Hi all,
I’ve been reading through posts on both SDN and reddit for the past few weeks about becoming a flight surgeon (particularly, within the navy). In that time I’ve read a lot of informative posts and had some really productive conversations with flight surgeons (s/o to Ravager135), but I still feel a bit unsure about my situation. I’m hoping some of you would be willing to offer your insight or share any similar experiences. If I’ve mistaken any of the steps or timelines here, please feel free to correct me.
I’m currently 26 years old and in my final year of a BS, in my first year (of two) of an MS, and applying to medical school this coming cycle. I scored well on the MCAT and have a competitive GPA, so should all things go as planned, I’ll be starting med school at 27 years old in the fall of 2020, and 31 by the time I finish.
If I go the non-military route, and assuming I pursue a non-surgical specialty (which is, of course, subject to change), that puts me at becoming a boarded physician at around 34 or 35, with all the debt that comes with it.
If I go the military route, I’d start internship at 31 and hopefully spend the next few years of my ADSO as a flight surgeon, and finish around 35. After that, I’d leave the military and apply for civilian residency. Again, assuming I pursue a non-surgical specialty, that puts me at becoming a boarded physician at around 38 or 39, with no debt.
To be clear, my motivation for wanting to become a flight surgeon doesn’t come from getting medical school paid off. While it's obviously wonderful perk, the reality is that I want a life full of unique and rewarding experiences, as well as the enjoyment and pride in service to country and the camaraderie therein (I realize that may be a romanticized perspective, though, so I can offer more context if you'd like). The caveat here that I struggle with is that those same experiences may likely require that I put aspects of personal life, like starting a family, on hold for a long time, and possibly jeopardize my financial stability in the long run by not making a civilian physician salary until much later in life (around 40, whereas traditional civilian physicians begin to earn that salary at around 30, albeit with debt). I've also read quite a bit about skill and knowledge atrophy, so that's also a large concern of mine with regards to beginning residency.
While I have many questions, my biggest one comes down to this - In your experience, does spending time as a flight surgeon with my age and timeline, seem like a worth while pursuit? I realize the answer is quite subjective, but I’d appreciate any and all information, words of wisdom, or considerations you have to offer. If you’d like me to elaborate further on anything, please let me know.
In addition - I've considered completing residency as a civilian and pursuing flight surgeon after, though I'm not exactly sure how that would work or what the pros and cons would be.
Thanks in advance!
I’ve been reading through posts on both SDN and reddit for the past few weeks about becoming a flight surgeon (particularly, within the navy). In that time I’ve read a lot of informative posts and had some really productive conversations with flight surgeons (s/o to Ravager135), but I still feel a bit unsure about my situation. I’m hoping some of you would be willing to offer your insight or share any similar experiences. If I’ve mistaken any of the steps or timelines here, please feel free to correct me.
I’m currently 26 years old and in my final year of a BS, in my first year (of two) of an MS, and applying to medical school this coming cycle. I scored well on the MCAT and have a competitive GPA, so should all things go as planned, I’ll be starting med school at 27 years old in the fall of 2020, and 31 by the time I finish.
If I go the non-military route, and assuming I pursue a non-surgical specialty (which is, of course, subject to change), that puts me at becoming a boarded physician at around 34 or 35, with all the debt that comes with it.
If I go the military route, I’d start internship at 31 and hopefully spend the next few years of my ADSO as a flight surgeon, and finish around 35. After that, I’d leave the military and apply for civilian residency. Again, assuming I pursue a non-surgical specialty, that puts me at becoming a boarded physician at around 38 or 39, with no debt.
To be clear, my motivation for wanting to become a flight surgeon doesn’t come from getting medical school paid off. While it's obviously wonderful perk, the reality is that I want a life full of unique and rewarding experiences, as well as the enjoyment and pride in service to country and the camaraderie therein (I realize that may be a romanticized perspective, though, so I can offer more context if you'd like). The caveat here that I struggle with is that those same experiences may likely require that I put aspects of personal life, like starting a family, on hold for a long time, and possibly jeopardize my financial stability in the long run by not making a civilian physician salary until much later in life (around 40, whereas traditional civilian physicians begin to earn that salary at around 30, albeit with debt). I've also read quite a bit about skill and knowledge atrophy, so that's also a large concern of mine with regards to beginning residency.
While I have many questions, my biggest one comes down to this - In your experience, does spending time as a flight surgeon with my age and timeline, seem like a worth while pursuit? I realize the answer is quite subjective, but I’d appreciate any and all information, words of wisdom, or considerations you have to offer. If you’d like me to elaborate further on anything, please let me know.
In addition - I've considered completing residency as a civilian and pursuing flight surgeon after, though I'm not exactly sure how that would work or what the pros and cons would be.
Thanks in advance!
Last edited:
