How soon after M4 is it possible to join the reserve?

[magician7772222]

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I am interested in joining the reserve, primarily the army reserve. Is it true that it is possible to join after completing PGY1 and getting your license and serving as a field surgeon as opposed to waiting until the completion of residency to serve as your specialty? If this is the case are there any downsides to doing so in comparison to waiting until after residency? I am not interested in STRAP or any of the other programs that have some sort of payback period.

 

[pgg]

I am interested in joining the reserve, primarily the army reserve. Is it true that it is possible to join after completing PGY1 and getting your license and serving as a field surgeon as opposed to waiting until the completion of residency to serve as your specialty? If this is the case are there any downsides to doing so in comparison to waiting until after residency? I am not interested in STRAP or any of the other programs that have some sort of payback period.

In general, post-internship GMO work is an undesirable and risky career interruption. There are many threads here on the subject. It's only because the military has kept this archaic practice around for decades after it should've ended that anybody thinks it might be an OK thing. (It's not.)

It may be possible for you to go straight to a GMO position after internship, but you shouldn't do it. Given the option, which you have, you should finish residency. If then you still wish to serve either as a reservist or on active duty, the Army will welcome you.