Chew on this.

[XXBlockheadXX]

I would like to solicit opinions of those in this forum who have left the Armed Forces regarding the importance of their experience used in justifying their "avoid military medicine if possible" mission.

Your experience applies most relevantly to back when you were active. There seems to be an attitude that this experience is unique in providing the young guns among us with exclusive wisdom for use in making decisions in regards to military medicine. By exclusive, I mean that information that a prospect may draw from current physicians, ancillary medical services, past personal, non-medical military experience, etc. is insufficient in comparison to the richness of experience that you claim.

As time passes though, do you believe that your past experience becomes more or less relevant to those seeking advice? For, after all, does this experience account for any dynamism that occurs between your seperation date and now/into the future?

Please do not consider this a dismissal of the advice you have offered thus far; I only seek to for you to shine some light on its temporal context.

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[usnavdoc]

I would like to solicit opinions of those in this forum who have left the Armed Forces regarding the importance of their experience used in justifying their "avoid military medicine if possible" mission.

Your experience applies most relevantly to back when you were active. There seems to be an attitude that this experience is unique in providing the young guns among us with exclusive wisdom for use in making decisions in regards to military medicine. By exclusive, I mean that information that a prospect may draw from current physicians, ancillary medical services, past personal, non-medical military experience, etc. is insufficient in comparison to the richness of experience that you claim.

As time passes though, do you believe that your past experience becomes more or less relevant to those seeking advice? For, after all, does this experience account for any dynamism that occurs between your seperation date and now/into the future?

Please do not consider this a dismissal of the advice you have offered thus far; I only seek to for you to shine some light on its temporal context.

The vast majority giving advice here are still currently in the military or just recently left service. So I think our experience is extemely valuable. I wish I had it when I had signed up.

 

[orbitsurgMD]

I would like to solicit opinions of those in this forum who have left the Armed Forces regarding the importance of their experience used in justifying their "avoid military medicine if possible" mission.

Your experience applies most relevantly to back when you were active. There seems to be an attitude that this experience is unique in providing the young guns among us with exclusive wisdom for use in making decisions in regards to military medicine. By exclusive, I mean that information that a prospect may draw from current physicians, ancillary medical services, past personal, non-medical military experience, etc. is insufficient in comparison to the richness of experience that you claim.

As time passes though, do you believe that your past experience becomes more or less relevant to those seeking advice? For, after all, does this experience account for any dynamism that occurs between your seperation date and now/into the future?

Please do not consider this a dismissal of the advice you have offered thus far; I only seek to for you to shine some light on its temporal context.

Unless you have experience to the contrary, which on these pages you are free to relate, then on what basis do you question what others have posted of their own experiences? Are you suggesting that because their experiences are past experiences that somehow they have less bearing on the present? If so, please demonstrate. If you believe past events (sort of the basis for lots of predictive activity, including all medical empirical activity) have value in predicting future events, then these accounts should have at least the value of the individual reports that they are. But I am open to new epistemological ideas. Got any?

I don't see anywhere any poster being forbidden to contradict the assertions of another. There are stickied threads pro and con, for those interested. But to suggest in an offhand way that the negative accounts posted here of military medicine are somehow not as relevant (As what, please, future accounts?) because they happened, well, in the past, is just ludicrous.

 

[militarymd]

Block head.....believe what you want....that military medicine has changed soooo much in the 2 years since I've been in....that it is a good deal to join and practice.

 

[bobbyseal]

I would like to solicit opinions of those in this forum who have left the Armed Forces regarding the importance of their experience used in justifying their "avoid military medicine if possible" mission.

Your experience applies most relevantly to back when you were active. There seems to be an attitude that this experience is unique in providing the young guns among us with exclusive wisdom for use in making decisions in regards to military medicine. By exclusive, I mean that information that a prospect may draw from current physicians, ancillary medical services, past personal, non-medical military experience, etc. is insufficient in comparison to the richness of experience that you claim.

As time passes though, do you believe that your past experience becomes more or less relevant to those seeking advice? For, after all, does this experience account for any dynamism that occurs between your seperation date and now/into the future?

Please do not consider this a dismissal of the advice you have offered thus far; I only seek to for you to shine some light on its temporal context.

I don't think the ex military mds are saying that their experience is more relavent than current military mds experience. I've been on this forum for awhile and I have notice that there are very, very few current, attending level, mds who post on this forum. Most people who post are either in training - resident or medical student or they are the docs who have left.

I think the docs who have left say that their experience/insight is more valid than a resident or medical students' experience as they have been deployed and had to work within the constraints of military medicine on the attending level.

I seriously doubt that any of the former military docs would denigrate anything a current, active duty, military attending physician has to say. Unfortunately, there are just none to a rare few who post.

 

[XXBlockheadXX]

Thank you, gentlemen, for your responses. Indeed, your experience is likely to prepare us wee ones for what to expect. Though I did expect a bit more professionalism in some posters' responses, I am able to dissect and learn from what you have to say.

Please continue to lighten the path that is ahead of us young ones.

 

[IgD]

Many of the posters here are bitter X-military physicians with a chip on their shoulders. These should be the last people on earth that anyone would want to seek career advice from. The ideal situation would be to talk with current military physicians who are neutral and could give the most balanced positives and negatives.

 

[colbgw02]

Many of the posters here are bitter X-military physicians with a chip on their shoulders. These should be the last people on earth that anyone would want to seek career advice from. The ideal situation would be to talk with current military physicians who are neutral and could give the most balanced positives and negatives.

Do you mean to say that current military physicians are inherently neutral? Or do you mean to say that he/she should seek out the subset of current military physicians who happen to be neutral?

In either case, why would he/she want to do that? I would want to hear all different opinions - the good, the bad, and the..er..neutral.

 

[orbitsurgMD]

Many of the posters here are bitter X-military physicians with a chip on their shoulders. These should be the last people on earth that anyone would want to seek career advice from. The ideal situation would be to talk with current military physicians who are neutral and could give the most balanced positives and negatives.

Why you should impugn the accounts of anyone posting on these boards, negative or otherwise, IgD, begs the question of how you should know better. At least the negative posters have posted openly the experience in service they've had, in an open thread. The same was asked of you, IgD, but you declined. Why?

Unless you are willing to show what the basis of your contrary opinion is, why should any reader here think your presumably non-"bitter" experience has any merit? You have been asked before, and I am asking again.

 

[militarymd]

Many of the posters here are bitter X-military physicians with a chip on their shoulders. These should be the last people on earth that anyone would want to seek career advice from. The ideal situation would be to talk with current military physicians who are neutral and could give the most balanced positives and negatives.

My opinions now...2 years after separation is no different than my last 4 years of active duty.

I was chair of an education committee with 18 residents in anestheisology, and each and everyone of those residents have heard what I have posted here....and guess what? They still voted me teacher of the year before I left and placed a huge picture of me in the front of the hospital where each and every patient who arrives at the hospital will see it.

I attended in our combined micu/sicu 1 week in 4 or 5, and I had a team of interns/residents/medical students (up to 15 people at times)...and they all heard the same thing from me while I was active duty.

Current or not.......most physicians...and I use that term as it should be used...physicians..not "medical officers"....will most likely give you a negative slant..

If you don't want to be a doctor....and you want to be a "medical officer"...and not really practice good medicine as you see fit...then the military way is probably your way.

 

[Galo]

Many of the posters here are bitter X-military physicians with a chip on their shoulders. These should be the last people on earth that anyone would want to seek career advice from. The ideal situation would be to talk with current military physicians who are neutral and could give the most balanced positives and negatives.

About the only good piece of advice this looser has told you is to call active duty physicians, as many as you can, call every base that has a hospital, and you will get likely many of the same answers we physicians with experience have posted here. I have given that advice myself over and over, as I have been attacked by misguided people like Idg for somehow being a failure by not agreeing to remain and work in a system that accepts mediocracy, and in my opinion is completely breaking down. I agree with militarymd, in the two years, and over one year that I have gotten out, things have gotten even worse. Less support, less OR time, more administrative crap. Everything you read you should take with some caution, but you should be able to at least get a feeling when you read the same thing by a bunch of ex-military physicians, and have yet to hear to the contrary from ANY physican with military experience.

Idg is a troll who makes outlandish statements nearly 100% pro military, but has yet to reveal who, what, and when he did anything remotely related to medicine in the military.

Who would you take advice from?

 

[IgD]

Why you should impugn the accounts of anyone posting on these boards, negative or otherwise...

With all due respect you've got a guy who received an administrative separation for unprofessional conduct. Another couldn't match for a residency position. Another pissed off the detailer so much he sent him on an unaccompanied billet and a 4th was threatened to be kicked off the base by his CO. Do these people have any credibility to begin with? I think not.

 

[combatmedic]

Block head.....believe what you want....that military medicine has changed soooo much in the 2 years since I've been in....that it is a good deal to join and practice.

dude thats a hot motorcycle u got there....

 

[militarymd]

dude thats a hot motorcycle u got there....

Thanks, just got back from a ride with my buds....I wrecked my last bike, so I'm still a little gun shy, but it sure is fun when the knee pucks start scrapping the pavement!!!

 

[militarymd]

With all due respect you've got a guy who received an administrative separation for unprofessional conduct. Another couldn't match for a residency position. Another pissed off the detailer so much he sent him on an unaccompanied billet and a 4th was threatened to be kicked off the base by his CO. Do these people have any credibility to begin with? I think not.

I believe igd is referring to me there. If you read my thread regarding detailing, you'll see that the truth is very different.

And if what iGD says here is true, then prospective HPSP'ers need to ask themself a question.

Do you want to join an organization where SENIOR officers who are supposed to mentor junior officers dispense wild west type justice by detailing undesirable orders to someone who supposedly "pissed" him off....rather than educating the said "junior" officer and write "fair" orders????

In either case...the truth, my version, or IGD's distorted version.... why would any sane person want to be part of that organization????

I think IGD just gave reason to not sign.

 

[Galo]

With all due respect you've got a guy who received an administrative separation for unprofessional conduct. Another couldn't match for a residency position. Another pissed off the detailer so much he sent him on an unaccompanied billet and a 4th was threatened to be kicked off the base by his CO. Do these people have any credibility to begin with? I think not.

I've posted in detail how and why I left, Honorably discharged.

Idg despite multiple call outs has yet to reveal anything about himself. He has no credibility, he alludes to being a sexual deviant, (i know this one is a stretch, but he was the first to refer to sexual pleasure from the military in this or another thread), and he is probably one of the top three reasons why people should not subject themselves to the likes of him as a boss. He will rule with absolute power, and make decisions that have nothing to do with medicine, only to make someone's life miserable. I've come across people like him, they are unchangeable, and are pathologic from early childhood. He is the prototypical miltiary whatever he is, that will come up in rank, as others leave the second they can, and will find himself in a position of power he will abuse like a third world country cop.

Idg, you make me sick. You are a disgrace to whatever uniform you put on.

 

[GMO_52]

Many of the posters here are bitter X-military physicians with a chip on their shoulders. These should be the last people on earth that anyone would want to seek career advice from. The ideal situation would be to talk with current military physicians who are neutral and could give the most balanced positives and negatives.[/QUOTE}

Actually, only a few are bitter x-military physicians, there is lots of useful info here, go away.

 

[island doc]

With all due respect you've got a guy who received an administrative separation for unprofessional conduct. Another couldn't match for a residency position. Another pissed off the detailer so much he sent him on an unaccompanied billet and a 4th was threatened to be kicked off the base by his CO. Do these people have any credibility to begin with? I think not.

Couldn't match for a residency position?!? It's a miracle!!! I became board certified without ever having gone through residency!!!

IgD should be "banned" from SDN for spreading false information. Hey, isn't that what he wanted to happen to us...

 

[dry dre]

With all due respect you've got a guy who received an administrative separation for unprofessional conduct. Another couldn't match for a residency position. Another pissed off the detailer so much he sent him on an unaccompanied billet and a 4th was threatened to be kicked off the base by his CO. Do these people have any credibility to begin with? I think not.

Frank Burns, is that you?

 

[The White Coat Investor]

Frank Burns, is that you?

Lol!

 

[Heeed!]

Frank Burns, is that you?

 

[exPCM]

deleted

 

[Galo]

I am a family practice physician who spent three long years on active duty as a "PCM" (primary care manager) and saw all the problems with military medicine firsthand. I was given personal responsibility for almost 3000 patients who all had no copays and wanted to be seen TODAY for complaints like abdominal pain x 30 minutes, stuffy nose x one hour, check my kids before we go on vacation, or needs a profile because of an upcoming deployment, cycle ergometry test, weight management program, etc.
IgD's posts do not reflect my military experience.

IgD, EXACTLY WHAT ARE YOUR CREDENTIALS AND MEDICAL SPECIALTY?????

exPCM,

Welcome to what sometimes is banging your head against the wall. You'll find this forum a good place to vent, and then explain in detail, sometimes, your trials and tribulations in military medicine. There are people who will listen to you, and you can be happy you have helped one soul not go through the crap you went through. There are also residents and med students who seem to post feverishly in favor of the military without actual personal attending knowledge. Some residents may have it well, but there is no student here who has experienced what you and I have. I encourage you to keep posting.

As far as idg, he/she is a person whose likeness you probably came across in the military, and is one of the things that left a horrible impression on you. This whatever he/she is, has been called out many times for information on what and where he/she gets the dribble that's posted, but continues to ignore these challenges. The experienced people on this board, have choosen to try and ignore him/her, ( as hard as that may be).

Anyways, you're simply another reason people need to understand what they are getting themselves into when they sign up.