Questions you wish you had asked your recruiter...

It would mean the world to me if military MD's could post some of the specific questions they wish they had asked their recruiters before coming into military medicine. It would also mean the world to me if this thread was used primarily for that purpose and didn't turn into a back and forth debate like the majority of threads. Of course, debate is an invaluable component of human social interaction, but I mean for this thread to become invaluable in a different respect - by being a place that people currently considering HPSP or UHSUS can come for those critical questions they should be asking their recruiters.

Thank you so much and I eagerly await your responses.

majahops said:

It would mean the world to me if military MD's could post some of the specific questions they wish they had asked their recruiters before coming into military medicine. It would also mean the world to me if this thread was used primarily for that purpose and didn't turn into a back and forth debate like the majority of threads. Of course, debate is an invaluable component of human social interaction, but I mean for this thread to become invaluable in a different respect - by being a place that people currently considering HPSP or UHSUS can come for those critical questions they should be asking their recruiters.

Thank you so much and I eagerly await your responses.

Click to expand...

Read the forum and you can get the answers without even asking the questions. In fact, you can even get the CORRECT answers. Many of us asked the right questions, but got false information for answers.

But if you really want to ask a recruiter some questions, how about these?

Why hasn't ISP gone up for years for most specialties?
Why hasn't ASP gone up for years for anyone?
Why hasn't BCP gone up for years?
Why hasn't VSP gone up for years?
How come the retention rate is so low?
Why are military doctors so unhappy with their practice environment?
What is the longest period of time a military doctor has ever been deployed?
What percentage of residency applicants do a GMO tour in this particular service?
What percentage of those applying for my particular specialty were not allowed to do straight through training for each of the last 5 years?
Do military doctors like surgeons and emergency docs feel like their skills atrophy during their time on active duty?
Can I moonlight as a military resident?
How much does a military doctor in my specialty actually make, not counting pays that extend his service like ISP, MISP etc?
Have you ever recruited anyone that is currently an attending physician? Have you talked to him/her since his residency graduation?
What college did YOU go to?
What do you know about how medical school, residency, the military match, and the civilian match work?
What makes a good residency?
Why do military residencies focus so much on board scores/board pass rates?
What kind of procedure numbers do military residents in my desired specialty have compared to some of the better civilian programs?
How selective is this scholarship, really?
What's it like to be a doc in a submarine, on a surface ship, with the marines, as a GMO etc?
Can I get the contact information for a few military docs, including at least a couple that are getting or got out after their first tour?

That'll probably be enough.

I would agree with ActiveDutyMD with a little less alphabet soup.

What percentage applicants complete GMO tours?
What is it like be the doc on a ship or with a Marine unit?
Can I talk with a doc in a GMO billet?
Can I talk with a doc in my desired specialty?
What is your background? How does that qualify you to be a source on info about the medical corps?
Have you spoken to any of your recruits after they have gone onto residency? Why/why not?

ActiveDutyMD said:

That'll probably be enough.

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ha. if I was your recruiter I'd cut my losses and move along. much easier conning a naive premed than fully briefing and then convincing someone else.

majahops said:

It would mean the world to me if military MD's could post some of the specific questions they wish they had asked their recruiters before coming into military medicine. It would also mean the world to me if this thread was used primarily for that purpose and didn't turn into a back and forth debate like the majority of threads. Of course, debate is an invaluable component of human social interaction, but I mean for this thread to become invaluable in a different respect - by being a place that people currently considering HPSP or UHSUS can come for those critical questions they should be asking their recruiters.

Thank you so much and I eagerly await your responses.

Click to expand...

Sort of assuming you would get the correct answers in the first place, aren't you? And you are assuming that the recruiter's answers matter at all once you have signed.

I actually did not have a lot of unanswered questions. My wife actually sat down with a very anti-military friend and came up with 2 pages (single spaced) of questions for my recruiter. The look on his face when she pulled out the list was priceless. Unfortunately for him, he was a P3 pilot and not a medical type. He called back with answers to the questions after consulting with smarter people.

I was fortunate to grow up in a military family, so I understood the whole needs of the Navy routine. I can't say I have been surprised by anything the Navy has done to/for me.