Anesthesiologist in the Military

[MaligatorMD]

I am a fourth-year medical student (class 2023) applying for a residency in anesthesia (not HPSP). I have a strong interest to spend part of my career as an attending in the military. Specifically interested in the Navy, but would consider AF. I am curious if anyone can speak to the different roles I can serve as an anesthesiologist. I would love to be on a more operational side of things; not Dr.Rambo but in deployment-focused roles. What does that look like for an anesthesiologist? Can anyone speak to opportunities with FMF?

Thanks in advance.

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[narcusprince]

I am a fourth-year medical student (class 2023) applying for a residency in anesthesia (not HPSP). I have a strong interest to spend part of my career as an attending in the military. Specifically interested in the Navy, but would consider AF. I am curious if anyone can speak to the different roles I can serve as an anesthesiologist. I would love to be on a more operational side of things; not Dr.Rambo but in deployment-focused roles. What does that look like for an anesthesiologist? Can anyone speak to opportunities with FMF?

Thanks in advance.

Well if your goal is to deploy you are in the right section. Plenty of pauci rambo stuff…

 

[armytrainingsir]

CRNAs get all the cool kid stuff in the army.

 

[DMBandFan86]

Since you haven’t committed yet at this stage, I’d recommend waiting until finished with residency before you decide. Then you might have your career and life goals fully narrowed down by then. A lot changes in 4-5 years.

If you still want to join, you can then turn down a high paying civilian anesthesiologist salary and possible medical loan repayment (depending on where you work) and take a lot less to work in the military. If it is an active wartime you may get lots of chances to get close to the action if that floats your boat. The military might also send you to Alaska or something so you never know.

 

[MaligatorMD]

CRNAs get all the cool kid stuff in the army.

I have heard this and is the reason I am not considering that branch.

 

[MaligatorMD]

Since you haven’t committed yet at this stage, I’d recommend waiting until finished with residency before you decide. Then you might have your career and life goals fully narrowed down by then. A lot changes in 4-5 years.

If you still want to join, you can then turn down a high paying civilian anesthesiologist salary and possible medical loan repayment (depending on where you work) and take a lot less to work in the military. If it is an active wartime you may get lots of chances to get close to the action if that floats your boat. The military might also send you to Alaska or something so you never know.

I have wanted to do military my entire life, going to college was a last-minute fallback when I couldn't get a medical waiver for enlistment (ADHD). That said I'm not opposed to waiting and doing a direct commission after residency vs FAP.

I'm really more concerned with what the job itself actually looks like in the military. Would it be 4 years of practicing anesthesia in a military hospital with no real difference from civilian work besides the uniform, patients, and pay? Or are there plentiful opportunities to get to be a part of the medical teams that deploy? I know other specialties like EM can be highly operational but I have never had the opportunity to talk with an anesthesiologist in the Navy or AF.

To reiterate I am not trying to be an operator but I do want to be as much of an Officer as I would be a physician.

 

[ProwlerturnGas]

military medicine is undergoing many changes now, all negative. Do not join active duty. Reserves is very do-able as an anesthesiologist. Reserve physicians deploy very frequently, I have done it three times now in my short reserve career. The active duty side is a mess right now and your hard won civilian residency skills will become rusty because the case load and acuity isn’t there anymore.

 

[Volatile]

Agree with above, many MTF’s are slowly being shut down and the military is too slow to send everyone to work in civilian hospitals so docs are left in limbo, your skill set will continue to suffer. At some MTF’s you can moonlight to keep some skill set but it is often a pain to get approved and it seems it’s always being threatened.

As far as deployments, you can/will deploy frequently. Understand the deployments are probably not what you are anticipating, you can end up sitting on a surgical deployment team in Africa for 6 months and do 1 case. They are often very boring and a further decrement to your skill set. Join if you want to serve, that’s why I did and was happy

 

[narcusprince]

At the MTF level the military is good in organizational thinking. This thought process makes you marketable in civilian circles. Also the Navys regional anesthesia training is very well done. If you can do any block in 5 minutes you are marketable. The admin and pay stinks.

 

[DrMetal]

Reserves is very do-able as an anesthesiologist.

The Reserves is really the way most of us (irrespective of specialty) should be serving.

There should be no such thing as an Active Duty-Civilian partnership. That's called being a reservist!