Doc's in Iraq

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But they aren't sending apostrophes because they keep getting misused.
 
really? I thought they can be used when you try to abbreviate a word.

Contractions, yes. Pluralize, no.

Sorry, couldn't help myself. It drives me crazy that people just randomly put apostrophes before an "S."
 
Contractions, yes. Pluralize, no.

Sorry, couldn't help myself. It drives me crazy that people just randomly put apostrophes before an "S."

thanks for the information, i stand corrected
 
No hard feelings, man. It is all said with a smile... a smart@ss smile, but a smile nonetheless.
 
Are they sending all types of docs to Iraq, such as IM or Peds or Family Docs?

Read: Is there some way, some how, I can join the military and get out of doing the hard part? Is there a formula that I can apply, join the right service, be the right kind of doc and get all the benefits of military membership, but not actually sacrifice and risk my life like everyone else? Can I wear the uniform, get all the kudos from my friends and family and the man/woman on the street who calls me "hero" but not actually go to where the fight is?

My favorite type of post.
 
Read: Is there some way, some how, I can join the military and get out of doing the hard part? Is there a formula that I can apply, join the right service, be the right kind of doc and get all the benefits of military membership, but not actually sacrifice and risk my life like everyone else? Can I wear the uniform, get all the kudos from my friends and family and the man/woman on the street who calls me "hero" but not actually go to where the fight is?

My favorite type of post.
That may be doctor0125's train of thought, and it may not. If it is, he wouldn't be the first one to join the military with motivation other than patriotism. If it is not, it stands as a perfectly valid question of fact.
 
That may be doctor0125's train of thought, and it may not. If it is, he wouldn't be the first one to join the military with motivation other than patriotism. If it is not, it stands as a perfectly valid question of fact.

Getting out of deployment MIGHT not be the motivation. Also, the reason Donald Trump gets hot women, MIGHT not be because he has a lot of money.
 
Reading a little much into the post, aren't you? I don't think it's an unreasonable question. It's certainly not immediately obvious to most of the world what a Pediatrician or Ob/gyn would do in Iraq.

No,

I'm going to just assume that such a question is voiced by someone who is interested in getting the benefits of milmed without contributing to the sacrifice.

Let's make it clear to all curious undergrads. If you join the medical corps, in a time of war as either a ped, or FP or any other sort of practicioner you will be sent to the war zone. That is the nature of the world. Don't make any assumptions that because you join as a certain specialty or sub-specialty that you may be immune from the war that the rest of us are fighting.
 
No,

I'm going to just assume that such a question is voiced by someone who is interested in getting the benefits of milmed without contributing to the sacrifice.

Let's make it clear to all curious undergrads. If you join the medical corps, in a time of war as either a ped, or FP or any other sort of practicioner you will be sent to the war zone. That is the nature of the world. Don't make any assumptions that because you join as a certain specialty or sub-specialty that you may be immune from the war that the rest of us are fighting.
It is still a valid question. I agree with your point, but the whole idea of HPSP, etc. is to entice people into the military. Without these monetary incentives, think of how few doctors would be in the military at all. So, if he signs up, he eventually deploys (rightfully so), but can't he know what he is getting himself into before he does? Doesn't everyone always say that around these forums all the time: learn about the military before you make a decision about getting in?
 
No,

I'm going to just assume that such a question is voiced by someone who is interested in getting the benefits of milmed without contributing to the sacrifice.

Let's make it clear to all curious undergrads. If you join the medical corps, in a time of war as either a ped, or FP or any other sort of practicioner you will be sent to the war zone. That is the nature of the world. Don't make any assumptions that because you join as a certain specialty or sub-specialty that you may be immune from the war that the rest of us are fighting.

Right on Paradude. While yes it is POSSIBLE that it is just an "out of curiosity" question, but for what ultimate purpose? If the answer was "no, those specialties don't deploy" is the person asking the question going to then decide "well, I better stay away from those then." Yeah right. The purpose of the question is to determine how to minimize the possibility of deployment.
 
Right on Paradude. While yes it is POSSIBLE that it is just an "out of curiosity" question, but for what ultimate purpose? If the answer was "no, those specialties don't deploy" is the person asking the question going to then decide "well, I better stay away from those then." Yeah right. The purpose of the question is to determine how to minimize the possibility of deployment.

Not necessarily - I can't count the number of times I've told people I'm on a ship for the next 2 years and they say, "are there kids on the ship?" They really don't get that a pediatrician, OB, etc would do anything or be qualified to do anything other than the specialty in which they are trained (hmmm). It's very possible that this person just didn't know and wanted to ask.
 
It is still a valid question. I agree with your point, but the whole idea of HPSP, etc. is to entice people into the military. Without these monetary incentives, think of how few doctors would be in the military at all.

Wait a second...Are you saying that people are taking the HPSP contract for the money and not because they feel the need to unselfishly serve their country? 😱

(Sorry, could not resist that one 😉)

In all honesty, I completely agree. I think it is absolutely riduculous when posters come on here and say that they took the HPSP contract because they felt an "overwhelming" urge to serve their country and take care of their troops. Yet, would they have signed the contract if the military did not pay for med school, give them a signing bonus, payed a monthly stipend, books, medical insurance and all other fees while they were in med school? If it wasn't for the money, why even take the HPSP or FAP? Why not just join after med school and/or residency? Maybe I am in the dark, but I just don't get it.
 
Right on Paradude. While yes it is POSSIBLE that it is just an "out of curiosity" question, but for what ultimate purpose? If the answer was "no, those specialties don't deploy" is the person asking the question going to then decide "well, I better stay away from those then." Yeah right. The purpose of the question is to determine how to minimize the possibility of deployment.

If anybody is choosing a specialty based on how often they deploy, they got bigger problems. These are the people I really don't want to deploy with.
 
Not necessarily - I can't count the number of times I've told people I'm on a ship for the next 2 years and they say, "are there kids on the ship?" They really don't get that a pediatrician, OB, etc would do anything or be qualified to do anything other than the specialty in which they are trained (hmmm). It's very possible that this person just didn't know and wanted to ask.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought you aren't a pediatrician. You are going to be a GMO for 2 years, before going back into a Peds training program. Am I wrong? Agree though, all specialtists are eligible for a "GMO tour". Too bad not everybody realizes that this could happen, though.
 
That may be doctor0125's train of thought, and it may not. If it is, he wouldn't be the first one to join the military with motivation other than patriotism. If it is not, it stands as a perfectly valid question of fact.

Maybe he wants to go. One of my fellow interns wanted nothing more than to be in the sandbox with the marines. Its not uncommon as I have met more like him. I would go again.

Yes, All doctors deploy. I went with an SSTP staffed with GMOs, IM,ER, FP, Pysch, Gen Surge, Anesth, and ortho. The level 3 hospitals have urologist, optho, ENT, radiologists and NS.

The Navy is slowly phasing out GMOs. Any board certified physician can be deployed as a GMO. Any board certified physician can be deployed in a admin role.
 
Maybe he wants to go. One of my fellow interns wanted nothing more than to be in the sandbox with the marines. Its not uncommon as I have met more like him. I would go again.

Exactly. My point was that he knows his reason for asking (good or bad) and if he wants to ask, why can't he?
 
Read: Is there some way, some how, I can join the military and get out of doing the hard part? Is there a formula that I can apply, join the right service, be the right kind of doc and get all the benefits of military membership, but not actually sacrifice and risk my life like everyone else?
Or the guy's wife asked him and he wants to answer her question. Or he's just a guy that likes to know what he gets into before signing the papers. Wanting to know where you stand isn't cowardice, it's common sense. Something that's in short supply these days.
Can I wear the uniform, get all the kudos from my friends and family and the man/woman on the street who calls me "hero" but not actually go to where the fight is?
You might be projecting your own motivations here for joining, no? I didn't get that from the OPs question.
 
Wait a second...Are you saying that people are taking the HPSP contract for the money and not because they feel the need to unselfishly serve their country? 😱

(Sorry, could not resist that one 😉)

In all honesty, I completely agree. I think it is absolutely riduculous when posters come on here and say that they took the HPSP contract because they felt an "overwhelming" urge to serve their country and take care of their troops. Yet, would they have signed the contract if the military did not pay for med school, give them a signing bonus, payed a monthly stipend, books, medical insurance and all other fees while they were in med school? If it wasn't for the money, why even take the HPSP or FAP? Why not just join after med school and/or residency? Maybe I am in the dark, but I just don't get it.


By that reasoning, academy grads joined for suspect reasons, and so did all the ROTC officer accessions. What other reason would there be to sign on before graduation if not to have the big bills covered? It isn't as if you will really have an opportunity to do much but study and do schoolwork until you finish medical school. No one deploys until after internship anyway.

And just how many people are really signing up after medical school under no form of incentive at all anyway (including promotion to advanced rank?) Very few. I used to interview some of those folks. Most of them were joining to make a change in their lives and to live and work someplace different doing something different than what they had done. There was often an inciting event: a divorce, a lawsuit or something else that triggered the decision.

People who say they didn't join for the money make me laugh, not because they are stupid for having joined, but because they probably think those who are hearing them really believe what they say. Do you see any of them offering to turn the money away?

And what exactly is wrong with just admitting: "I didn't have the money on hand to pay for school so I really joined for the money. Military service didn't seem like such a bad idea at the time, and there were actually some things about the service that appealed to me then. So I joined"?

Nothing IMO, except that many people--myself included--really didn't have as much information about the downside to make an informed decision.
 
People who say they didn't join for the money make me laugh, not because they are stupid for having joined, but because they probably think those who are hearing them really believe what they say. Do you see any of them offering to turn the money away?

I think the same thing about docs in general, civilian ones as well.
 
In all honesty, I completely agree. I think it is absolutely riduculous when posters come on here and say that they took the HPSP contract because they felt an "overwhelming" urge to serve their country and take care of their troops. Yet, would they have signed the contract if the military did not pay for med school, give them a signing bonus, payed a monthly stipend, books, medical insurance and all other fees while they were in med school? If it wasn't for the money, why even take the HPSP or FAP? Why not just join after med school and/or residency? Maybe I am in the dark, but I just don't get it.
I don´t think there´s as much of a contradiction here as you think. I´m joining the military because I want to join the military, have always wanted to join the military, and would forever feel like an *** if I didn´t join the military. I´m doing it through HPSP, as opposed to just signing up after residency, because HPSP pays my tuition to my rediculously expensive private medical school, and I´m willing to risk delaying my residency more than I´m willing to risk over a quarter mil of debt. Maybe Í´ll feel differently about my decision in a few of years, but I don´t see anything wrong with my reasoning.
 
...I´m willing to risk delaying my residency more than I´m willing to risk over a quarter mil of debt. Maybe Í´ll feel differently about my decision in a few of years, but I don´t see anything wrong with my reasoning.

I think all prospective HPSP and USUHS students should be given full disclosure before they sign. No matter what happens at least you will feel like you had all the facts up front. Keep us posted as to how it is going through the process.
 
"Us", eh? How's school going?

Your tone is obnoxious and you used a simple question to spout a bunch of self-righteous nonsense. You need to get over yourself, Captain America.

School is great.

I agree I can at times be obnoxious and self-righteous. However, I do have 6 family members in uniform. My brother-in-law just got back from a year in Iraq as a platoon leader. I have two brothers in Iraq, one of whom is beginning his 3rd full year in –country. I wear a uniform every day of the week, with previous deployments to more countries than you can probably find on a map, so I’m going to go ahead and use the word “us” when I describe the war on terror, and you can go f*** yourself.
 
with previous deployments to more countries than you can probably find on a map, so I’m going to go ahead and use the word “us” when I describe the war on terror, and you can go f*** yourself.

Dude I can find a lot of countries on a map . . . . at least like 50 or something . . . .

The important thing is when you do your thrid year rotations, make sure you tell all the residents you work with how your prior service makes you better than them. That will ALWAYS equate to good evals.

Oh, and Tired outranks you. So that should read "go f*** yourself, SIR"

Couldn't resist
 
Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought you aren't a pediatrician. You are going to be a GMO for 2 years, before going back into a Peds training program. Am I wrong? Agree though, all specialtists are eligible for a "GMO tour". Too bad not everybody realizes that this could happen, though.

True, but it doesn't change the fact that I've spent the last year and a half of my life learning how to take care of kids and for the next two years I'm going to be something completely different. Everyone who knows me know that I am a "pediatrician" No, I'm not a board certified pediatrician, but I'm a doctor that specializes in taking care of children - I'm just still in training.
 
My brother-in-law just got back from a year in Iraq as a platoon leader. I have two brothers in Iraq, one of whom is beginning his 3rd full year in –country. I wear a uniform every day of the week, with previous deployments to more countries than you can probably find on a map, so I’m going to go ahead and use the word “us” when I describe the war on terror, and you can go f*** yourself.

Uh…huh…so you’ve done lots of deployments to lots of crappy Middle Eastern countries and maybe gotten shot at? Wow. I’m guessing that only about 1.2 million of us have done that. This is 2008 and we’ve been at war for about six years now, so I’m not sure that the above will get you as much “street cred” as you think. Currently, we require at least a bronze star, or documentation of a mangled extremity before issuing a permit for this degree of self-righteous indignation.
 
Uh…huh…so you’ve done lots of deployments to lots of crappy Middle Eastern countries and maybe gotten shot at? Wow. I’m guessing that only about 1.2 million of us have done that. This is 2008 and we’ve been at war for about six years now, so I’m not sure that the above will get you as much “street cred” as you think. Currently, we require at least a bronze star, or documentation of a mangled extremity before issuing a permit for this degree of self-righteous indignation.

😱 Suddenly I feel like my balls are very small.
 
Reading a little much into the post, aren't you? I don't think it's an unreasonable question. It's certainly not immediately obvious to most of the world what a Pediatrician or Ob/gyn would do in Iraq.

i agree. i think some people on this thread are a little too sensitive.

i get asked *daily* about being deployed as a board certified pediatrician. i wish i could convey the looks of disbelief (and disappointment) when i tell them that not only will i deploy, but i'll be going as a GMO seeing adults. parents are frustrated having no continuity of care for their kids with their pediatricians, and constantly switching PCM's to the point even having a PCM is a joke. and that's for healthy kids-- parents of kids with complex medical needs literally are in tears because they'll have to get to know an entirely new physician and explain everything over again.

if people *in* the system don't know, how would you expect someone outside of it to know?

so the short answer for peds is that yes, you will be deployed, but no, you won't be doing peds.

--your friendly neighborhood 7-3-6 caveman
 
People who say they didn't join for the money make me laugh, not because they are stupid for having joined, but because they probably think those who are hearing them really believe what they say. Do you see any of them offering to turn the money away?

Just because they're not turning down the money doesn't mean they're doing it for the money. That said, I think if there weren't a scholarship (or FAP...whatever particular incentive you want to talk about) accession of docs would go way down. Why? Because then being a military doc goes from being a gook/OK/not disastrous financial decision to a stupid one. Medical schools loans could be very burdensome to a doctor getting military pay (even military pro-pays) with no other incentives.

I personally know people who would have liked to have joined to service (not as doctors) after college, but were unable because they owed HUGE amounts of student loans...they were afraid they wouldn't be able to pay off the loans. Did their ROTC classmates who had everything paid for do it for the money? I don't know. But I do know that some guys who didn't do ROTC came out feeling like they couldn't afford to join the military...and not from a lifestyle standpoint either, but from the standpoint of "I'm afraid I literally won't be able to pay off my student loans on military pay".

There have been plenty of threads on whether or not HPSP is a good deal financially. Whether it is or not, I do think that it makes it possible for medical students "afford" to be military doctors. I think that is the best way for med students to look at the HPSP. No, you might not come out ahead on the deal, but I want to serve in the military and this program will prevent me from having a huge pile of debt to worry about paying off on the salary of a military physician.
 
Uh…huh…so you’ve done lots of deployments to lots of crappy Middle Eastern countries and maybe gotten shot at? Wow. I’m guessing that only about 1.2 million of us have done that. This is 2008 and we’ve been at war for about six years now, so I’m not sure that the above will get you as much “street cred” as you think. Currently, we require at least a bronze star, or documentation of a mangled extremity before issuing a permit for this degree of self-righteous indignation.

I should have figured you'd pile in on this.

I really don't get your point. Mine was simple:

1.) All sorts of docs get sent to Iraq
2.) "Tired" was out of line and I let him know it

No mangled limbs here but plenty of awards. Actually I think your "permit" system is flawed. Remember, Jessica Lynch got a Bronze Star for getting lost and captured in 2003 so it may not be the best measure of ones right to self-righteous indignation. But if that is the current system then so be it.
 
I should have figured you'd pile in on this.

I really don't get your point.

Sorry if that post was “piling on.” But to re-state my point less sarcastically: Given the current ops tempo, virtually everyone has deployed, so war-time experience alone isn’t quite the feather-in-your-cap that it used to be. It's not the trump card in every debate. And I don’t think that one’s prior OEF/OIF experience necessarily justifies demeaning a poster with a legitimate question.

I can see why the "Captain America" line would get you hacked off, but his point was legitimate.
 
Maybe he wants to go. One of my fellow interns wanted nothing more than to be in the sandbox with the marines. Its not uncommon as I have met more like him. I would go again.

Yes, All doctors deploy. I went with an SSTP staffed with GMOs, IM,ER, FP, Pysch, Gen Surge, Anesth, and ortho. The level 3 hospitals have urologist, optho, ENT, radiologists and NS.

The Navy is slowly phasing out GMOs. Any board certified physician can be deployed as a GMO. Any board certified physician can be deployed in a admin role.

This one is the other possibility. In which case, I say "hooah."
 
Or the guy's wife asked him and he wants to answer her question. Or he's just a guy that likes to know what he gets into before signing the papers. Wanting to know where you stand isn't cowardice, it's common sense. Something that's in short supply these days.

You might be projecting your own motivations here for joining, no? I didn't get that from the OPs question.

You are talking to the wrong guy about projection. I know when I am projecting, and this is not one of those times. The first time I signed on the line, I was enlisted and it was for stupid reaons (not recognition, by the way). I learned my lesson and now I look out for it and call it when I see it. Besides, I didn't ask "do psychologists deploy." I assumed they do when I swore in.
 
I think all prospective HPSP and USUHS students should be given full disclosure before they sign. No matter what happens at least you will feel like you had all the facts up front. Keep us posted as to how it is going through the process.

I agree with this to a point, but I think there is a "reasonable person" arguemt that lawyers would probably use here. Certain decisions come with a risk/benefit that a reasonable person *should* know about. Like joining the military and being put in harms way. However, you are correct, and I have NO LOVE for recruiters. They represent the biggest part of the military that really needs to change.
 
Just because they're not turning down the money doesn't mean they're doing it for the money.

Apparently I am lying to myself when I say this, but I would do it for way less, and I have 6 figure student loans.
 
I agree with this to a point, but I think there is a "reasonable person" arguemt that lawyers would probably use here. Certain decisions come with a risk/benefit that a reasonable person *should* know about. Like joining the military and being put in harms way. However, you are correct, and I have NO LOVE for recruiters. They represent the biggest part of the military that really needs to change.

It is reasonable to expect that if you join the military you will go on a deployment or if you are in the Navy you would serve on a ship. However what about GMO tours especially when the recruiters are telling applicants they will get their choice of specialty training? That's the part that needs full disclosure.
 
It is reasonable to expect that if you join the military you will go on a deployment or if you are in the Navy you would serve on a ship. However what about GMO tours especially when the recruiters are telling applicants they will get their choice of specialty training? That's the part that needs full disclosure.

The Navy=Ship idea is really not accurate either. The vast majority of Navy medical deployments are either green-side billets or IA billets with the Army. The lucky few who get to ride the Comfort arounnd for a few months are not the norm.
 
Holy crap. I make fun of a guy's inability to properly use an apostrophe then disappear for a few days and this firestorm erupts. I guess I'll have to keep my grammar policing in check.

As for his question... it is a reasonable one given that the average civvie knows nothing about how milmed works. Why question his motives?
 
Holy crap. I make fun of a guy's inability to properly use an apostrophe then disappear for a few days and this firestorm erupts. I guess I'll have to keep my grammar policing in check.

As for his question... it is a reasonable one given that the average civvie knows nothing about how milmed works. Why question his motives?

Experience.
 
I´m sorry, I just don´t see why everyone takes offense at this, even assuming the guy is trying to find out how to join and not go to war. Everyone seems to agree that it´s perfectly reasonable not to join the military if you don´t want to deploy, so why is it unreasonable to ask if it´s possible to join the military without deploying? You can´t, but it certainly seems reasonable to ask. Maybe this person feels he could take the beuracracy but not Iraq, and he wants to know if there´s something he could do to fill up the (also scholarship worthy) billets in understaffed US military clinics. I think it´s unreasonable to whine and pretend that you couldn´t have known about deployments after you´ve already taken the scholarship, but I don´t see what´s offensive about trying to find out in advance if deployments are a possibility for all docs. To me, trying to find out if there´s a job that doesn´t deploy (before signing the papers) only becomes scummy when there´s a draft on.
 
an Air Force recruiter said they weren't sending ob/gyn or peds to Iraq and I thought it sounded funny, so I wanted to make sure.
 
an Air Force recruiter said they weren't sending ob/gyn or peds to Iraq and I thought it sounded funny, so I wanted to make sure.

Everything the recruiter says should sound funny because every single thing the recruiter says is a bold faced lie. If I had Osama Bin Laden and my recruiter standing in front of me and only one bullet left in my weapon...
 
an Air Force recruiter said they weren't sending ob/gyn or peds to Iraq and I thought it sounded funny, so I wanted to make sure.

I signed up before 911. I asked my recruiter if they sent doctors into war-zones. He actually chuckled and said "what you mean? like MASH? no! no! no! you watch way to much TV. The only time doctors go to war is on the hospital ships. They are more like the love boat. Makes sense, right. Navy....boat!"

This is almost an exact quote! I chuckled all the way to Iraq
 
1.) All sorts of docs get sent to Iraq
2.) "Tired" was out of line and I let him know it

No mangled limbs here but plenty of awards. Actually I think your "permit" system is flawed. Remember, Jessica Lynch got a Bronze Star for getting lost and captured in 2003 so it may not be the best measure of ones right to self-righteous indignation. But if that is the current system then so be it.

Actually, "Tired" pointed out that you are out of line.

There are many AD Military that deploy to many countries and never see combat. Too many Marines are in Iraq less than a month and come home triple amputees. During the time they were there they saw enough combat for a lifetime of PTSD.

BTW: Its the soldiers, sailors, marines and their families that we serve. Every PD and Specialty leader I have spoken has emphasized the importance of "good doctors" in their programs not doctors that want to play soldier/SEAL....ect. Furthermore, the military is short doctors in general. This guy asked a simple legitimate question, just give him an honest answer without driving him away. He has the right to make an informed decision. You were out of line.

Awards: People get awards for answering their phones correctly.
 
Awards: People get awards for answering their phones correctly.

For example, the PCS medal. You get an achievement medal for sticking around long enough to make it to another base. Congratulations.

Awards and decorations for this kind of crap are a slap in the face of every Soldier, Sailor, Airman, and Marine who actually goes out there and does dangerous s#it.
 
For example, the PCS medal. You get an achievement medal for sticking around long enough to make it to another base. Congratulations.

Awards and decorations for this kind of crap are a slap in the face of every Soldier, Sailor, Airman, and Marine who actually goes out there and does dangerous s#it.

So true. Apparently getting a pay check for doing your job is not enough.

DIVEMD
82 days and counting...
 
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