Many Qs re: Air Force Flight surgeon qs

[stgeorge]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q1: What is the likelihood of obtaining an air force ER, or internal medicine, or orthopedic residency after one completes air force flight surgeon assignment? Would one have more "points" after having worked as a flight surgeon for, e.g., two years vs. medical students, and hence, have a very easy time obtaining a competitive residency?

Q2: How long is a minimum flight surgeon assignment? 2 years? 4 years?

Q3: What is the likelihood/competitiveness of getting an Airforce RAM after one completes air force flight surgeon assignment?

Q4: Can one pick a base of one's choice, such as Travis, as a beginning flight surgeon in order to be deployed as much as possible and have shorter deployment lengths? Do you get paid more if you're deployed more?

Q5: Can one pick on oversea location of one's choice, say, Korea?

Q6: How competitive is RAM after 2 years of flight surgery?

Q7: Once done with RAM, can you work for NASA and how competitive is it to do so?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[sethco]

1) GMO time does not usually make up for a sub-par applicant, but, yes, you would have more "points" after a utilization tour. Among the 3 you named, GMO time would certainly increase competitiveness towards the those specialties.

2) 2 years is the minimum

3) Noncompetitive (from what I have heard and hard they recruit people). So, if you want it, you will most likely get it.

4) . Good luck getting your choice of first station, but yes, you get paid more if you are deployed to a combat zone or if you are in an area with high per diem.

5) Korea as a first assignment, possible. Germany, Italy, Japan, England etc not ******* likely.

6) Same question as #3, right?

7) Don't need to be a RAM to work with NASA, but this program is highly competitive.

 

[stgeorge]

Thank you so much for your answers. I really appreciate it...

1) How did you make the decision to work as a flight surgeon in your branch over the other two? What was your reasoning? (I think I know the differences, having read various postings on this website, among the three, but just wanted to hear your personal ways of arriving at one brance over the other two.)

2) Which one is a better career move? I have been given at least two options so far. Army wants to get me in as a PGY2 internal medicine resident. Airforce wants to get me in as a flight surgeon. Which one should I pick? I am guessing that if I become an AF flight surgeon, I may not end up doing internal med after the assignment and my skills may atrophy somewhat after seeing relatively healthy patients day in and day out. Is this right? I am also guessing that the advantage, on the flip side, is that I may not have to "waste" two years of doing internal medicine residency, as I sort of like EM better than IM, and if I go ahead and become an AF flight surgeon, then I just might find an EM residency spot and then become an EM doc.