hear a lot of negative remarks, but...

[iatrosB]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I hear many military physicians on this board complaining about military medicine. What I have noticed however, is that the specialists (and surgeons) seem to complain more. It sounds as though they have legitimate complaints as well. My question is whether the primary care fields are negative as well. I am considering peds, and I can't imagine it being that bad. I know homonculus (sp.?) is in peds and he/she sounds happy. Is it just the surgical and specialist that get the shaft or what?

 

[FliteSurgn]

I don't think that any of the primary care fields are that bad in the military. At least from what I saw when I was a flight surgeon, it wasn't a bad gig. Even though I NEVER had an interest in primary care, flight medicine was rather enjoyable. The family practice docs that were assigned at my base all seemed happy, not to mention that none of them were ever deployed during my tenure there.

There isn't as big of a disparity in pay between civilian and military in the primary care fields either. So, they can maybe stand to put up with a little more of the military bureaucracy. The specilaists maybe get bitter when not only are they being poorly utilized, but they are getting half of what is an average salary on the outside.

 

[iatrosB]

What do you think thenavysurgeon? Does your unhappiness with the military stem from being a surgeon or would you be just as disheartened as a primary care doc? Milmd, your imput is welcome as well.

 

[militarymd]

I would have to say that I think my sentiments would reflect primary care fields as well. I don't know if you've read my earlier threads or not, but my wife is an Internal Medicine MD who was also in the military, so I know what that is like.

It is the system and not your specialty.

I have found that those who stick it out are those who have prior experience and is "brainwashed", I don't mean that in a bad way, into the military way of life.

I think if you read all of the people's posts in this forum, this is what you will find.

Those who have spent time as a military physician don't like it.....and those who are starting in the process thinks its good, and that they will like it.

 

[R-Me-Doc]

My opinion is that primary care is a better gig in the military than medical specialties/surgery.
1. There is less of a pay disparity vis a vis the civilian sector;
2. From what I've seen, you'll be out of the office by 4:30 every day, and some army primary care docs get very sweet minimal or even no-call spots.
3. One of the reasons we specialists complain so much is because if, as a primary care doc you ever run into any case that even so much as remotely makes you think or work, you will refer it to us. Sorry, that may sound a little jaded, but I'm rapidly developing the sense that military primary care docs are just a bunch of consult ******. I get consults from "doctors" with 20 years experience for cases that a 3rd year med student with access to MDConsult could handle.

 

[edmadison]

My opinion is that primary care is a better gig in the military than medical specialties/surgery.
2. From what I've seen, you'll be out of the office by 4:30 every day, and some army primary care docs get very sweet minimal or even no-call spots.

This is probably true of some of the sub-specialist at the AMCs, but at the MEDACs the PCP docs get their tails worked off.

Primary care is probably better to train at in the military because its primarily outpatient. There certainly is no shortage of clinic patients here at MAMC. Does our ward get slow sometimes? Sure. But we get a good mix. We've got great NICU and DEVO -- probably better than most academic centers and out clinic is a good. Every program has its good and bad point. I like being one of 18 residents in pediatrics and having the faculty know my name. It sure beats being one of 130 residents at a major childrens hospital. Of course they certainly have advantages in other places.

Ed

 

[Homunculus]

i agree (as usual) with ed. i'd put the national capital peds program against any. while it's not a top ten, it's definitely better than most civilian programs. primary care is all about volume and variety of pathology, and we have an abundance of each. not to mention specialists galore to bounce ideas and and research opportunities off of. even knowing what i did before matching, i'm still pleasantly surprised at the quality of the program here.

--your friendly neighborhood satisfied caveman

 

[thenavysurgeon]

''What do you think thenavysurgeon..Does your unhappiness with the military stem from being a surgeon or would you be just as disheartened as a primary care doc''

My response,

I love being a surgeon. It is everything I hoped it would be.

I dislike being a surgeon in the military. It has been everything I feared about practicing in a totally disorganized and underfunded practice environment. I can't wait to leave.

10 months to go.

 

[iatrosB]

''What do you think thenavysurgeon..Does your unhappiness with the military stem from being a surgeon or would you be just as disheartened as a primary care doc''

My response,

I love being a surgeon. It is everything I hoped it would be.

I dislike being a surgeon in the military. It has been everything I feared about practicing in a totally disorganized and underfunded practice environment. I can't wait to leave.

10 months to go.

Thanks for your input. I didn't mean to imply that you were unhappy that you chose surgery, I just wanted to see if things were just as bad for the primary care folks in the military. They wouldn't have the patient volume problems that you experience as a surgeon and their skills are not likely to atrophy as a surgeon's would. They may in fact see more patients as a military doc than a private practice doc. Just wondering if you had any comment in regards to that. Thanks