Civilian vs. Military Internship

[AFSmiley]

3rd year medical student, trying to plan out the next few years.

I'm pretty set on doing an internship, serving my GMO/FS time and getting the flock out. Is there a fairly difficult process to get approval to do a civilian preliminary medicine internship? Is it just as hit-or-miss as deferments for an entire residency?

My understanding is that I get no benefits from the military if I do this, but it does not count for or against my service obligation (3 yrs).

Can anybody help shed a little light on this for me?

Keep up the good work people,
-Smiley

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[NavyFP]

3rd year medical student, trying to plan out the next few years.

I'm pretty set on doing an internship, serving my GMO/FS time and getting the flock out. Is there a fairly difficult process to get approval to do a civilian preliminary medicine internship? Is it just as hit-or-miss as deferments for an entire residency?

My understanding is that I get no benefits from the military if I do this, but it does not count for or against my service obligation (3 yrs).

Can anybody help shed a little light on this for me?

Keep up the good work people,
-Smiley

Depends on the service.

Army/Navy - unlikely. Numbers for 2011 are still not at full strength, so you will be needed to fill a hole in one of their intern programs.

AF - quite possible. AF does like to defer for one year to send you off as a GMO/FS.

 

[AF M4]

3rd year medical student, trying to plan out the next few years.

I'm pretty set on doing an internship, serving my GMO/FS time and getting the flock out. Is there a fairly difficult process to get approval to do a civilian preliminary medicine internship? Is it just as hit-or-miss as deferments for an entire residency?

My understanding is that I get no benefits from the military if I do this, but it does not count for or against my service obligation (3 yrs).

Can anybody help shed a little light on this for me?

Keep up the good work people,
-Smiley

What will happen is that you'll fill out your application for a residency via the Air Force. There's a sheet somewhere where you can check whether you want a civilian or military internship and they'll give it to you. Of course applying/interviewing for the civvie slot is on your own dime, but this can be worth the expense. Any idea what residency you want to do? My advice would be to select an IM residency at a place with close access to a lot of other residencies and fellowships. That way when you are creating your application for a civilian residency in a few years you will know some people where you did your internship who can write you a letter of rec and give you the inside track on your post-military education.

Good luck.

 

[i want out]

3rd year medical student, trying to plan out the next few years.

I'm pretty set on doing an internship, serving my GMO/FS time and getting the flock out. Is there a fairly difficult process to get approval to do a civilian preliminary medicine internship? Is it just as hit-or-miss as deferments for an entire residency?

My understanding is that I get no benefits from the military if I do this, but it does not count for or against my service obligation (3 yrs).

Can anybody help shed a little light on this for me?

Keep up the good work people,
-Smiley

some food for thought:

Your choice of internship could effect how competitive you are for future residency, both directly and indirectly.

for example, if you do an FP residency, you may have to repeat internship to do a surgical residency.
This is less likely if you want to go into something that does a transitional year like Radiology or Anesthesiology.

You should also know something about how funding for residency works when you decide what internship to do, since doing and FP or IM internship could also make you less lucrative to programs later on when you want to come back and do a residency, after GMO time.

http://services.aamc.org/publications/showfile.cfm?file=version57.pdf&p

is a brochure that you should read about HCFA funding of residency.

some interesting information about how your choice of internship will change how your residency later is reimbursed to the institution that trains you.

It is arguable whether this funding difference will change how competitive you are at a specific place or time, as it will vary from program to program and specialty to specialty.

good luck
i want out(of IRR)

 

[AFSmiley]

Thanks for the help. Good info definitely. Well I'm pretty set on Family Medicine.

I think a Prelim Medicine year would be fine, but a Transitional year sounds pretty enticing and seems like it'd better prepare me for GMO-land (exposure to kids, OB issues, etc).

So a few questions here goes:

1. So if I committ to GMO-time, Uncle Sam will let me do a civilian internship no problemo?
2. Does Uncle Sam pay me or does the program pay me?
3. How competitive are Air Force Transitional programs? I think there's one at Edwards, one at Wilford Hall? Is it decent training?
4. Average student with average everything + a lot of involvement. Do I even have a shot at Civilian Transitional Programs with the Derm/Gas/Rads crowd?
5. Can I/Should I apply to Army/Navy transitional programs?

 

[afdoc81]

Doing a deferred transitional year is not a big deal. I had no problems getting it deferred. There are a few downfalls I have come across that you should be aware of: (1) Pay: You only get civilian pay, nothing else (2) You are slightly behind with the military electonic medical records (i.e. AHLTA and CHCS) (3) It's just one more year that you are not consistently exposed to the military. You'll see that when you enter AD as a FS/GMO you are expected to know what you are doing, not just with medicine, but as an officer. Not many people realize that probably the last time that you have put on the uniform was some 4 week ADT performed in 3rd year med school. Otherwise, I have had minimal difficulties. I was personally glad I chose to do a civilian internship. I would recommend a traditional, well-rounded internship though. You will see tons of kids, gyn, and sports med things.

 

[sethco]

My answers are bolded.

Thanks for the help. Good info definitely. Well I'm pretty set on Family Medicine.

I think a Prelim Medicine year would be fine, but a Transitional year sounds pretty enticing and seems like it'd better prepare me for GMO-land (exposure to kids, OB issues, etc).

So a few questions here goes:

1. So if I committ to GMO-time, Uncle Sam will let me do a civilian internship no problemo? Historically, yes. Most likely you will be able to do a civvie internship, but there always remains a possibility. Just depends on the yearly needs of the AF.
2. Does Uncle Sam pay me or does the program pay me? If you do a civilian internship, the civilian program pays you.
3. How competitive are Air Force Transitional programs? I think there's one at Edwards, one at Wilford Hall? Is it decent training? Pretty competitive and it is usually reserved for those that have matched into a PGY-2 program like Rads, Anesth, Optho, etc.
4. Average student with average everything + a lot of involvement. Do I even have a shot at Civilian Transitional Programs with the Derm/Gas/Rads crowd? Transitional programs are viewed as more "cush", hence them being more competitive. You have a shot, but you show also apply to prelim programs (i.e. Traditional internships)
5. Can I/Should I apply to Army/Navy transitional programs? I don't think I have ever heard of a AF intern doing only a Navy/Army internship without doing a residency with that service. It may be possible, but I have never heard of it.