This post is to all Pre-meds considering Navy or Navy Medical Students/Interns.
Hello everyone. I am a Naval Flight Surgeon with the Marines. I have been at my duty station for nearly 4 years. I just wanted to provide an honest update as to the state of Navy Operational Medicine because no one ever tells us these things.
Over the past several years, it has become harder to and not as desireable to be a Navy Flight Surgeon. They are severely undermanned (for the past 3 years several of us have had to cover more than 2-3 units with over 800 Marines, deploy, AND work in the Naval Clinic seeing Sick Call for the entire station).
The Joint Selection Board for GME is still a shadowy process. You can have the points needed for selection and not get selected despite having first class fitness reports etc, or you could not have the points to get selected and get selected.
Ultimately, and understandably, the Needs of the Navy supercede anything else. Unfortunately, many times the needs of the Operational Navy and the needs of the Navy Bureau of Medicine are.....different.
In summary, between my clinic duties, following up with Marines from other units (labs, MRI's etc,) counseling for depression, adjustment disorders, anxiety, PTSD, taking care of my Marines, covering 2-3 other units, with detachments to other bases at least 3-4 times a year, and finally overseas deployments, I rarely get a chance to fly. When I do, it is fun and I enjoy it.
I deployed with my unit (a single seat attack platform) from 2010-2011. During that time, the majority of our time was aboard a ship - with limited flight time aboard the CH-46s. I was unable to fullfill my 4 hour a month obligation and recently had to pay back the DOD $1500 in flight pay.
I requested a waiver, but it was denied. See below.
Hello everyone. I am a Naval Flight Surgeon with the Marines. I have been at my duty station for nearly 4 years. I just wanted to provide an honest update as to the state of Navy Operational Medicine because no one ever tells us these things.
Over the past several years, it has become harder to and not as desireable to be a Navy Flight Surgeon. They are severely undermanned (for the past 3 years several of us have had to cover more than 2-3 units with over 800 Marines, deploy, AND work in the Naval Clinic seeing Sick Call for the entire station).
The Joint Selection Board for GME is still a shadowy process. You can have the points needed for selection and not get selected despite having first class fitness reports etc, or you could not have the points to get selected and get selected.
Ultimately, and understandably, the Needs of the Navy supercede anything else. Unfortunately, many times the needs of the Operational Navy and the needs of the Navy Bureau of Medicine are.....different.
In summary, between my clinic duties, following up with Marines from other units (labs, MRI's etc,) counseling for depression, adjustment disorders, anxiety, PTSD, taking care of my Marines, covering 2-3 other units, with detachments to other bases at least 3-4 times a year, and finally overseas deployments, I rarely get a chance to fly. When I do, it is fun and I enjoy it.
I deployed with my unit (a single seat attack platform) from 2010-2011. During that time, the majority of our time was aboard a ship - with limited flight time aboard the CH-46s. I was unable to fullfill my 4 hour a month obligation and recently had to pay back the DOD $1500 in flight pay.
I requested a waiver, but it was denied. See below.
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