- Joined
- Jul 5, 2005
- Messages
- 1,897
- Reaction score
- 6
I think it is fair to say that most of you agree that most of the physicians in the military are above average to exceptional.
I would generally agree with this. What do you think of the drop in recruiting standards? Ten years ago, all the HPSP scholarships filled and there was competition between applicants from top tier medical schools. Now military medicine has opened the doors to FMGs who are American citizens.
I am an active duty Army physician and started my military career about 15 years ago at West Point. I attended USUHS and did a military residency (FP).
Is it fair to say you have a significant bias? You have a vested interest in marketing military medicine. Having attended a service academy and USUHS you owe at least 12 years of payback. You've basically committed yourself to 20 years in the Army.
The medical departments want (need) officers of character that instead of simply stating how "bad" things are, take action to improve the situation.
At a conference I attended, a flag officer said one of the problems contributing to poor retention is that senior medical officers put themselves in protected administrative positions while at the same time throwing junior physicians under the bus. As the churn rate increases, it becomes easier and easier for those remaining to get promoted compounding the character and leadership problem.
To address this issue, we need to change the way that medical officers are promoted and picked for leadership positions: 1/3 of promotion points needs to come from subordinates/peer evaluations and another 1/3 needs to come from patient evaluations. With a 360 degree evaluation system, physicians who have a poor bedside manner or who have a habit of throwing subordinates under the bus wouldn't last long.
Hopefully for those of you thinking of joining our profession of arms, this encourages you to make the commitment.
It's interesting that you used the terminology "our profession of arms" especially given the Hippocratic Oath we all took to do no harm. Do you see yourself as a soldier or physician? At another conference, a flag officer introduced himself as a "former physician". I feel solid in my identity as both a physician and an officer. I have no desire to cast my professional identity aside.