Emergency (medicine)

[Primate]

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Is there much of a need for EM in the military? I've been told that any surgical specialty is in demand, but wonder if "emergentologists" are also needed. Does the military use GMOs to cover non-acute and moderately acute care and go directly to trauma surg. after that?

Just curious about how EM docs get utilized in the service.

P

 

[NJEMT1]

I want to go into EM too so I'd also be interested in hearing about this!

 

[doc4sure]

Make that 3 for EM.

 

[edmadison]

Originally posted by Primate
Is there much of a need for EM in the military? I've been told that any surgical specialty is in demand, but wonder if "emergentologists" are also needed. Does the military use GMOs to cover non-acute and moderately acute care and go directly to trauma surg. after that?

Just curious about how EM docs get utilized in the service.

P

I'll answer your questions to tide you over; there are people here that know more about this than I. The military uses EM docs. In the army, it is one of the most competitive specialties to obtain. I don't know how they are used in deployment, but I do know that non-ED docs are frequently used to cover acute care cases. In fact, one pediatric oncologist got sent to Iraq to do this (talk about a waste of resources). Also, much of the trauma well go to FSTs where the cases are triaged by surgeons.

Ed

 

[NJEMT1]

I would think the military would want a lot of ER docs because their training would be better suited for deployment (as compared to the pediatric oncologist mentioned.) Also, what are FSTs? Thanks.

 

[Primate]

From what you've said (edmadison), I'm still wondering if most acute care is done by EM docs or if the services pull people from other specialties and assumes they're "good enough" to cover most EM cases, sending the really big stuff to the surgeons. That EM is competitive could mean that there aren't that many billets and lots of applicants.

Anyone in the know?

 

[The White Coat Investor]

Qualifications: Civilian EM resident s/p HPSP

Emergency Medicine is a very competitive field in the military. Residencies aren't too much different than civilian residencies, and some are actually combined, such as Madigan (army) and Wright-Patterson (Air Force.) I opted not to go to any of them because 1) I viewed them as middle of the road and had qualifications to get into a "great" residency and 2) I didn't want to learn medicine in an environment I wouldn't be practicing in, for long anyway.

Military EM docs work in military EDs when they're not deployed. The military has figured out that they are the perfect physician to deploy....broad background, yet excellent at stabilizing and treating acute trauma.

97% of military EPs leave the military when their time is up. That tells you something. I didn't meet very many happy ones on my rotations as a med student. The residents I met at the interviews I went to were very "gung-ho" military, which I'm not. So I suppose if you really like being in the military, you won't mind being a doc in the military. But if you are wondering if the military is for you.....its not.

 

[GMO_52]

I would have to agree. I think you can divide the EM staff into two groups, those who picked EM because they want to practice EM and those who picked EM because they like operational medicine and had to do a residency in something (EM being quite practical for people with this sort of orientation). The former group tend to do their time and get out and the latter complete a career (although you are not too likely to find many of them in the hospital at any given time). Obviously this is an oversimplification but I think its pretty fair.

 

[NJEMT1]

If I want to do EM as a speciality, is it better to do the Army HPSP (bc they have 3 EM residency programs) over the Air Force HPSP (bc they have only 2 EM residency programs and fewer bases - thus fewer ER's)?

 

[The White Coat Investor]

If you know you want to do EM, don't do military. Its a much better deal for FPs, IMs, Peds etc. Otherwise, you've got one seriously hard match to do. It might be a little easier in the army than in the air force, but keep in mind they have more applicants to fill more slots.

 

[emoraf]

Does anyone have any personal experience with the EM residency at Wilford Hall? How stable is the faculty? Is the census adequate to feel prepared to deploy? etc.
I'm USAF HPSP, and very interested in EM at this point.
Thanks for the input.
emoraf

 

[The White Coat Investor]

I interviewed at Wilford Hall. I didn't like it, and ranked it third in my military match. I don't think the training is particularly bad, I just didn't fit in well with the people. Most of the faculty (minus the Residency director and the assistant residency director) are deployable. I think the census is probably adequate for EM training, but what you mean by "adequate to deploy" I'm not sure.