If military medicine is really that bad

[RICEman]

then how come some MD's/DDS etc remain in the service and retire after 20 years?

Are these people just (1) callous (?)? (2) Ignore the issues? (3.) Have other priorities? (4.) Too busy with other things (5) other reasons that I have no clue about?

Maybe I'm not as gung ho ideologue and well informed like many folks here…..Is it then wrong to become a Navy (or AF or Army...) doc and avoid the unacceptable situations/duty stations/specialty etc?



If an IM doc hates his/her specialty – and decides to switch to pathology (or whatever). What is wrong with that? Why fight the battle? I guess I’m just curious to things in general. Or that I don’t have a type A personality.

What makes these folks remain satisfied and move on with their lives?

Also, when I was in the service, I always hear the generalization that ALL enlisted people join because that’s the only job they can handle and they would never survive “outside”

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[Mirror Form]

then how come some MD's/DDS etc remain in the service and retire after 20 years?

Well lets see, you owe 7 years after USUHS, then you spend 3-6 years in residency, then possibly do a fellowship that accrues more time commitment . . . and you might as well just complete your 20. Also, the older docs usually aren't the ones getting deployed right and left, and also have better choices of assignments.

 

[R-Me-Doc]

then how come some MD's/DDS etc remain in the service and retire after 20 years?

Are these people just (1) callous (?)? (2) Ignore the issues? (3.) Have other priorities? (4.) Too busy with other things (5) other reasons that I have no clue about?

Maybe I'm not as gung ho ideologue and well informed like many folks here…..Is it then wrong to become a Navy (or AF or Army...) doc and avoid the unacceptable situations/duty stations/specialty etc?



If an IM doc hates his/her specialty – and decides to switch to pathology (or whatever). What is wrong with that? Why fight the battle? I guess I’m just curious to things in general. Or that I don’t have a type A personality.

What makes these folks remain satisfied and move on with their lives?

Also, when I was in the service, I always hear the generalization that ALL enlisted people join because that’s the only job they can handle and they would never survive “outside”

There is no one universal answer for this. In some cases, like the other poster said, they've just been in for so long that they might as well stick in to get a pension out of it. In other cases, they like the plusses of military medicine (and, yes, there ARE some plusses -- not worrying about having to generate income, not worrying about financial liability in malpractice, not worrying whether your patients have insurance, etc). And, believe it or not, there just happen to be some people who like being in the military in general, or who feel that they are genuinely serving some higher cause (patriotism, etc). The military can be a great place, but you have to have the right mindset.

X-RMD (obviously not of the right mindset)

 

[former military]

then how come some MD's/DDS etc remain in the service and retire after 20 years?

Are these people just (1) callous (?)? (2) Ignore the issues? (3.) Have other priorities? (4.) Too busy with other things (5) other reasons that I have no clue about?

Maybe I'm not as gung ho ideologue and well informed like many folks here…..Is it then wrong to become a Navy (or AF or Army...) doc and avoid the unacceptable situations/duty stations/specialty etc?



If an IM doc hates his/her specialty – and decides to switch to pathology (or whatever). What is wrong with that? Why fight the battle? I guess I’m just curious to things in general. Or that I don’t have a type A personality.

What makes these folks remain satisfied and move on with their lives?

Also, when I was in the service, I always hear the generalization that ALL enlisted people join because that’s the only job they can handle and they would never survive “outside”

Some, but not all, are just lazy. They have learned that they don't have to work that hard and there is no more money or kudos if you really bust your ass each day. You can coast as a military doctor in many situations. ROAD= retired on active duty

 

[mumiitroll]

i think it comes down to money. if you're doing one of the higher paid specialties, you're basically working for charity. but then there are also civilian doctors who work in poor neighborhoods or in academic settings and are severly underpaid. they all have their reasons.

 

[USAFdoc]

Some, but not all, are just lazy. They have learned that they don't have to work that hard and there is no more money or kudos if you really bust your ass each day. You can coast as a military doctor in many situations. ROAD= retired on active duty

the ONLY family docs I know of that did NOT separate at first sign of EOS were those that went the ADMIN route. Now they enforce the same broken clinical system that drove them out of taking care of patients.