Does joining AF guarantee you a residency spot?

[stgeorge]

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Are there any af physicians who are forced to work as flight surgeons forever after failing to match over and over? Does air force want and force every flight surgeon to eventually obtain a residency or want every flight surgeon to work as a flight surgeon?
Say, I want to find a residency spot in emergency after working as a flight surgeon for two or three years, but I fail to find a spot one year and the next... Will I be forced to work as a flight surgeon or will air force "find" me a residency where they need me the most, e.g., in family medicine? In short, I will be very happy to find an em spot in air force but will still be happy if I don't find an em spot but instead find any residency spot in air force after working as a flight surgeon for however long they want me to, which I expect to be two or three years... Is this a realistic expectation to have?

 

[Droopy Snoopy]

Are there any af physicians who are forced to work as flight surgeons forever after failing to match over and over? Does air force want and force every flight surgeon to eventually obtain a residency or want every flight surgeon to work as a flight surgeon?
Say, I want to find a residency spot in emergency after working as a flight surgeon for two or three years, but I fail to find a spot one year and the next... Will I be forced to work as a flight surgeon or will air force "find" me a residency where they need me the most, e.g., in family medicine? In short, I will be very happy to find an em spot in air force but will still be happy if I don't find an em spot but instead find any residency spot in air force after working as a flight surgeon for however long they want me to, which I expect to be two or three years... Is this a realistic expectation to have?

You're guaranteed a prelim year in the military. I've not heard of the AF sticking you in some blind high-demand residency, but at the same time you have to be careful not to rank a specialty on your match paperwork unless you'd be 100% happy being in that specialty. Generally a GMO tour or two earns you enough points to match into most military residencies, however you could continue to work as a basic flight doc (the most I've encountered was 10 years) or go for a residency in it.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

What stage are you at in your training that you think you'd be plenty happy training in a specialty that isn't your first choice? I know very few doctors that think that way.

 

[surfingmd]

After completing medical school without a residency is it possible to enter the military match if i didnt attend a military medical school or ever serve? Would I first have to enlist? How many years would I have to dedicate post residency? Thanks