USAF Flight Surgeon info

[dallasdaines]

I'm taking the HPSP scholarship offered by the Air Force and have one question about being a flight surgeon. The way I look at it is that it can be used as a stepping stone to getting a more competitive residency. You become a flight surgeon for 2-4 years after med school and before residency and then can either get out of the Air Force or stay in and apply for residency. Is this right? I think it is, but when I commissioned as an officer a couple days ago, the officer that read me my oath made it sound like being a flight surgeon was something people make a career out of. He was a dentist, and as such, may not have been the most informed on how it works. Any info?

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[DeadCactus]

It's little more than a detour. For some, it's a scenic drive through the countryside and for others it's construction and a car accident on the way to a meeting...

 

[Homunculus]

i don't think flight surgery is a one way ticket. i know of someone who was gen peds, did a flight surgery tour in order to go to germany, then went back to gen peds.

using the operational tour to get a leg up on a residency like you stated is legit. the risk you take with this approach is if you do decide to leave the air force having to explain what occurred. which is really not that big of a deal, and if anything may give you a leg up there as well by making you stand out and depending on the field get a few "cool" points.

for a short term (3-4 year) obligation it's not a bad way to go about it if you are ok delaying residency.

also, a word to the wise-- dentists are in a totally different world-- trust them with your teeth but not career advice, lol.

--your friendly neighborhood cavity free caveman

 

[dallasdaines]

Thanks, and noted. I think this guy was just trying to make small talk and wanted us to throw questions at him after we finished signing our paperwork. Personally, I'm torn when it comes to being a flight surgeon. From the outside looking in, it seems like a really cool experience. On the other hand, I just turned 28 and am only now starting med school. 4 years as a flight surgeon would make me an old man before I was done with residency. I think I'm going in with the right attitude, though.

 

[Kilgoretrout 65]

Being a flight surgeon does make you more competitive for hard-to-get-into specialties, slightly more than being a generic GMO. But it is also a way to extend your commitment.
You can do a "residency in aerospace medicine" which is a structured ACGME approved process. It always seemed like the RAM folks were academy types and ones who were more
interested in operational stuff. I don't think the AF encourages people to do continued GMO/flight surgeon tours after internship - in the old days there were docs who went most/all of their careers without
a residency. That's just scary.

 

[MaximusD]

In general, the AF tolerates 2-3 tours of flight med as a GMO before pushing you into GME, whether it be a different career path altogether or the RAM. The RAM puts out outstanding leaders and occupational docs, but if you want to practice medicine with a full scope and be marketable in the civilian world as anything other than occupational medicine or a FAA physician, you should probably consider other residencies.

And I will add that I have seen flight surgeon tours be helpful but have likewise seen them make no difference. If you have an above avg application and didn't make the cut, a tour in FS will help a bit. If you are an abysmal applicant, FS won't get you there. Not in the AF.

Has anyone else seen or experienced otherwise?

 

[potatochip1]

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[Aegis]

I was a flight surgeon with the AF for four years and then got out to do a civi residency in FM. My experiences as a flight doc stood out heads and tails above other 4th year med students in the same boat. Even the more competitive residencies would still view real clinical experience as a plus. The experience of being a flight surgeon varies greatly from assignment to assignment. There are some really cool jobs, and there are some real slam your head in a door paper pushing jobs. If you stay the path hit me up down the road and I can give you some pointers depending what you want to get out of it. Personally I had a great experience, and I wouldn't change anything. I deployed five times and saw and did things that I'll probably never get to do again in my career. There are also people I know that never went anywhere and got stuck on a hell hole base churning out waivers and flying cargo planes for two years. It is a lot of luck when it comes down to it.

Also, despite people telling you not to do it for the money. It's really freaking nice not to have any debt, you will make more in the military as a flight doc than you will as a resident then later if you separate you can tap into the MGIB for residency (about 60k over three years).

Regarding the RAM, be a flight surgeon first for a couple of years first, if your still all about the admin side of it than think about it. Also realize that RAMS without any clinical residency are not the greatest of clinicians. The AF has started a joint FM/RAM residency that they are trying to push people into. It's honestly a way to dodge a lot of clinical work for the rest of your career, it just depends how you want to practice.

 

[potatochip1]

I was a flight surgeon with the AF for four years and then got out to do a civi residency in FM. My experiences as a flight doc stood out heads and tails above other 4th year med students in the same boat. Even the more competitive residencies would still view real clinical experience as a plus. The experience of being a flight surgeon varies greatly from assignment to assignment. There are some really cool jobs, and there are some real slam your head in a door paper pushing jobs. If you stay the path hit me up down the road and I can give you some pointers depending what you want to get out of it. Personally I had a great experience, and I wouldn't change anything. I deployed five times and saw and did things that I'll probably never get to do again in my career. There are also people I know that never went anywhere and got stuck on a hell hole base churning out waivers and flying cargo planes for two years. It is a lot of luck when it comes down to it.

Also, despite people telling you not to do it for the money. It's really freaking nice not to have any debt, you will make more in the military as a flight doc than you will as a resident then later if you separate you can tap into the MGIB for residency (about 60k over three years).

Regarding the RAM, be a flight surgeon first for a couple of years first, if your still all about the admin side of it than think about it. Also realize that RAMS without any clinical residency are not the greatest of clinicians. The AF has started a joint FM/RAM residency that they are trying to push people into. It's honestly a way to dodge a lot of clinical work for the rest of your career, it just depends how you want to practice.

Did you choose to do flight surgery for four years or did you fail to match? Was there any pressure to get you into a residency at any point so they could "restart the clock" so to speak on your commitment time? Do you feel you had any skill atrophy from doing flight surgery for so long?

I think I might be willing to do four years in flight surgery to serve my commitment and pursue civilian options after. Like you said I think the experiences would be something you'll never see again, and something I'd prefer to do earlier than later in my career ass I'm approaching late 20's and entering med school.