Army Combined Residencies and the Match

[Mason53]

I'm hoping someone could answer this question for me. I am entering medical school this year and will likely be joining the Army through HPSP. At this point I am interested in the psych/IM combined residency. The problem is that there is only one of these available in the Army at this time. I believe there is a psych/FM residency as well, which I'd also be interested in.

If nothing changes and I only want to go to one of these residencies what will be my options if I don't get one? Would it be possible to get a civilian residency for a combined program? If not can I hold out and take a GMO tour?

TIA

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[WernickeDO]

Ignoring the whole "you will likely change your medical specialty" argument that tends to get going, your best bet to get ANY residency is to avoid the military. Only join the mil if you want to serve and you adore paperwork.

 

[WernickeDO]

A better, more thorough answer is that a civilian deferral is practically impossible in the Army. They would much rather farm you out to a GMO slot. AF is a better bet for that but I believe only for certain specialties (not an expert here, someone please advise). Taking a GMO tour may or may not increase your chances...there are a lot of variable with that one. Short answer is that your best chances of getting any residency are to avoid the military.

 

[Mason53]

A better, more thorough answer is that a civilian deferral is practically impossible in the Army. They would much rather farm you out to a GMO slot. AF is a better bet for that but I believe only for certain specialties (not an expert here, someone please advise). Taking a GMO tour may or may not increase your chances...there are a lot of variable with that one. Short answer is that your best chances of getting any residency are to avoid the military.

Appreciate ya, WernickeDO! That's the dilemma I'm facing right now. I want to serve, but I am pretty set on completing a combined program.

Does the option to turn down other residencies exist? If I was set in my ways could I opt only to do a GMO if it came to that?

 

[notdeadyet]

One thought:

A healthy majority of potential combined residency applicants with a -psychiatry component I've met were budding psychiatrists struggling with the Do I Have to Hang Up the Stethoscope? thing. Which is a much more likely situation than a budding internist struggling with the Do I Have to Hang UP the 5 Axis? thing.

Not judging, I was one. I was interested in doing a combined IM-Psych residency and was quite far along before I met with people in the field. The combined residencies cut pretty sharply into your ability to deepen your knowledge in psychiatry and/or develop any psychotherapy skills. At many places, you are both affiliated with but not really a full-fledged part of either department. Upon graduation, you are uniquely qualified to work in "combined clinics" but these have fallen out of favor for integrated care. Post-graduation, the demands to stay current (much less develop excellence) in two separate fields is a huge time burden and within 10 years, most graduates devote themselves to a single practice. Combined residencies (at least the IM/FP+Psych ones) are closing at a faster rate than they are opening.

I'd recommend going to the Psychiatry forum on SDN and doing a search on "combined" titles to read through the process of folks doing combined residencies. For IM-Psych and FP-Psych, most graduates end up practicing in psychiatry, supporting the Stethoscope struggle. It might be worth a read.

 

[WernickeDO]

Appreciate ya, WernickeDO! That's the dilemma I'm facing right now. I want to serve, but I am pretty set on completing a combined program.

Does the option to turn down other residencies exist? If I was set in my ways could I opt only to do a GMO if it came to that?

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by turning down other residencies. If you are wondering if the Army can force you into a specialty you don't want, the answer is no. Meaning, they can't make you go family med if you want to do psych. They can make you go to a location you don't want, or bounce you into a transitional year.

If you wanted to do a GMO tour, the Army is more than happy to facilitate that. All you have to do is a transitional year after med school and then not apply to another specialty.

 

[Mason53]

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by turning down other residencies. If you are wondering if the Army can force you into a specialty you don't want, the answer is no. Meaning, they can't make you go family med if you want to do psych. They can make you go to a location you don't want, or bounce you into a transitional year.

If you wanted to do a GMO tour, the Army is more than happy to facilitate that. All you have to do is a transitional year after med school and then not apply to another specialty.

That's exactly what I was wondering. Since my goal (as of now) is to do a combined residency I wasn't sure if they could potentially force me into one or the other. I wasn't sure if it counted as a specialty of its own.

 

[jabreal00]

Appreciate ya, WernickeDO! That's the dilemma I'm facing right now. I want to serve, but I am pretty set on completing a combined program.

Does the option to turn down other residencies exist? If I was set in my ways could I opt only to do a GMO if it came to that?

If the choice is between a civilian combined program or a military, you'd have to go to the military one if you are chosen for both. However, if you match into a military residency you don't want to do, you can turn it down and probably just go into a transitional slot.

 

[backrow]

If the choice is between a civilian combined program or a military, you'd have to go to the military one if you are chosen for both. However, if you match into a military residency you don't want to do, you can turn it down and probably just go into a transitional slot.

You aren't able to turn down an internship to which you applied and offered a position. That would lead to all sorts of problems. It is possible to end up in an internship you did not apply for it you weren't competitive for what you applied for or any of the others you listed as alternatives (historically these people have been called to discuss this).

Residency you can certainly turn down as they have GMO spots to put you in and others as alternates to fill your residency position.

 

[notdeadyet]

If you are considering civilian program after four years as a GMO, I would check with civilian combined residencies about which internship they would recognize and if they would honor it after four years of service.

Some combined residencies have a very specific schedule with combined internship, so high chance of having to repeat internship. Others do psychiatry first for the year or IM first for the year. You would want to make sure you are doing the correct one to minimize chance of having to repeat internship.


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[Dhooy7]

I am new to the HPSP scholarship. I have some questions. Would someone mind if I contacted them about their experience?

 

[WernickeDO]

I am new to the HPSP scholarship. I have some questions. Would someone mind if I contacted them about their experience?

You can find plenty of information under the stickies and using the search function. All the typical HPSP questions are answered. Good luck.

 

[pgg]

I am new to the HPSP scholarship. I have some questions. Would someone mind if I contacted them about their experience?

Coincidentally, the main reason this forum exists is so people who are new to the HPSP scholarship can get their questions answered.

We don't mind at all if you read the forum and then ask questions.