Army anesthesiology promotions

[buffdoc]

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I was under the impression that as an Army HPSP student I would be promoted to Captain as soon as I graduated from med school and then to Major as soon as finishing a residency. However, someone who is somewhat in the know said that the rank of Major isn't obtained until 6 years after becoming a Captain. Could one really become a board certified attending anesthesiologist and remain a Captain for two more years? Anyone with first-hand knowledge or experience?

Best,
buffdoc

 

[aphistis]

I was under the impression that as an Army HPSP student I would be promoted to Captain as soon as I graduated from med school and then to Major as soon as finishing a residency. However, someone who is somewhat in the know said that the rank of Major isn't obtained until 6 years after becoming a Captain. Could one really become a board certified attending anesthesiologist and remain a Captain for two more years? Anyone with first-hand knowledge or experience?

Best,
buffdoc

Get it in your contract. Army Rule #1: If it's on paper, you're golden. If not, it never happened.

 

[Monty Python]

I was under the impression that as an Army HPSP student I would be promoted to Captain as soon as I graduated from med school and then to Major as soon as finishing a residency. However, someone who is somewhat in the know said that the rank of Major isn't obtained until 6 years after becoming a Captain. Could one really become a board certified attending anesthesiologist and remain a Captain for two more years? Anyone with first-hand knowledge or experience?

Best,
buffdoc

I'm an O-5 Navy reservist, and one of my additional duties is Professional Schools Liaison Officer to HPSP students. You're promoted to O-3 upon graduation. Promotions are governed by law (US Code Title 10), not by your job title or academic degree. Generally a person serves as an O-3 for five or six years before promotion to O-4.

 

[buffdoc]

I'm an O-5 Navy reservist, and one of my additional duties is Professional Schools Liaison Officer to HPSP students. You're promoted to O-3 upon graduation. Promotions are governed by law (US Code Title 10), not by your job title or academic degree. Generally a person serves as an O-3 for five or six years before promotion to O-4.

Hooah. Thank you Navy CDR. I know there is a little bit of flexibility in 10 USC 619, but you have changed my perspective for the better.

 

[pgg]

I was under the impression that as an Army HPSP student I would be promoted to Captain as soon as I graduated from med school and then to Major as soon as finishing a residency. However, someone who is somewhat in the know said that the rank of Major isn't obtained until 6 years after becoming a Captain.

I'm Navy, was promoted to O3 at med school graduation like everyone else, was in zone for promotion five years later, was selected for O4 at that time (like virtually everyone else with a pulse), and was actually promoted to O4 almost six years to the day after graduating from medical school.

Those with prior time as O3s (eg, former line officers) will get some credit toward O4, but 95%+ of HPSP/USUHS grads with no prior credit will be in zone for O4 five years later and will actually get promoted 5.5-6 years later.

Board certification (or lack thereof) has absolutely nothing to do with promotion to O4. Most Navy residents are O4s before finishing residency because of GMO tours.

 

[narcusprince]

I too am Navy, however training in a civilian institution. I was also told that after I finish residency/fellowship I would be promoted to 0-4, when in zone barring no infractions. PGG how goes it in the fleet/private practice?

 

[Monty Python]

I too am Navy, however training in a civilian institution. I was also told that after I finish residency/fellowship I would be promoted to 0-4, when in zone barring no infractions. PGG how goes it in the fleet/private practice?

Did you pull a GMO/FS tour prior to residency? If so that counts towards the time-in-grade requirement for promotion, and you'll probably promote to O-4 while a resident or shortly thereafter. If you went straight from internship to resident you'll probably promote one year after residency.

You'll probably be looked at for O-4 after five-ish years as an O-3. You'll pin on during the following fiscal year.

There's no direct correlation between finishing residency and promotion. That's just a coincidence in timing for those who do promote at the same time they finish residency, usually from pulling a GMO tour prior to residency and thus meeting the time-in-grade requirements.

Remember, these laws are written by the same people (Congress) who wrote the IRS tax code. A masterpiece of elegant, straightforward logic.

 

[pgg]

I too am Navy, however training in a civilian institution. I was also told that after I finish residency/fellowship I would be promoted to 0-4, when in zone barring no infractions. PGG how goes it in the fleet/private practice?

Like trinityalumnus says, no brownie points or credit for finishing residency. A lot depends on your accession # - it can make the difference of being promoted on day 1 of the new fiscal year or 11 months later.

I just checked into the new place and started working today - it is nice, nice, nice to be doing my own cases.

The California Medical Board has been slow with my license application (today marks exactly 180 days since they received my application), but I actually got word from a human being there that my application may go before the board tomorrow ... if they choose to accept my internship program's 2nd attempt at filling out the forms. I've got days tentatively scheduled at my civvie job in August ... I just hope I'm licensed, DEA'd, insured, and credentialed by then.

CA quotes 6-9 months for licensing. I guess they really meant 6-9 months. 🙂

 

[Monty Python]

.... was selected for O4 at that time (like virtually everyone else with a pulse), .

I've served on two promotion boards at Millington, one as a recorder and the other as a voting board member. Even MC officers face increasingly-stiffer competition as they go up in rank. It is a chip shot to O-4, and relatively automatic to O-5 (unless you commit a felony or burn down the hospital).

Making O-6, even as a physician, is still a high hill to climb:

Overall Statistics FY08
In Zone for O-6
Desig Elg Sel Pct
2105 41 12 29.27

Overall Statistics FY07
In Zone for O-6
Desig Elg Sel Pct
2105 52 19 36.54


http://www.npc.navy.mil/NR/rdonlyres/C2AA7EEC-105A-4D77-88F7-B1938CB33DA8/0/FY08USNRO6Staffstats.pdf Might need your CAC card to log in

 

[pgg]

I've served on two promotion boards at Millington, one as a recorder and the other as a voting board member. Even MC officers face increasingly-stiffer competition as they go up in rank. It is a chip shot to O-4, and relatively automatic to O-5 (unless you commit a felony or burn down the hospital).

Making O-6, even as a physician, is still a high hill to climb:

Overall Statistics FY08
In Zone for O-6
Desig Elg Sel Pct
2105 41 12 29.27

Overall Statistics FY07
In Zone for O-6
Desig Elg Sel Pct
2105 52 19 36.54


http://www.npc.navy.mil/NR/rdonlyres/C2AA7EEC-105A-4D77-88F7-B1938CB33DA8/0/FY08USNRO6Staffstats.pdf Might need your CAC card to log in

Are the numbers for 2100s comparable to the 2105s? I know O6 isn't a sure thing; and I hear O5 can be tough if you're not done with residency by then.

I know a handful of people who were selected for O4 while below zone, but I don't know what was special about them.

 

[Monty Python]

Are the numbers for 2100s comparable to the 2105s? I know O6 isn't a sure thing; and I hear O5 can be tough if you're not done with residency by then.

I know a handful of people who were selected for O4 while below zone, but I don't know what was special about them.

FY-09 Active Duty Navy Commander
Medical Corps

................Above Zone..........In Zone...............Below Zone
Desig ........Elg Sel Pct............Elg Sel Pct .........Elg Sel Pct
2100..........80 28 35.0...........196 127 64.8........382 2 0.52



FY-09 Active Duty Navy Captain
Medical Corps

...............Above Zone .............In Zone .............Below Zone
Desig........Elg Sel Pct ...............Elg Sel Pct......... Elg Sel Pct
2100 .......125 24 19.2 ..............80 40 50.0......... 194 0 0.00



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