences in the medical delivery systems. I also shouldn't have made blanket statements drawn from mine and some of my colleagues opinions. So I apoligize for that.

Now back to your regularly scheduled thread.

 

[pgg]

Just my opinion. Most sailors (in particular those who have spent time with the Marines) don't really like the army.

I had a Corpsman who said, and I quote, "I hate the Army more than I hate the enemy" and I think he mostly meant it.

I think the straw that broke that camel's back was that the Army detachment at the FOB refused to allow the Marines and Navy guys to use their showers after ours got blown up in a rocket attack. Blown up! Jerks. Later they actually put padlocks on the showers; our BN CO dealt with that personally with an axe, fireman style, literally chopped the handle off the door.

My own interactions with the Army were generally less positive than my interactions with the Marines or AF. I did, uh, borrow, a lot of equipment and supplies from the Army though so they weren't all bad. Still a little miffed that I couldn't get an order of Robitussin for my Marines delivered in less than a month but some Army PA who felt like learning how to do FAST exams could get an ultrasound machine helo'd in immediately.

I should have clarified better. I spent most of my time with the Marines, who perform basically the same mission as the army (not doctrinally but rather in practice). And I feel that Marines are much better at they job than than soldiers. This is shaped by two deployments to Iraq one with a Marine infantry battalion and another attached as an advisor to an army stryker brigade. Do I respect them for serving their country? Most definitely. Am I glad that I'm a sailor? You betcha.

I generally agree. Though it's perhaps unfair to compare AD Marines to regular AD Army or (god forbid) NG reservists. The Ranger battalions were pretty squared away though, and the Army SF guys had it ALL together.

 

[dru2002]

I generally agree. Though it's perhaps unfair to compare AD Marines to regular AD Army or (god forbid) NG reservists. The Ranger battalions were pretty squared away though, and the Army SF guys had it ALL together.

Totally agree. The SF attached to us in Al Qaim were true professionals. I would serve with them any day.

 

[HackFuJones]

I liked working with the other branches personally. I thought C4 was pretty cool and the Navy guys with their flashy blue water camo uniforms helped us pick up chicks Girls at Ft. Sam were flocking to them!!

 

[orbitsurgMD]

I deleted original post.
Well I guess my experiment worked. I wrote something positive and it took all of 5 seconds for you to turn it around and make it negative. That's exactly what I expected. For those of you that wrote negative posts, what I wrote was all true. I am sorry that you joined the military only to find out that you joined the military (what did you expect deployments to a bed and breakfast, total autonomy and complete control. I am happy, sorry you are not. No I am not doing 20 years I will get out at about 10years in but I won't look back on such a big portion of my life and career as a mistake like so many of you. I am done with this thread. I guess if I want to get meaning full responses I should just write about how much more money I could make because we all know that money is the only thing that can make us happy and fulfilled (sad).

You deleted your post. Why? (Worried it didn't make you look so good?)

If you stand by what you wrote--your third or fourth post on this forum--why won't you let it stand?

Great that you have enjoyed your tour. Really. What does that have to do with others who have reasons to say differently about their experiences? And if you think poorly of what you regard as negative opinions posted by others, why do you bother to read, let alone write anything here at all?

Is this forum something you like to play with, amuse your self with, "experiment" with? Hard to think of you as an honest participant here when you take that approach. "Well, I posted here just to see how quickly someone would challenge me and write negative things to my 'positive thread'" Experiment done.

BTW, I asked you for some info to establish your credibility. You didn't reply. Why? What are you afraid of?

 

[NavyC]

You deleted your post. Why? (Worried it didn't make you look so good?)

If you stand by what you wrote--your third or fourth post on this forum--why won't you let it stand?

Great that you have enjoyed your tour. Really. What does that have to do with others who have reasons to say differently about their experiences? And if you think poorly of what you regard as negative opinions posted by others, why do you bother to read, let alone write anything here at all?

Is this forum something you like to play with, amuse your self with, "experiment" with? Hard to think of you as an honest participant here when you take that approach. "Well, I posted here just to see how quickly someone would challenge me and write negative things to my 'positive thread'" Experiment done.

BTW, I asked you for some info to establish your credibility. You didn't reply. Why? What are you afraid of?

Its not that he didn't want to hear about anyone's negative experiences its just that there are countless threads on this forum dedicated to just negative experiences in military med. He started a thread about POSITIVE military experiences and as usual the negative comments started spilling in. So no its not him who has the problem with hearing negative comments its you and all the other unhappy mil med doctors who have problems with people actually enjoying their experience in the military.

 

[Homunculus]

Its not that he didn't want to hear about anyone's negative experiences its just that there are countless threads on this forum dedicated to just negative experiences in military med. He started a thread about POSITIVE military experiences and as usual the negative comments started spilling in. So no its not him who has the problem with hearing negative comments its you and all the other unhappy mil med doctors who have problems with people actually enjoying their experience in the military.

i've been on active duty 6 years now and have yet to meet anyone enjoying their time in the military at a non-MEDCEN. the place i work is universally miserable. people work the MEDDAC's to burn out their obligation or "put in their time" to get to the MEDCENs.

i find it a little strange he would delete his post, but that's up to him. most of it is quoted anyway. the issues people raise when the "it's not that bad, stop whining" people come in is normally related to their experience/position in the "machine". as an attending, i'm making less money and working more with less support than my civilian counterparts. as an attending greensuiter there are no more limited hour workweeks. the physician staff here was called in on a saturday to go though our clinics and check for expired stuff and "clean" because the civilians can't be forced to do anything outside their protected 8 hour workday. i have 2 patient rooms and 1 nurse. it's ridiculus. the 20k a year vs 1million w/o family has to be a joke. in the military they do both-- less pay and less family, lol.

orbitsurg's point about where he is in training is important. for people burning up commitments in cool GMO slots (a very small niche) i'm sure the experience is fun, but it is far from a career (though i guess it could be in the military). the vast majority of people who are trying to get trained and do the traditional time as an attending are going to find a vastly different experience.

as far as positives go:

1) i don't worry about the cost of meds/labs/imaging for my patients
2) don't have to worry about overhead and "business" of running a practice
3) if the place goes up in flames i won't be upset about it (literally and figuratively)
4) i deployed for a year and didn't get blown up (came close though)
5) i've met some great people who manage to provide really good care for patients in spite of the system we work in.

--your friendly neighborhood army attending caveman

 

[AF M4]

Its not that he didn't want to hear about anyone's negative experiences its just that there are countless threads on this forum dedicated to just negative experiences in military med. He started a thread about POSITIVE military experiences and as usual the negative comments started spilling in. So no its not him who has the problem with hearing negative comments its you and all the other unhappy mil med doctors who have problems with people actually enjoying their experience in the military.

I greatly enjoy working with my medical peers and colleagues, and especially my patients. After that, one really has to create and maintain a positive attitude and set of experiences on one's own because it's rare to find a place in milmed that does that for you.

The good news is that if you can make it in milmed and/or GMO World, then you can make it anywhere.