Emergency Medicine

[paradude]

I've been accepted at USUHS. Could any current or former military ER docs comment on how similar/different a career in military EM is compared to practicing in the civilian world? I've spent 8 years enlisted AF so I'm not really looking for comments about making a transition to life in the military but I'm just interested in learning what my future practice will look like.

Thanks!

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[Mirror Form]

I've been accepted at USUHS. Could any current or former military ER docs comment on how similar/different a career in military EM is compared to practicing in the civilian world? I've spent 8 years enlisted AF so I'm not really looking for comments about making a transition to life in the military but I'm just interested in learning what my future practice will look like.

Thanks!

I'm sure you've heard this before, but don't get too set on one specialty yet. As far as ER goes, there are some advantages to being a military ER doc versus civilian. In the civilian world, ER docs are getting hosed w/ malpractice and also end up doing primary care for the dredges of society. In the military, you don't have to deal with a bunch of IV drug abusing, painkiller seeking, system leeching scumbags. That said, you'll still be considered the biggest idiot in your hospital (military or civ).

 

[st0rmin]

Working in a few military EDs I have dealt with painkiller seeking, system leeching folks. There are a lot people that feel because they receive free health care they are entitled to come to the emergency room for any little thing. For example, "my home pregnancy test said that I was pregnant, can I get checked? I don't believe it." "My son started coughing this morning." me - "did you call your pediatrician?" mom - "no, it takes too long to get an appointment, I figured I'd just come here and be seen. I been waiting for six hours in the waiting room you know..."

Overall the acuity you will see in a military ED is probably less than you will see in the civilian world because we deal with mostly a young, healthy, activity duty population, but the trauma and stuff you see while being deployed more than makes up for it. Some of the staff I know moonlight at civilian hospitals, to keep up on the skills, and for extra cash.

And yes, you will be considered one of the biggest idiots in the hospital.
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One more week until I know if I'll be one of those idiots...

 

[dtn3t]

Working in a few military EDs I have dealt with painkiller seeking, system leeching folks. There are a lot people that feel because they receive free health care they are entitled to come to the emergency room for any little thing. For example, "my home pregnancy test said that I was pregnant, can I get checked? I don't believe it." "My son started coughing this morning." me - "did you call your pediatrician?" mom - "no, it takes too long to get an appointment, I figured I'd just come here and be seen. I been waiting for six hours in the waiting room you know..."

Couldn't have said it better. My favorite is when they come in for medication refills - but they don't know what they're on or what it is for, or better yet, it's a med refill for motrin. gotta love that. The active duty population isn't so bad, it's the dependents and the retiree's that get to you.

 

[Mirror Form]

The active duty population isn't so bad, it's the dependents and the retiree's that get to you.

Trust me, they're a LOT better then the indigineous population any inner city ER doc has to deal with.

 

[Nylesor]

Trust me, they're a LOT better then the indigineous population any inner city ER doc has to deal with.

Hey, just curious - when did you interview and when did you find out you got into USUHS? Also, I was interested in the ER. What's with this whole being considered the "biggest idiot in the hospital?"

 

[st0rmin]

Hey, just curious - when did you interview and when did you find out you got into USUHS? Also, I was interested in the ER. What's with this whole being considered the "biggest idiot in the hospital?"

There are docs from other specialties that consider EM docs glorified triage nurses. The feel that anyone can do our job and that it's not a true specialty. There are several threads on this topic and how others feel about EM elsewhere on SDN. I think they are just upset because we have lives outside of the hospital, and don't have to spend our days chasing someone's K and Mg. To each their own...

 

[Mirror Form]

Hey, just curious - when did you interview and when did you find out you got into USUHS?

I never went to USUHS, my military commitment is via ROTC.

Also, I was interested in the ER. What's with this whole being considered the "biggest idiot in the hospital?"

Dealing with emergency med doc's can be frustrating for other services and it leads to resentment. Obviously all EM doc's aren't idiots, but each hospital usually has at least one lazy and stupid emergency med doc who causes the whole hospital to hate the ED.

There is also a "shoot the messenger" aspect as well. Most new admissions come through the ED, so people start to dislike all things concerning the ED since that's a big source of pain.

 

[Nylesor]

Thanks for the clarification.