Army Flight Surgeon Course

[DeadCactus]

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Anyone been recently? Most of the information I'm seeing in old threads is 5-10 years old. Sounds like it's similar to BOLC: death by powerpoint, a few cool experiences, some PT, and lots of free time (relative to residency). About right?

 

[DocRGR]

No PT, lots of .ppt, lots of free time.

 

[UltimateDO]

...and lots of crazy stories from Korea by LTC Puskar
If you push hard you can spend a lot of time in the simulators and in the birds. By the end of the course I had more hours than some of the students who were flying us around. Lots of .ppt and worthless exercises in general. All the time to PT like a beast and weekends on the Florida coast though. Networking is probably the most valuable thing I got out of it. AERO is pretty intuitive, buy the handbook with the APLs enjoy the TDY.

 

[DeadCactus]

Do you need a car or can you just fly in and be fine?

 

[TheGoose]

Do you need a car or can you just fly in and be fine?

You're going to want to have a car. A lot of the lodging is off post and you will want to have an excuse to go out with people (e.g. Dothan) and hit the coast to escape Ft. Rucker on weekends or a training 3-day if you're lucky. Overall ~20% fun/cool stuff and lots of time to do your own thing (work out, etc...)

 

[UltimateDO]

Do you need a car or can you just fly in and be fine?

Definitely want a car. You can get on-post housing but you are going to want to escape since there is not much to do. Mother Ruckers gets old after the first couple of visits.

 

[DeadCactus]

ATTRS lists the report date as the day before the class starts. Is there a time you have to report by? Trying to gauge how much travel time I have...

Also, random question, can you log flight time or simulator time toward a private license?

Thanks for the info, all.

 

[DoctaJMa]

Im at the FSC now. Its pretty much like they said. Lots of ppt and lots of free time. And you definitely want a car to get away. As for the flight time, you get to fly as a MO on UH-60 and a Chinook. You also get some flight time in the simulator. Not sure if you can put it towards your own license but you can def ask SFC Bostick, chill awesome guy. LTC Puskar is gone and LTC Salmon took his place and let me assure you he has some pretty good stories as well and his funny as hell. They are pretty good about giving a 10 min break every 50 minutes. Not sure how much more Dunker is gonna be around but if it is still in course when you come make sure you can swim before you get here otherwise you will be hitting remedial swim at 0600 pretty much every morning.

 

[UltimateDO]

ATTRS lists the report date as the day before the class starts. Is there a time you have to report by? Trying to gauge how much travel time I have...

Also, random question, can you log flight time or simulator time toward a private license?

Thanks for the info, all.

Unless things have changed in the past year you will just need to show up the morning of the first class. There was no check in the day before, all your inprocessing was done that first Monday. The day early report date is to ensure people have travel time accounted for since there is not really a close airport.

Your flight time is as crew, no stick time, so probably not. Your sim time should be able to count since you are on the stick and you are getting instruction. Are you getting a private rotary license?

 

[DeadCactus]

Your flight time is as crew, no stick time, so probably not. Your sim time should be able to count since you are on the stick and you are getting instruction. Are you getting a private rotary license?

Not actively right now but plan to once time and financial constraints improve...

 

[DeadCactus]

Just to confirm, all weekends are free?

 

[wxman393]

Just to confirm, all weekends are free?

Hate to bump this post but yes, all of your weekends are free. You will not get any DONSAs during the course, only Federal Holidays. Most days, excluding HOST and flights, start at around 0800 and are typically done before 1600. I would not recommend staying in Dothan. Take advantage of the housing on post or the local hotels. It will help keep your costs down and save a bunch of travel time. If you have anymore questions, please feel free to PM me.

 

[DrKendrickLamar]

Would anybody be able to clarify obligation time after completing the flight surgeon course? For instance, I ETS Dec 2018. If I attend flight school in March 2017, will that push back my ETS time?

 

[DeadCactus]

The regs quote an 18 month utilization tour if I remember right, I'll try to find it.

Edit:

AR 616-110
Section 2

6. Prerequisites for selection Applicants must—
...
d. Have 18 months’ retainability following graduation from the Air Force or Army courses or 24 months’ retainability from the Navy course.
e. Agree to serve a utilization tour in aviation medicine as specified in paragraph 12d.

12d. Flight surgeons will serve a utilization tour in an authorized flight surgeon position, or an authorized position that requires the SSI 61N for 18 months after completion of the Army, or Air Force basic course in aviation medicine or 24 months after completion of the Navy basic course in aviation medicine. Graduates of the Aerospace Medicine Residency Program will normally be assigned to aviation medicine positions.

 

[wxman393]

AR 616-110 if you are referring to AFSPC and not flight school (15A/67J track)


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[deleted707454]

At what level of education & path in AMEDD does one need to be at for taking this course?

 

[DeadCactus]

There have been 4th year medical students. Otherwise it's residents/attendings and midlevels. As a medical student, it's probably easiest to go for USUHS followed by HPSP followed by Guard/Reserve.

 

[USArmyHPSP]

At what level of education & path in AMEDD does one need to be at for taking this course?

If you want to attend the six week course at Rucker while in HPSP here are the prerequisites:
1. Must have BOLC, not just DCC but BOLC - this is a course requirement not a HPSP requirement
2. Must pass Part/Step 1 and 2 on the first attempt
3. Must sit the PE/CS portion of the licensure exam NLT December of the fourth year
4. While on your third level ADT, you must obtain a Flight Physical
5. Flight Surgeon Course will be your fourth level ADT and be the class that goes from Feb - Mar

 

[deleted480308]

If you want to attend the six week course at Rucker while in HPSP here are the prerequisites:
1. Must have BOLC, not just DCC but BOLC - this is a course requirement not a HPSP requirement
2. Must pass Part/Step 1 and 2 on the first attempt
3. Must sit the PE/CS portion of the licensure exam NLT December of the fourth year
4. While on your third level ADT, you must obtain a Flight Physical
5. Flight Surgeon Course will be your fourth level ADT and be the class that goes from Feb - Mar

And if you are guard be prepared to potentially wait till residency because your state might not want to invest the money in you just to “lose” you in the match

 

[deleted707454]

If you want to attend the six week course at Rucker while in HPSP here are the prerequisites:
1. Must have BOLC, not just DCC but BOLC - this is a course requirement not a HPSP requirement
2. Must pass Part/Step 1 and 2 on the first attempt
3. Must sit the PE/CS portion of the licensure exam NLT December of the fourth year
4. While on your third level ADT, you must obtain a Flight Physical
5. Flight Surgeon Course will be your fourth level ADT and be the class that goes from Feb - Mar

Thanks for the info. I may as well give it a shot when the time comes.

 

[Darth Doc]

Thanks for the info. I may as well give it a shot when the time comes.

Talk to your state early if you're guard. I'm a MS4 and starting flight surgeon school tomorrow. It took months to get my flight physical completed and waivers approved. Waivers are required for any medication, glasses, previous surgeries, migraine headaches, and a lot of things I don't know yet.

I started this process a year ago and got done in time to grab the last seat for this course just a month or so ago.

 

[OrthoGenesis]

Anyone attended this course recently can provide some insight?

 

[Doctorjpc]

I would also be interested in this path if anyone could contact me with more information, I have one year of internal medicine residency and have been unable to find a position and continue. Flight medicine would be a great interest of mine please contact me at [email protected] thank you,

 

[Doctorjpc]

Talk to your state early if you're guard. I'm a MS4 and starting flight surgeon school tomorrow. It took months to get my flight physical completed and waivers approved. Waivers are required for any medication, glasses, previous surgeries, migraine headaches, and a lot of things I don't know yet.

I started this process a year ago and got done in time to grab the last seat for this course just a month or so ago.

How did you begin the process ? Would it be any different for someone that did one year of residency ? Thank you,

 

[Darth Doc]

How did you begin the process ? Would it be any different for someone that did one year of residency ? Thank you,

You're actually a great catch for a medical recruiter after a year of residency. The challenge is to find a medical recruiter who knows what they're doing. Regular recruiters know nothing about getting you in.

 

[Helpful Troll]

You're actually a great catch for a medical recruiter after a year of residency. The challenge is to find a medical recruiter who knows what they're doing. Regular recruiters know nothing about getting you in.

Maybe if he has an unrestricted license - He's an IMG so will be further limited.

 

[Doctorjpc]

No active state license, Ross Univeristy so IMG indeed which other then Puerto Rico which I cannot figure out how to get no state will offer state license to IMF w. one year, again, all ears