joining national guard/reserves as an FP attending

[pburgdoc]

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I am a family physician, am in my third year of solo private practice (employed by hospital). have almost $300K in student loan debt and am growing very tired of working with all the BS associated with dealing with all the stupid insurance companies. am looking for loan repayment options and also a change of scenery with regards to patient population, work environment.

I'm interested in the NG or reserves primarily for the "part-time" nature of it so that I can continue my current position, at least for the time being. I would also rather not have to move at this point. Obviously deployment would present a bit of an issue as far as coverage for my patients. However, that aside, any advice from anyone who has done this in the past?

I have zero military experience, and would much rather get information from people who have taken this course. I am very leery of recruiters who will sing me a song filled with rainbows and unicorns... I'm not naïve enough to think the grass is greener on the military side, just hoping for some insight on pros/cons, what it is like to practice in a more "socialized" medical system, etc.

Help!!

 

[Shikima]

You could join the reserves and the VA system.

 

[notdeadyet]

I have been very happy with my work in the National Guard. You are eligible for $40,000 per year of loan repayment for six years. And and you are not obligated to stay in.

That said, being a solo practitioner would pretty much kill the deal for me. You could deploy for four months at a time with relatively little notice. That would completely destroyed most solo practices.


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[jabreal00]

I am a family physician, am in my third year of solo private practice (employed by hospital). have almost $300K in student loan debt and am growing very tired of working with all the BS associated with dealing with all the stupid insurance companies. am looking for loan repayment options and also a change of scenery with regards to patient population, work environment.

I'm interested in the NG or reserves primarily for the "part-time" nature of it so that I can continue my current position, at least for the time being. I would also rather not have to move at this point. Obviously deployment would present a bit of an issue as far as coverage for my patients. However, that aside, any advice from anyone who has done this in the past?

I have zero military experience, and would much rather get information from people who have taken this course. I am very leery of recruiters who will sing me a song filled with rainbows and unicorns... I'm not naïve enough to think the grass is greener on the military side, just hoping for some insight on pros/cons, what it is like to practice in a more "socialized" medical system, etc.

Help!!

Are you a hospital employee or do have a solo private practice with credentials at a local hospital? If you are a hospital employee then you have more wiggle room in terms of a future deployment. The hospital will have as much stake as you to find a temporary replacement for any absence due to a deployment. They could hire PRN locums folks in your absence. By federal law they would not be able to fire your while you are deployed. If it is a solo private practice, then the onus would be on you to hire someone in your absence or your practice would fall apart. I am currently active duty. I do know plenty of folks who are reserve or national guard. They seem to get along fine even with deployments every 3-4 years. Most are in groups where other physicians can cover or are hospital employees where it's the hospital's problem to find the coverage. A friend of mine from medical school did the reserve route. She is a general surgeon. She's deployed once since finishing residency and one year of fellowship. She is in a small private group. She has no complaints.