Applying to Military Ortho Residency from Prelim

[Graevejam1]

Hello All

I apologize in advance if this topic has already been covered somewhere, but I have searched for answers to these questions with no avail. I am a 4th year medical student who applied for Ortho this year but instead matched into my back up Prelim Surgery position. I am not in the military currently but I am extremely interested in joining and possibly doing a military Ortho residency. Here are my questions:

Can I join the military and apply for military residencies during my prelim year?

Can I apply to military Ortho residencies before I sign a contract with the military? (If I don't match Ortho in the military, I will opt to pursue it through the civilian match)

Any information would be greatly appreciated!

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[Slevin]

No, you can't join the military after medical school if you haven't completed a residency. Only HPSP students are allowed to apply for military residency positions

If you want to be in the military after you complete your residency there are options for that

 

[TurtleDO2012]

Thinking the military will be an easier way to get ortho is a mistake. Given sheer number of positions available for ortho via civillian that route will be better for you.

You 100% CAN NOT cherry pick and say "I'll join and serve only if you put me in an orthopedic residency," which is what you're implying.

After you are a licensed physician (completed intern year) they may let you commission but your first assignment would be a battalion surgeon for at least 2 years and even then nothing could ever be guranteed that you would get ortho or any other specialty in the future.

 

[jabreal00]

No, you can't join the military after medical school if you haven't completed a residency. Only HPSP students are allowed to apply for military residency positions

If you want to be in the military after you complete your residency there are options for that

You theoretically can join after you complete an internship and have an unrestricted medical license. However, this is up to the needs of the military. I know of someone who joined after their internship year to internal medicine PGY-2 slot (outside of the match). They joined the residency after already swearing and commissioning into the military. They do this on a case by case basis for undermanned or under-filled residencies. Ortho is never undermanned or under-filled so this will not be a viable option.

 

[j4pac]

My buddy had 750+ for Step 1 and Step 2 COMLEX...and he didn't match Military Ortho. For the MDs type out there...that's 99 percentile. No question in my mind that he would have been a 260+ type guy on USMLE. Dude would be on his way to being a board certified Orthopedic Surgeon right now if he would have done DO or MD Orthopedics (which he would have most definitely matched)...instead he, like me, is biding his time toward military separation.

I question anyone who says that military residencies are easier to match than civilian.