Army Flight Surgeon as Psychiatrist

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notdeadyet

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I realize that this is a shot in the dark, but if any of you happen to know any Army Flight Surgeon-qualified psychiatrists, I'd appreciate seeing if I can get in touch.

I'm an ARNG psychiatrist considering doing the flight surgeon course to help out with the needs of my state. But while this permits me to clear some flags we have for our aviation folks, I'm curious about what this will do in terms of how I am utilized.

For the list of suitable AOCs for substitution for fulfilling the Flight Surgeon slot (61N), psychiatrists are specifically excluded. So I'm curious if by doing the Flight Surgeon course if I will be viewed (and deployed) as a psychiatrist with an unusual qualification that might make me more useful in my role as a psychiatrist in an aviation-associated unit, or if I would have the full "deploy me" badge and be deployed as a flight surgeon, despite what I've read.

Any input or leads would be appreciated. The number of flight surgeon-trained psychiatrists in the Army seem to be smaller in number than I would have guessed. I'm a little unclear it that makes it a good idea or a bad one for me to pursue this.

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Maybe reserves are different, but for AD it's been a target for 61N deployments previously, even for those specifically excluded by the regs from fulfilling the role. Speaking from experience as a non-primary care procedural specialty who was voluntold less than 1 year after getting back from doing an in-specialty deployment because a hospital commander wanted to protect his primary care buddies.
 
If you end up doing this, you will have to get a physical. If you do, you should totally also get them to fund you for the Aeromedical Psychology Training Course. It is technically for psychologists, but I'm sure they'd take you. It's hard AF to find aeromed psych to do waivers, and it would be a huge help to your guys.
 
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Maybe reserves are different, but for AD it's been a target for 61N deployments previously, even for those specifically excluded by the regs from fulfilling the role. Speaking from experience as a non-primary care procedural specialty who was voluntold less than 1 year after getting back from doing an in-specialty deployment because a hospital commander wanted to protect his primary care buddies.
Yup, that was my concern. I’m wondering how effective I would be doing sick call as a deployed flight surgeon when I was limited to doing Psychiatry for the past (ahem) several years.
 
If you do, you should totally also get them to fund you for the Aeromedical Psychology Training Course. It is technically for psychologists, but I'm sure they'd take you. It's hard AF to find aeromed psych to do waivers, and it would be a huge help to your guys.
I already looked into this and called Fort Rucker. The Aeromedical Psychology course is for psychologists. Psychiatrists (being MC and MDs) attend the Flight Surgeon course instead. The FS rating allows Psychiatrists the same scope of practice for dealing with mental/behavioral health waivers.
 
You'd like to think that if you got additional flight surgeon training the ANG would focus on utilizing you properly to do Aeromedical waivers etc. stateside...but that probably won't happen. Once you get tagged as 61N you go to the top of the hit list...the flight surgeon thirst is omnipresent and real. They will expect you to function as a GMO with the full scope of practice that implies. They will not care that you are a psychiatrist.

- ex 61N
 
Thanks for confirming that, 61N. That was my concern. I very much want to help our aviation community but was hoping to do so by adding the FS training to my abilities as a shrink not by functioning as a FS despite my being a shrink. I must think about this.

If anyone has any FS psychiatrist contacts, a DM would be appreciated.
 
I realize that this is a shot in the dark, but if any of you happen to know any Army Flight Surgeon-qualified psychiatrists, I'd appreciate seeing if I can get in touch.

I'm an ARNG psychiatrist considering doing the flight surgeon course to help out with the needs of my state. But while this permits me to clear some flags we have for our aviation folks, I'm curious about what this will do in terms of how I am utilized.

For the list of suitable AOCs for substitution for fulfilling the Flight Surgeon slot (61N), psychiatrists are specifically excluded. So I'm curious if by doing the Flight Surgeon course if I will be viewed (and deployed) as a psychiatrist with an unusual qualification that might make me more useful in my role as a psychiatrist in an aviation-associated unit, or if I would have the full "deploy me" badge and be deployed as a flight surgeon, despite what I've read.

Any input or leads would be appreciated. The number of flight surgeon-trained psychiatrists in the Army seem to be smaller in number than I would have guessed. I'm a little unclear it that makes it a good idea or a bad one for me to pursue this.

Having a flight surgeon designator will 100% increase your likelihood for deployments.

Source: Many physician friends with flight surgeon designator.
 
My units calls it a “deploy me” badge
 
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Thanks for confirming that, 61N. That was my concern. I very much want to help our aviation community but was hoping to do so by adding the FS training to my abilities as a shrink not by functioning as a FS despite my being a shrink. I must think about this.

If anyone has any FS psychiatrist contacts, a DM would be appreciated.

Isn't there a civilian qualification you can get to do Aeromedical psych waivers? It's been a while since I was on AD, but if I recall most our our psych waivers were done by a local civilian. I don't even think she was a GS or contractor even.

Have you talked to the folks down at Rucker?
 
Isn't there a civilian qualification you can get to do Aeromedical psych waivers? It's been a while since I was on AD, but if I recall most our our psych waivers were done by a local civilian. I don't even think she was a GS or contractor even.

Have you talked to the folks down at Rucker?
Interesting. The FAA has a Aviation Medical Examiner role which requires five days of training to get certified to sign off on (civilian) waivers and physicals. There must be some overlap, as I believe they waive a portion of the course for military flight surgeons. I'll look into this.

I did hear from Fort Rucker that they could potentially make an exception to the psychologist-only rule for the Aeromedical Psychology Training Course. My command has been involved in the conversations and is pushing for the Flight Surgeon course instead.

A psychiatrist long out of residency functioning essentially as a PCP for aviation assets doesn't seem viable to me. I will have to give this some thought.
 
FAA AME is purely for maintaining civilian flight medical certification. Can be helpful in the Guard to let your pilots knock out their civilian requirements while they are doing their military physical but doesn't let you submit any aeromedical waivers or flight physicals on the Army side.
 
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