Joining the air force post residency

[unluckymaverick]

My fiance was a former airforce hpsp student and now doing a civilian residency. She's a internal medicine intern and I am currently a PGY3 gen surg resident. I don't have any commitment to the airforce and I have minimal loans.

Obviously I'd like to be with her, and I was considering joining the airforce so we could be together for the time she has to serve.

1. My question is that, is there any guarantee that they would keep us together?
2. Is it at all possible for me to serve to fulfill part of her contract at all? So that she would only have to serve on active duty for 2 years?
3. Anyone know of any married military physicians who can share their experience?

Obviously, I havent talked to anyone about it, including my fiance, but Ive been entertaining this idea for the past couple weeks.

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[AF M4]

My fiance was a former airforce hpsp student and now doing a civilian residency. She's a internal medicine intern and I am currently a PGY3 gen surg resident. I don't have any commitment to the airforce and I have minimal loans.

Obviously I'd like to be with her, and I was considering joining the airforce so we could be together for the time she has to serve.

1. My question is that, is there any guarantee that they would keep us together?
2. Is it at all possible for me to serve to fulfill part of her contract at all? So that she would only have to serve on active duty for 2 years?
3. Anyone know of any married military physicians who can share their experience?

Obviously, I havent talked to anyone about it, including my fiance, but Ive been entertaining this idea for the past couple weeks.

1. Nope. Anticipate that they won't, I've seen it happen.
2. No. Never heard of that. Wow though, you must really like her. Also, never EVER tell her that you were willing to do this. You will regret it.
3. I know a couple active duty docs who married a civilian doc who came along and worked as contractors at the same base.

Here's an idea: when the time for her assignment rolls around, pitch the idea to the detailer that you'll work as a civilian contractor for the military at her base, provided that you get to choose where you are stationed. There aren't that many bases that have surgeon billets, but the ones that do desperately need surgeons willing to work for gov't pay. This will give you a serious advantage in choosing where you both want to live while maintaining your own independence.

The detailer is sure to haggle with you, so I also recommend calling the SGH (military-ese for the chief of the hospital) at the base where you want to go and talk with them regarding your offer. They'll likely jump at this chance, and then they'll call the detailer and tell them how it's going to be. Recommend doing this several months before your fiance's assignments come out so that the fix will be sure to be in.

Your situation actually provides a great deal of leverage for both you and your fiance's career, provided that you recognize it and use it creatively. Good luck.

 

[deuist]

1. No guarantee. Realize that the military only recognizes "married" and "not married" and will try to keep together spouses. Right now you're not married and that means that you'll be split apart the moment you sign the contract.

2. Ain't gonna happen. She signed the 4-year contract. Not you.

3. I'm married and don't recommend this route to anyone else. I had to do an internship in another specialty courtesy of the Match before I could get enough points to re-apply and enter my preferred field this year.

AF M4's idea of offering to become a civilian contractor sounds like the best idea I've heard on this forum in a long time.

 

[MrBurns10]

That's an interesting idea, M4. But is the civilian contractor idea so that you can pick where your fiancee is stationed or so that you can guarantee you'll live in the same city? If it's the latter, couldn't you just try to find a PP job in that area?

In a semi-related question, if both husband and wife are doctors in the same branch, could you deploy together? I think the Army may have recently started this but don't know about the AF.

 

[AF M4]

That's an interesting idea, M4. But is the civilian contractor idea so that you can pick where your fiancee is stationed or so that you can guarantee you'll live in the same city? If it's the latter, couldn't you just try to find a PP job in that area?

In a semi-related question, if both husband and wife are doctors in the same branch, could you deploy together? I think the Army may have recently started this but don't know about the AF.

Yes. Both. Offer to be a civilian contractor so that you can influence where your fiance is staying, so that your fiance and you don't end up in a backwoods somewhere where there are no good private practice jobs and you end up commuting two hours to the first decent hospital where there's enough surgical cases to maintain your skills.

Everybody wins: The fiance gets stationed at a decent location with her spouse to be working in the same city, the OP gets the same benefits while not indenturing himself to the military, and the military gets two much-needed docs for the price of one - with the bonus that they are actually happy (!) so they might actually stick around beyond their initial commitments.