- Joined
- Apr 16, 2003
- Messages
- 805
- Reaction score
- 14
just wondering if anyone here has actually done a Navy GMO tour...if you did (or know someone who did), did they like it? would they do it / Navy again?
Originally posted by JKDMed
Why is the Navy FS program 7 months? Do you actually get to fly?
Originally posted by JKDMed
My only reservation for not doing Navy HPSP is away time from family (wife and potentially kids). What is the average away time for a Flight Surgeon? one required 6 month tour?
Air Force Flight Surgeons sound kinda of lame.
Navy Dive Doc said:I'm checking in occasionally between dives, Spang, here's my take on overseas billets.
There are very few overseas DMO jobs. There's a Submarine Squadron Job in Okinawa, Japan, 2 jobs in La Madellena, Sardinia (Italy) both stationed on the Emory S. Land, a submarine tender. One is the DMO for sub squadron 22, the other is the DMO technically assigned to the ship. Neither of these is a coveted tour, though I've been to Lamadd and it is a nice place. The problem is, the ship deploys in the med frequently, so if you have a family they get left behind in a VERY small Italian island community so beware if you have a wife who is not overly adventurous. Plus, the crews on Tenders are notoriously the worst in the Navy.
There is a DMO billet with Marine Recon in Okinawa (my Friend just left for that job as a second tour), it's rumored to be a great job, but it will be busy as North Korea heats up.
There are 3 jobs in Guam, 1 EOD, 1 Submarine Squadron 14 and one hospital clinic job ("Claimancy-18" means clinic). EOD would be the best of those, though I'm biased toward my own.
There are still jobs in Puerto Rico, 1 SEAL billet, 1 clinic but these are almost certainly going away as we close down Roosevelt Roads...without Vieques Island, we don't have a need anymore. It will be interesting to see how that pans out, PR is already screeming about the lost revenue if the base closes, talk about unintended consequences. Sorry, editorializing.
There is a DMO exchange billet in London, but that will never go to a junior DMO in their first tour...usually a CDR or CAPT, it's a great job. Get in line behind me.
There is a billet in Bahrain at a new EOD unit, that will be a good job but it is unaccompanied so no family.
That represents all of the overseas DMO billets. We're a small community, so there aren't a lot of jobs overall, esp. overseas. Only 20 trained a year and most only do one tour so really about 60 active DMO's at any given time.
Also, those of us who hang in there for second tours get first dibs on the "good" jobs, so some of them will disappear before new classes get their lists. Same with FS or GMO. Spang, those Key west Flight surgeons are almost certainly 2nd tour, although once in awhile they're open for Nubs. The straight clinic, non-deploying GMO jobs also tend to go to returning GMO's who signed up for a 2nd tour, interns rarely get them. I'd rather stick a fork in my eye than have on of those clinic jobs, but they're popular.
As far as overseas goes, you'd be best off doing a GMO tour not FS or DMO. That way, you can negitiate with the detailer early. IF you go to FS or DMO, you get a lot less choices when the billet list comes out...there's an equal number of jobs on the list as people in the class, maybe none overseas. Hope this helps.
So as a DMO, there are few good overseas bases. you do not deploy as much as a fs. if you do deploy, you are likely to go on a submarine, as opposed to a fighter jet. So why is DMO considered cooler than FS?
Flight surgery is a bigger community so there are more billets/locations available, overseas and at home.
DMOs don't deploy on subs. They man dive chambers on sub tenders, which almost never leave port. Some will deploy with operational units (SEALs, Recon, EOD). Flight surgeons don't deploy "on" fighter jets. You deploy with your squadron/wing and in an operational/combat setting will likely not be flying. As a flight surgeon you may get to fly some depending on your unit and aircraft platform, but it mostly amounts to screwing around and having fun during training and down periods. I certainly do not expect to be leading any airstrikes on Al-Queda with my vast amounts of flying experience in the T-34 and TH-57.
From what I have heard (and maybe there are some DMO types that can speak better on this than I) DMOs do tend to have it a little better when it comes to deployments. Sub tenders never leave port, and I've been told that deployments with most EOD units are quick and painless.
I certainly wouldn't say being a DMO is considered "cooler" than being a flight surgeon. DMO is certainly more competitive simply because there are much fewer DMOs than flight surgeons. From what I can tell, both are very similar actually (in terms of what you do as a doctor).
From what I can tell, both are very similar actually (in terms of what you do as a doctor).
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you're not married.I think being deployed is cool-you get to travel. If you're married, it might still be cool if you do it for no more than 3 years.
I am interested in psychiatry, and perhaps being a DMO in the Navy. Is this possible? Can I start out with a psych residency, and then apply for DMO? How would I go about this?
Thanks
I'm sure some of the people in my class are having fun as we speak. I know one guy in EOD and other with MODSU. But for the rest of us, either sub billets, tenders or clinics.
Question to those in the know:
Does the Navy have the leeway to cut PGY-2 spots across most specialties at their hospitals...or just not completely fill programs?
It seems that given the declining number of HPSPers, they are going to have to find a way to keep up the number of people heading out to GMO's. A an easy way to do this would be to decrease the number of people in residency....either by dropping the number of offered PGY-2 spots or just by not flling some programs.
I have heard that most specialties in Navy hospitals currently have "borderline" too many residents given case loads and census lists....is this true? Obviously the above is only a possibility if the hospitals could still function without as many residents.
I am currently on deferrment at a civilian residency, but I have a brother contemplating the HPSP. I do not want to see him sign up and then get completely screwed by having to wait in a GMO for multiple years until a PGY-2 spot would open in his his desired specialty because "x" specialty went from 15 total spots to 8.
My question is this: If I owe the navy a three year committment. Can I fullfill this by doing navy flight surgery? (six months training plus a 2.5 year tour)? Or will you be committed for three and a half years. Also, will you be able to apply for/interview for a civilian residency during your committment and finish in enough time to enter a civilian residency?
I am currently on deferrment at a civilian residency, but I have a brother contemplating the HPSP. I do not want to see him sign up and then get completely screwed by having to wait in a GMO for multiple years until a PGY-2 spot would open in his his desired specialty because "x" specialty went from 15 total spots to 8.
Then he shouldn't sign, because if he wants something highly desirable, chances are more than a few GMOs who have done their fleet time also want in.
Then he shouldn't sign, because if he wants something highly desirable, chances are more than a few GMOs who have done their fleet time also want in.
I understand that this is the way it works for desired specialties...and I have explained to him that if he choses to do one of those and does not get a full deferment he is going to have to go through a minimum of a 2 year GMO.
I am trying to get him some info on IM and GS...2 specialties which I heard you have a good chance to go "straight through" right now.
Basically, I wanted someone's opinion as to the census loads in those specialties at the 3 "academic" Navy hospitals. Obviously, if they are swamped, they cannot just cut down the number of PGY-2 spots. However, I have heard stories of there being as few as 4 patients on IM services at various times.
Do most of you think that it is going to start getting harder and harder to go straight through even in those specialties?
I think so. Also remember, in most internship classes there are always several prior service guys who are more likely to go straight through (IM or GS) than non-prior service interns.
I was not aware of this. I'm a USUHS student right now. That's good to know. I'd rather not do a GMO tour. What other criteria do they look at when making these decisions?