Any physicians in Civil Affairs here?

[woof_iamadog]

Hello military physicians,

Currently in my second year of medical school. I have always wanted to serve my country, and I have also always wanted to do humanitarian work. I am strongly considering joining the military as a medical officer after my residency (a long ways off, I know), and then maybe one day doing some humanitarian work if I can be useful in that capacity.

Anyone here a doc who is also in Civil Affairs? Specifically, any reservist physicians in Civil Affairs? I think my route to joining would most likely be through the reserves.

Trying to understand what the experience is like. Is any aspect of this humanitarian work? I am intrigued by the idea of being able to help improve public health and medicine as an institution abroad while simultaneously improving America's image in otherwise hostile locations. Or does it mostly feel the same as being a medical officer in any other capacity?

Thank you kindly.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Lee]

Hello military physicians,

Currently in my second year of medical school. I have always wanted to serve my country, and I have also always wanted to do humanitarian work. I am strongly considering joining the military as a medical officer after my residency (a long ways off, I know), and then maybe one day doing some humanitarian work if I can be useful in that capacity.

Anyone here a doc who is also in Civil Affairs? Specifically, any reservist physicians in Civil Affairs? I think my route to joining would most likely be through the reserves.

Trying to understand what the experience is like. Is any aspect of this humanitarian work? I am intrigued by the idea of being able to help improve public health and medicine as an institution abroad while simultaneously improving America's image in otherwise hostile locations. Or does it mostly feel the same as being a medical officer in any other capacity?

Thank you kindly.

I was the Reserve Component CA Command Surgeon in a prior life.

You can do good work and you’ll be out among the local population.

I find it’s most effective when in friendly environments; there are a lot of challenges when in a combat theatre.

 

[woof_iamadog]

I was the Reserve Component CA Command Surgeon in a prior life.

You can do good work and you’ll be out among the local population.

I find it’s most effective when in friendly environments; there are a lot of challenges when in a combat theatre.

Lee, thanks for your prompt reply. If you don't mind, could you give me an example of a deployment and what your role was? Were you mostly acting as a physician to the local population? Were you helping out on a public health, policy, and healthcare system level? Both?

Really excited to hear from someone who has been out there in this position. Thank you!!

 

[Lee]

Lee, thanks for your prompt reply. If you don't mind, could you give me an example of a deployment and what your role was? Were you mostly acting as a physician to the local population? Were you helping out on a public health, policy, and healthcare system level? Both?

Really excited to hear from someone who has been out there in this position. Thank you!!

It's mission and theatre dependent. You could find yourself working at different levels throughout a deployment. Some docs will work at strategic or policy levels, others may find themselves working one-on-one assisting and training local docs. What you generally will not do is treat civilian patients downrange - that creates a lot of friction with the local medical providers and creates an unsustainable expectation from the local population. When not downrange, then you'll be doing usual BN or BDE doc stuff, ie: managing medical readiness.

FWIW, most of the docs that I've worked with in CA were primary care or public health. All of them volunteered to be in CA -- you'll need to find your way into civil affairs; it doesn't generally go recruiting for providers. Once you're in though, it can be a great experience. Had the opportunity to get a lot of good training, including airborne and air assault.

 

[woof_iamadog]

It's mission and theatre dependent. You could find yourself working at different levels throughout a deployment. Some docs will work at strategic or policy levels, others may find themselves working one-on-one assisting and training local docs. What you generally will not do is treat civilian patients downrange - that creates a lot of friction with the local medical providers and creates an unsustainable expectation from the local population. When not downrange, then you'll be doing usual BN or BDE doc stuff, ie: managing medical readiness.

FWIW, most of the docs that I've worked with in CA were primary care or public health. All of them volunteered to be in CA -- you'll need to find your way into civil affairs; it doesn't generally go recruiting for providers. Once you're in though, it can be a great experience. Had the opportunity to get a lot of good training, including airborne and air assault.

Aha, that makes sense that the CA physician role is variable and changes depending on need. I am strongly considering EM, IM, EM/IM combined, or FM at the moment so it'll most likely be primary care for me. I was considering getting an MPH as well, but was never sure what I'd use it on. Sounds like maybe an MPH could provide valuable knowledge or problem-solving frameworks for a CA physician role. Do the CA physicians working on public health stuff tend to have MPH's and/or board-certification in public health? Or can you learn enough on the job to be competent without an MPH?

I appreciate that CA refrains from the unsustainable "pop-up clinic" model that many medical tourist companies adopt. Doing something like that would feel shallow and more harmful than helpful. The idea of training local medical providers and helping on a strategy/policy level puts me at ease and excites me.

And whoa! I know that many CA units are airborne, but did not know much about air assault. I've heard that Air Assault School is really tough to get through. You sound badass. I hope to have accomplished such things one day.

Thanks again for the response, Lee!

 

[Lee]

Aha, that makes sense that the CA physician role is variable and changes depending on need. I am strongly considering EM, IM, EM/IM combined, or FM at the moment so it'll most likely be primary care for me. I was considering getting an MPH as well, but was never sure what I'd use it on. Sounds like maybe an MPH could provide valuable knowledge or problem-solving frameworks for a CA physician role. Do the CA physicians working on public health stuff tend to have MPH's and/or board-certification in public health? Or can you learn enough on the job to be competent without an MPH?

I appreciate that CA refrains from the unsustainable "pop-up clinic" model that many medical tourist companies adopt. Doing something like that would feel shallow and more harmful than helpful. The idea of training local medical providers and helping on a strategy/policy level puts me at ease and excites me.

And whoa! I know that many CA units are airborne, but did not know much about air assault. I've heard that Air Assault School is really tough to get through. You sound badass. I hope to have accomplished such things one day.

Thanks again for the response, Lee!

I don't have an MPH, but no question in my mind that it would be helpful if you're doing CA.

Feel free to PM me in the future about CA or other operational medicine questions... and I'm certainly not a badass, just lucky. 🙂

 

[Atlas Shrugged]

Good to see some conversation. I haven't encountered anyone on active duty that has done CA, but I am interested as well.

 

[d2305]

I didn't know civil affairs had medical officers. I never saw one, and I think I could recognize one. On second thought, I might have trouble telling the difference between the medical branches.

 

[Lee]

I didn't know civil affairs had medical officers. I never saw one, and I think I could recognize one. On second thought, I might have trouble telling the difference between the medical branches.

Active duty CA units have medical officers as well.