GMO to Civilian Residency

[mdmed2012]

I have been looking into 2 or 3 year scholarships for the HPSP. My preference would be to be a GMO with the Marines for a few years until my obligation is complete, then pursue a civilian residency. However, I don't know how GMOs are viewed by civilian residency programs. Most residency spots seemed to be filled by US seniors, so is there a great disadvantage of entering the civilian match 3-4 years out of school (considering competetive residencies as an option)? The idea of serving for a few years is intriguing, but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot if I'll be at a disadvantage down the road. If anyone has any experience with this, any advice would be appreciated.

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[orbitsurgMD]

I have been looking into 2 or 3 year scholarships for the HPSP. My preference would be to be a GMO with the Marines for a few years until my obligation is complete, then pursue a civilian residency. However, I don't know how GMOs are viewed by civilian residency programs. Most residency spots seemed to be filled by US seniors, so is there a great disadvantage of entering the civilian match 3-4 years out of school (considering competetive residencies as an option)? The idea of serving for a few years is intriguing, but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot if I'll be at a disadvantage down the road. If anyone has any experience with this, any advice would be appreciated.

There are quite a few posts that have already addressed this concern. A lot depends on your choice of internship and choice of residency. You can be hurt, helped or neither by the experience. Some programs will be receptive to a military applicant. Others couldn't care less, and might be more inclined to go with a more known quantity in the way of an applicant coming straight from medical school who might have done a clerkship recently. You won't have the opportunity at getting comparable face time in a civilian program with a fleet or Marine assignment and possible deployment. You may be fortunate to even be able to interview face-to face.

The second issue is the cost to the program if you do a categorical year internship and find you need to repeat your internship due to lack of currency with hospital practice. Medicare punishes civilian programs that take residents who have to repeat a year by reducing the funding that the program receives for taking you on as a trainee. So you might be less attractive for that reason as well.

I think strong applicants are not really helped all that much more by the GMO experience and those that are less strong might occasionally get a small benefit, but more likely are not helped either and are even hurt by the delay from graduation from medical school and the lack of currency of recommendations, research experience and hospital training.

For getting a residency slot outside the military, I do not see years of GMO duty between internship and PGY2 as a particular advantage.

 

[mdmed2012]

orbitsurgMD, thanks for the advice. I did not anticipate it helping in any, but I wasn't sure of the potential negative consequences. That's a shame because I'm young and would have no problem serving a few years before having to do a residency, but its a tough decision considering the possible effects. I don't know what I'll choose, but urology is a possibility, and I am not aware of a residency program in this specialty (please correct me if I am wrong).

In regard to the issue with programs being punished for trainees repeating a year. If an intern year is in something other than surgery, then would a civilian surgical residency program be "punished" in this case, since you are not really repeating a year of training?

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

orbitsurgMD, thanks for the advice. I did not anticipate it helping in any, but I wasn't sure of the potential negative consequences. That's a shame because I'm young and would have no problem serving a few years before having to do a residency, but its a tough decision considering the possible effects. I don't know what I'll choose, but urology is a possibility, and I am not aware of a residency program in this specialty (please correct me if I am wrong).

In regard to the issue with programs being punished for trainees repeating a year. If an intern year is in something other than surgery, then would a civilian surgical residency program be "punished" in this case, since you are not really repeating a year of training?

I think urology might actually work because they frequently have a surgical prelim year for their residents. However, how sure are you that urology's the one for you?

I appreciate your interest and dedication. It'd be a waste to let an interested, motivated person go. However, in good conscience you should be fully aware of the system and how it works. It's a convoluted system. Look for some threads about the match and residency selection to see what you think.

 

[mdmed2012]

I think urology might actually work because they frequently have a surgical prelim year for their residents. However, how sure are you that urology's the one for you?

I appreciate your interest and dedication. It'd be a waste to let an interested, motivated person go. However, in good conscience you should be fully aware of the system and how it works. It's a convoluted system. Look for some threads about the match and residency selection to see what you think.

I'm not sure that urology is it for me at all. First, I'm keeping an open mind through my first clinical year. Second, my Step 1 and 2 scores could have the final decision. However, I am keeping it at the front of my mind. This route seems ideal for me since my main interest is the GMO, but I would hate to be discriminated against for wanting to gain experience and serving the country.

I guess I wouldn't mind doing a military residency, but if I joined, I would prefer to do a GMO first just to do it, and if that completely my obligated time, I don't see a reason to stay and accrue more time by doing the military residency.

I appreciate the advice. I'll keep searching for related threads to see if there is more insight out there.

 

[deuist]

I talked to a first-year student yesterday with the same question. The answer I gave him I will repeat to you: NEVER, EVER pin your dreams on the military. This route could very well do enough damage to your career and delay your training long enough that you might not get to do a civilian urology residency. Taking the scholarship is just not worth the hoorah and patriotism if your dreams are crushed in the end.

 

[Sandro Hit]

My friend who is completing his GMO tour was just given a spot outside the match at Hopkins. The program director pulled him aside stating he was impressed with his experience, maturity and proven ability to work independently.

It is better to go straight through residency if you can. I'm just saying being a GMO is not the end of the world.

 

[BomberDoc]

Start studying for USMLE Step I from the first day of medical school. Study hard and rock the boards if you want the residency of your choice. That is significantly more palatable than giving away 3-4 of your best years and losing much of your skillset doing a GMO tour.

 

[deuist]

Even if you do rock the boards and have publications, you still are not guaranteed a straight-through residency. My STEP's were higher than some of the medical students who did match. You have play the hoo-rah, all for the military game to get permission to do something that every other medical student in the country gets by default.

 

[BomberDoc]

Even if you do rock the boards and have publications, you still are not guaranteed a straight-through residency. My STEP's were higher than some of the medical students who did match. You have play the hoo-rah, all for the military game to get permission to do something that every other medical student in the country gets by default.

I'm saying don't join the military. Study hard and you will get what you want in the civ world.

 

[deuist]

I'm saying don't join the military. Study hard and you will get what you want in the civ world.

Oh, I thought you were referring to the military match.

 

[undecided2009]

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[undecided2009]

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