HPSP to Civilian Transition as a Surgeon

[Beatmaster]

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Hi all,

I start medical school in a year and a few months, and have recently been reading up on the HPSP programs. Serving in the military is an experience that I have been considering for a long time, so I am not opposed to service. I am concerned because I want to be a surgeon, and while the pay disparity doesn't worry me (I figure I will make enough money to live comfortably either way) I a concerned about coming back into civilian life. From what I have read, military medicine leads to less experience as a surgeon, which means it might be difficult to find a good job out of the military.

Of course, from what I have read here and elsewhere, people are pretty split on this. I was hoping to get opinions from HPSP Surgeons on this, if there are any out there.

Thanks, I appreciate it.

 

[Galo]

Hi all,

I start medical school in a year and a few months, and have recently been reading up on the HPSP programs. Serving in the military is an experience that I have been considering for a long time, so I am not opposed to service. I am concerned because I want to be a surgeon, and while the pay disparity doesn't worry me (I figure I will make enough money to live comfortably either way) I a concerned about coming back into civilian life. From what I have read, military medicine leads to less experience as a surgeon, which means it might be difficult to find a good job out of the military.

Of course, from what I have read here and elsewhere, people are pretty split on this. I was hoping to get opinions from HPSP Surgeons on this, if there are any out there.

Thanks, I appreciate it.

I'm sure I'll be rebutted, but here it goes. I was an active duty general surgeon in the AF which I think is the weakest in the ability to keep a young general surgeon actively busy and updated, though army and navy are not far behind since they are part of the general problems wrecking military medicine.

If you go in, and even get trained by the military as a general surgeon, its very likelly you will get a job, but you will be at a significant disdadvantage competing with surgeons who have a more vast and varied experience which you are unlikely to get in the military.

If your goal is to serve, then get good training, practice for a while, and then look at the options of reserve, or at that time see what the military climate is like. I seriously doubt it will change for the better.

If you sign your life away now, you are looking at a minimum of 10-12 yrs of being on active duty via HPSP. Thats a long time early in your career if you figure out in one year that your goal was to be a surgeon and not a military officer.

Good luck