I can give you one navy flight surgeons view. Navy FS do six months of training. The first half is learning how to be a FS: the aeromedical evaluations, the physiology, the paperwork, the mishap investigations. The second half is joining all the pilots and nfo's as they start their training. you go through Aviation Preflight Instruction, which is sitting in a classroom and being force fed a lot of info on engines, naviation. aerodynamics, engineering, weather, etc. After medical school, you have the study habits down, so although the material is different, the process is similar. Everyone uses the coastie gouge. You will too. While taking in all this information you are also doing the physical part as well, so learning to swim in full flight gear, passing physical challenges, doing the altititude chamber, the dunk tank, sit and spin, jumping off a perfectly good boat so that you can be hoisted into a helicopter, and being dragged behind a truck somewhere in the wilds of nowhere alabama while you have a parachute attached to you.
Most of the second half of my training, I kept wondering how exactly I managed to end up there.
After you graduate API, you go to ground school for both helos and fixed wing. My class was not able to fly helos due to budget and student limitations. The best I did was a simulation, which rocked. You learn to fly a T-34, which is a two seat single prop plane. You have a shortened curriculum, and I think I ended up doing 8 or 9 flights. It was definitely cool. The instructor pilots enjoy flying with the student docs, and their main goal is to a) get us to puke and b) show us a good time. I did a lot of aerobatics b/c I always asked if we could barrel roll just one more time.
You are then sent to a squadron. I was an unusual case as I was sent to a three year billet that was shore based. My squadron sent out dets with each carrier group, but I stayed behind. I still flew, but always mid-flight. I never was at the controls during a trap or cat off the carrier. I did log quite a few while in the back, though. I was "volunteered" for a short stint on one of the carriers to replace one of the wing surgeon, so I have spent some time at sea. I spent that time trying to schmooze onto one of the helos or ea6-b, but no joy there. I volunteered for the Katrina mission, and was the flight surgeon for all of the air support off one of the LHD's in the area. I flew crazy hours there, and did some minor medical care in air. Not as much as I wanted. Other FS buddies have done more extensive stuff, such as treating and medivac'ing vent dependent sailors and having to bag said patients during the hour long transport.
The nice thing about getting a three year billet was that the navy counts the time in FS training as payback time. I was stashed (worked as a GMO) for 6 months prior to starting FS training. So my one billet covered the rest of my payback, and as of yesterday, I am on terminal leave. I had my hail and bail, and I am done (aside from that pesky IRR).
I did not go to Iraq or Afghanistan, so I can't speak on any experiences there. Me, I had a great time. Don't regret it.
But not everyone in military medicine can say that. And I'm NOT doing reserve time, and I'm NOT staying in.
So for a paid medical school education, some flight training, postponed adulthood, and a delay in finishing my residency, it was good stuff.
Feel free to PM me with any questions.
