Air Force Question about Pediatric speciality

[zay]

I'm considering applying to USUHS for Air Force. I am interested in a pediatric speciality and wanted to know a few things about being a pediatrician in the military, specifically the AF. I've used the search function but the only threads I've found have said things like, "You need to find a pediatrician to talk to" and, well...that's why I'm here, lol. I'm new to this so if I use terminology wrong, please forgive and correct me.

1) What is the daily schedule like for a pediatrician in the Air Force? How often do you work/are on call/etc?
2) What is the overall yearly schedule like? If you're a pediatrician, how many times have you deployed, and for how long, and what was your job while deployed? Was it mostly humanitarian or did you deploy as a GMO?
3) What's it like being in as a doctor with a family? Do you get to see your family often?
4) Where do you get stationed and how often do you move around? Do you find you have any real say in the choice?
5) What's the reimbursement time? I've heard anywhere from 4 to 7 years, and I've heard that internship/residency do and do not count...which of these is true?
6) Does your time in medical school and your time in internship/residency count toward active duty years for pay/retirement/etc?
7) I am a married woman. How is my job/deployability/etc affected if I become pregnant?

A lot of my research was done on websites on my phone so it's possible I missed something while reading, but I'm really looking for information from people who have actual experience and not necessarily just information from recruiting websites that may be...motivated to give me "best case scenario" information over literal, true-to-life information. Thank you!!!

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[BigNavyPedsGuy]

I was a Navy pediatrician but I had several friend who were Air Force and the answer to your questions is basically the same for either branch. The big thing to realize: you might not be able to be a pediatrician at all if you joint the military.

See my replies below ALL CAPS.

I'm considering applying to USUHS for Air Force. I am interested in a pediatric speciality and wanted to know a few things about being a pediatrician in the military, specifically the AF. I've used the search function but the only threads I've found have said things like, "You need to find a pediatrician to talk to" and, well...that's why I'm here, lol. I'm new to this so if I use terminology wrong, please forgive and correct me.

1) What is the daily schedule like for a pediatrician in the Air Force? How often do you work/are on call/etc?

CLINIC STARTS EALRY 7:15-7;30. YOUR DAILY SCHEDULE IS COMPLETELY DEPENDENT UPON YOUR COMMAND AND WHERE YOU HAPPEN TO BE STATIONED. MY COMMAND MANDATED CLINIC EVERY DAY UNTIL 6PM AND WE WERE ON CALL EVERY 4TH NIGHT.

2) What is the overall yearly schedule like? If you're a pediatrician, how many times have you deployed, and for how long, and what was your job while deployed? Was it mostly humanitarian or did you deploy as a GMO?

I "DEPLOYED" TWICE. AFTER INTERNSHIP I WAS INVOLUNTARILY SENT TO BE THE GMO ON A SHIP. I WAS THE PRIMARY DOC FOR A BUNCH OF ADULTS. IN THE SIR FORCE, YOU'RE MORE LIKELY TO GET THIS ASSIGNMENT AFTER YOU RESIDENCY INSTEAD OF IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.
THEN I DEPLOYED ON THE USNS MERCY (DIDN'T VOLUNTEER). SPENT 3 MONTHS TRAVELING AROUND ASIA DOING PR HUMANITARIAN WORK.

3) What's it like being in as a doctor with a family? Do you get to see your family often?
NOW THAT I'M A CIVILIAN I GET TO SEE THEM MUCH MORE. WHEN I WAS IN THE MILITARY I DID NOT. AS A RESIDENT 9MILITARY OR CIVILIAN) YOU WON'T GET MUCH FAMILY TIME. AFTER THAT IT VAIRES WIDELY BASED ON SCHEDULE, IF YOU ARE SUBSPECIALIST, ETC.

4) Where do you get stationed and how often do you move around? Do you find you have any real say in the choice?
YOU GET TO RANK LOCATIONS, BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S NOT UP TO YOU AT ALL.

5) What's the reimbursement time? I've heard anywhere from 4 to 7 years, and I've heard that internship/residency do and do not count...which of these is true?
7YEARS FOR USUHS, 4 YEARS FOR HPSP. RESIDENCY DOES NOT COUNT.

6) Does your time in medical school and your time in internship/residency count toward active duty years?
RESIDENCY AND INTERNSHIP COUNT, BUT NOT MEDICAL SCHOOL. IF YOU GO USUHS THEN ONCE YOU HIT 20 YEARS, YOU GET CREDIT FOR 24, BUT OTHERWISE THEY DON'T COUNT.

7) I am a married woman. How is my job/deployability/etc affected if I become pregnant?
YOU WOULD BE NON-DEPLOYABLE WHILE PREGNANT AND FOR UP A YEAR AFTERWARD DUE TO NURSING. THOSE DEPLOYMENTS DON'T GO AWAY, SOMEONE ELSE DOES THEM. ONE REASON I GOT TAGGED FOR THE HUMANITARIAN DEPLOYMENT WAS BECAUSE 6 OF MY RESIDENCY PEERS WERE EITHER PREGNANT OR NURSING.


A lot of my research was done on websites on my phone so it's possible I missed something while reading, but I'm really looking for information from people who have actual experience and not necessarily just information from recruiting websites that may be...motivated to give me "best case scenario" information over literal, true-to-life information. Thank you!!!

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

duplicate post

 

[zay]

I was a Navy pediatrician but I had several friend who were Air Force and the answer to your questions is basically the same for either branch. The big thing to realize: you might not be able to be a pediatrician at all if you joint the military.

See my replies below ALL CAPS.

Thank you so much! This was thorough. I hope you don't mind if you expand my questions...sometimes answers make me think of new ones.

1) With this schedule, how many days would you say you averaged per week working?
2) How long were each of your deployments, compared to your total time in active duty?
3) How does it compare to civilian time? For instance, I know med school and residency is tough on any family, regardless of school choice or military service obligation. Would you say military med school and residency is more demanding when it comes to being able to see your family? Less? The same?
4) How often did you have to move? How long were you on active duty, and how many places did you live? What about during residency, did you move during residency or did you do your whole residency in one place?
5) So the time commitment would be: 4 years for med school, plus 1 year for internship, plus 2+ for residency, plus 7 for paying back?

Thanks!

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

Sorry for the delay. I've found it's better for my mental health not to frequent SDN that much

See answered in CAPS below

Thank you so much! This was thorough. I hope you don't mind if you expand my questions...sometimes answers make me think of new ones.

1) With this schedule, how many days would you say you averaged per week working?
THREE OUT OF FOUR WEEKS I WORKED 5 DAYS AND 7 DAYS THE FOURTH. THIS IS MORE THAN THE AVERAGE FOR A CIVILIAN. FOUR DAYS/WEEK IS GENERALLY ACCEPTED AS FULL TIME.

2) How long were each of your deployments, compared to your total time in active duty?
I WAS FORTUNATE: MY LONGEST STRETCH AWAY WAS 3 MONTHS. MANY COLLEAGUES DID 9 MONTH DEPLOYMENTS - A COUPLE DID 12 MONTHERS. THERE ARE RUMORS OF THE AIR FORCE BEING DIFFERENT/SPLITTING DEPLOYMENTS, ETC. I PERSONALLY WOULDN'T JOIN WIHTOUT PLANNING ON AT LEAT A 9 MONTH DEPLOYMENT DURING YOUR PAYBACK TIME.

3) How does it compare to civilian time? For instance, I know med school and residency is tough on any family, regardless of school choice or military service obligation. Would you say military med school and residency is more demanding when it comes to being able to see your family? Less? The same?
MED SCHOOL AND RESIDENCY ARE LIKELY SIMILAR TO CIVILIAN SCHOOLS. BUT IF YOU GO TO USUHS YOU'LL LIKELY HAVE TO TRAVEL A LOT MORE YOUR 3RD AND 4TH YEARS. IT'S THE PAYBACK TIME WHERE THE MILITARY QUALITY OF LIFE IS GENERALLY SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE THAN CIVILIAN COUNTERPARTS.

4) How often did you have to move? How long were you on active duty, and how many places did you live? What about during residency, did you move during residency or did you do your whole residency in one place?
GENERALLY PLAN TO MOVE EVERY 2-4 YEARS. MOST FOLKS DO RESIDENCY IN ONE PLACE AND THEIR PAYBACK I N1-2 PLACES. I SPENT 3.5 YEARS IN SAN DIEGO (INTERNSHIP, RESIDENCY, SHORT GMO); AND THEN 3.5 YEARS IN WASHINGTON (PAYBACK TIME)

5) So the time commitment would be: 4 years for med school, plus 1 year for internship, plus 2+ for residency, plus 7 for paying back?
THIS IS THOROUGHLY EXPLORED IN SEVERAL THREADS ON THIS FORUM. SHORT VERSION: YOU PAY BACK MEDICAL SCHOOL AND RESIDENCY AT THE SAME TIME. BUT YES, SIGNING THE DOTTED LINE FOR USUHS GENERALLY COMMITS YOU FOR AT LEAST 14 YEARS. HPSP GENERALLY HAS AN 11+ YEAR TAIL (4YEARS OF SCHOOL, 3 YEARS TRAINING, 4 YEARS PAYBACK). IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT THIS IS A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER COMMITMENT THAN ANY SERVICE ACADEMY, ROTC PROGRAM ETC. SERIOUSLY, 14 YEARS AGO NAPSTER WAS POPULAR AND PEOPLE WERE JUST NOW LEARNING ABOUT THIS NEW BOOK/MOVIE CALLED HARRY POTTER.

Thanks!