Class of 2017!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!

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I saw him on SNL... I don't understand why people love this song...

Listen to "can't hold us" by macklemore. Wayyyy better than thrift shop and more representative of his music style.

Sent from my Galaxy S2
 
EtOH so delicious....

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The cons scare me... But I want to do it soooo bad!

I know a few mil doc's and the lifestyle sucks, but they do amazing things. If you go into it because you want to be in the mil and not because you like the benefits you will be golden. If you’re a primary care or pediatrician you might come out ahead. Why do you want it?
 
I know a few mil doc's and the lifestyle sucks, but they do amazing things. If you go into it because you want to be in the mil and not because you like the benefits you will be golden. If you're a primary care or pediatrician you might come out ahead. Why do you want it?

I want to be in the military. I want my career to be focused on humanitarian medicine (will be getting my MPH as well). I want to do medicine in 3rd world countries in tents. I want to work in a fantastic team. I want the mil to toughen me up, lol. It seems like it would never get boring. I want to do GenSu probably, but not sure. Also, the scholarship is attractive, but by no means a determining factor. Getting less pay than civ docs isn't important to me either. I don't mind moving a lot. Ill do my mil time then leave.

I don't want to lose my freedom to choose my own career. I don't want to get a subpar residency training. I don't want to die in the middle easy from a mortar. I don't want a nurse to be my boss. I'm afraid I couldn't handle it, but at the same time, I know I could.

I'm just so conflicted.
 
I want to be in the military. I want my career to be focused on humanitarian medicine (will be getting my MPH as well). I want to do medicine in 3rd world countries in tents. I want to work in a fantastic team. I want the mil to toughen me up, lol. It seems like it would never get boring. I want to do GenSu probably, but not sure. Also, the scholarship is attractive, but by no means a determining factor. Getting less pay than civ docs isn't important to me either. I don't mind moving a lot. Ill do my mil time then leave.

I don't want to lose my freedom to choose my own career. I don't want to get a subpar residency training. I don't want to die in the middle easy from a mortar. I don't want a nurse to be my boss. I'm afraid I couldn't handle it, but at the same time, I know I could.

I'm just so conflicted.

1) I want to be in the military.

Have you shadowed multiple military doctors? What people think military medicine is and what it turns out to be can be very different. If you're really thinking about military medicine, shadow multiple military physicians!

2) I want my career to be focused on humanitarian medicine (will be getting my MPH as well). I want to do medicine in 3rd world countries in tents.

I know some military physician do this, but I have no idea how common it is. My impression is that the military needs physicians who will deliver healthcare to soldiers and humanitarianism is a far second to that priority. Make sure you shadow multiple military physicians who have done what you envision your career to be.

3) I want to work in a fantastic team.

Possible, but the military is a job. Some bosses are good, some bosses suck.

4) I want the mil to toughen me up, lol.

Being a physician in the military is very different from being a regular soldier, which is a good thing. I don't know how tough military docs are, but I do know some Docs who have done fantastic things (being attached to a SF unit).

5) It seems like it would never get boring.

False

6) The scholarship is attractive, but by no means a determining factor.

It should not be. You Pay for the money they give you. You should only join if you like the military.

7) I don't mind moving a lot.

Are you a traditional student? The question is how will you and your SO feel about moving when your 30?

8) I'll do my mil time then leave.

You can join when you get out of medical school and do this with much less obligation.

9) I don't want to lose my freedom to choose my own career. I don't want to get a subpar residency training. I don't want to die in the Middle East from a mortar. I don't want a nurse to be my boss. I'm afraid I couldn't handle it, but at the same time, I know I could.

All valid concerns.

Tl;dr If you're really thinking about military medicine, shadow multiple military physicians! The life can be difficult, but some docs love it.
 
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I want to be in the military. I want my career to be focused on humanitarian medicine (will be getting my MPH as well). I want to do medicine in 3rd world countries in tents. I want to work in a fantastic team. I want the mil to toughen me up, lol. It seems like it would never get boring. I want to do GenSu probably, but not sure. Also, the scholarship is attractive, but by no means a determining factor. Getting less pay than civ docs isn't important to me either. I don't mind moving a lot. Ill do my mil time then leave.

I don't want to lose my freedom to choose my own career. I don't want to get a subpar residency training. I don't want to die in the middle easy from a mortar. I don't want a nurse to be my boss. I'm afraid I couldn't handle it, but at the same time, I know I could.

I'm just so conflicted.

I'd say go for it. Especially as things are cooling down in Afghanistan. You're likelihood of dying or even being injured in combat is extremely low. Especially as most of the docs during a deployment are fobbettes (i.e. never leave the FOB), unless they really want to. My roommate when I was deployed, an Army doc, never left the FOB for the entire year except when she flew out to go on leave for 15 days.

There are definitely opportunities for tent medicine (and to actually be decently paid unlike doctors w/o borders). They're not every day, but if you pursue it, they can be obtained. The downside is as you say having a nurse for a boss (if he or she outranks you) or even worse a completely non-medical person, although most of the time, especially in the hospital environment the docs are in charge of other docs. And you will work with lots of civvies in the hospital until there is not much distinguishing all of you.

I'm really not sure who the rater (i.e boss) for my roommie was. She did her time required for scholarship (she went to Howard U), deployed for a year and now is out of the Army, but I can guarantee you she didn't regret any of it.

I have no idea about the quality of the residencies, but the benefit to it is you have no specific pressure to enter the attending world and you can do multiple ones or fellowships with no concern about needing to make the big bucks to start paying off the student loans.

I have met and worked some really awesome medical people in the Army, some docs, some PA's. I have also met and had to serve under some real jackasses, but that happens in the civilian world too.

I
 
Have you shadowed multiple military doctors? What people think military medicine is and what it turns out to be can be very different. If you're really thinking about military medicine, shadow multiple military physicians!

No I haven't. This is a pretty new idea I'm contemplating. I will look into it though, especially since I'm less than an hour away from Keesler AF base.

I know some military physician do this, but I have no idea how common it is. My impression is that the military needs physicians who will deliver healthcare to soldiers and humanitarianism is a far second to that priority. Make sure you shadow multiple military physicians who have done what you envision your career to be.

I'm aware of this, but I think that the experience itself will still be valuable for a future in humanitarian medicine, i.e. working with limited resources.

Possible, but the military is a job. Some bosses are good, some bosses suck.

For real!!! But I want to naively believe they are all awesome!

Being a physician in the military is very different from being a regular soldier, which is a good thing. I don't know how tough military docs are, but I do know some Docs who have done fantastic things (being attached to a SF unit).

Again, I'm aware of this but the inherent nature of the job is a maturation experience. You can't possibly do this job and not grow tough skin.

False

What?! It DOES get boring?!

It should not be. You Pay for the money they give you. You should only join if you like the military.

None of my career decisions are base on money. I've lived on poverty my whole life, I can live on a lot less than any salary after loan payments. And I do like the military and want to serve, I think.

Are you a traditional student? The question is how will you and your SO feel about moving it when your 30?

I'm a trad student. And my SO will know all about my career goals before we commit to anything. I hope they would have their own ambitions as well, of which I will be supportive.

You can join when you get out of medical school and do this with much less obligation.

That just seems so boring! Lol. An I probably wouldn't do it unless I have an obligation. Lol.

All valid concerns.

I think so, too. Lol.

Tl;dr If you're really thinking about military medicine, shadow multiple military physicians! The life can be difficult, but some docs love it.

Great advice I will def look into. Thanks!
 
I'd say go for it. Especially as things are cooling down in Afghanistan. You're likelihood of dying or even being injured in combat is extremely low. Especially as most of the docs during a deployment are fobbettes (i.e. never leave the FOB), unless they really want to. My roommate when I was deployed, an Army doc, never left the FOB for the entire year except when she flew out to go on leave for 15 days.

There are definitely opportunities for tent medicine (and to actually be decently paid unlike doctors w/o borders). They're not every day, but if you pursue it, they can be obtained. The downside is as you say having a nurse for a boss (if he or she outranks you) or even worse a completely non-medical person, although most of the time, especially in the hospital environment the docs are in charge of other docs. And you will work with lots of civvies in the hospital until there is not much distinguishing all of you.

I'm really not sure who the rater (i.e boss) for my roommie was. She did her time required for scholarship (she went to Howard U), deployed for a year and now is out of the Army, but I can guarantee you she didn't regret any of it.

I have no idea about the quality of the residencies, but the benefit to it is you have no specific pressure to enter the attending world and you can do multiple ones or fellowships with no concern about needing to make the big bucks to start paying off the student loans.

I have met and worked some really awesome medical people in the Army, some docs, some PA's. I have also met and had to serve under some real jackasses, but that happens in the civilian world too.

I

Thanks!

But you guys are not talking me out of it!!! Lol. I want to be discouraged! Hahaha
 
I was rewatching my simpsons dvd's, I was inspired by awesomeness that is Dr. Nick.

So you mean your avatar is actually a self portrait? Don't know why a muscled-up superhero is bothering with medical school....:laugh:

It is. I'm trying to learn how to be a mere mortal. 🤣
 
Slightly hungover. Last night was fun. Chilled with my friend, her fiance, her parents, and their family friends. Old people are awesome.

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Haha old people are definitely fun to drink with.
 
As soon as I told them about going to med school next fall, though, all of the "we've got a doctor, so let's get sh*tfaced" banter started. Lol.

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Hahaha hopefully there will be plenty more of that to come in the future.
 
Oh yeah? Have you already applied? What branch would you go with?
I got in with the AF and should be commissioned within a month.

PM inbound later. Going on today's run and I don't feel like hashing out a detailed response this deserves at the moment.



Remind me If you don't get it by 5PM
 
Sometimes I wish the night life was not so fun in San Francisco
 
For me it's chocolate favored coconut water (the best), and a buttery breakfast sandwich on an everything bagel. Sigh, if I move away from NYC I might miss the bagels the most.

Good morning C/O 2017 and solidarity in our hangovers!

I think Zabars delivers nationally!
 
Haha definitely good to know! There are a couple of bagel chains in California meant to emulate New York bagels but... sigh. Not quite 🙂

I'm from south (very south) Mississippi. We have nothing like it. When I found out that Zabars delivered bagels... I'm pretty sure I heard the hallelujah chorus. Lol
 
For me it's chocolate favored coconut water (the best), and a buttery breakfast sandwich on an everything bagel. Sigh, if I move away from NYC I might miss the bagels the most.

Good morning C/O 2017 and solidarity in our hangovers!

Omg that sounds delicious!
 
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