Military Psychiatry

[generallobster]

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Just wanted the experts opinions. If one were to sign up for HPSP during medschool they would have to do their residency training at a military hospital. The beifit is getting med school paid for. Are there serious drawbacks to doing this in terms of what you would learn/not learn in a military psych residency, and also career options that would be closed off in the private sector later after residency?

 

[boondocks]

😱

"A psychiatrist and a psychologist staffed the Guantanamo BSCT. Those initially assigned to this team both came from health care backgrounds; neither had much training in behavioral analysis of the sort that civilian psychologists perform for law-enforcement agencies. According to Hood's briefing, BSCT consultants prepared psychological profiles for use by interrogators; they also sat in on some interrogations, observed others from behind one-way mirrors, and offered feedback to interrogators. The first BSCT psychologist, Major John Leso, a specialist in assessing aviators' fitness to fly, attended part of the interrogation of Mohammed al-Qahtani, thought by many to be the "20th hijacker." (An extract from a log of this interrogation published in Time magazine last month refers to Leso as "Maj. L.")"


Unique Identifier 15972858
Record Owner NLM
Authors Bloche MG. Marks JH.
Authors Full Name Bloche, M Gregg. Marks, Jonathan H.
Institution Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
Title Doctors and interrogators at Guantanamo Bay.
Source New England Journal of Medicine. 353(1):6-8, 2005 Jul 7.
Abbreviated Source N Engl J Med. 353(1):6-8, 2005 Jul 7.
Publishing Model Print-Electronic
NLM Journal Code 0255562
Journal Subset AIM, IM

 

[Teufelhunden]

Just wanted the experts opinions. If one were to sign up for HPSP during medschool they would have to do their residency training at a military hospital. The beifit is getting med school paid for. Are there serious drawbacks to doing this in terms of what you would learn/not learn in a military psych residency, and also career options that would be closed off in the private sector later after residency?

I can't speak for all programs, but at my program there are ample "out" rotations in the civilian sector. Also, please don't forget that even within the military facilities we see a wide variety of people. In addition to active duty military we're taking care of dependent spouses and children as well as retirees. The one slice of the demographic we don't see much of is the indigent because everyone we take care of has income + benefits. One could see this a plus or a minus depending on your point of view.

I would be happy to answer any questions about military psych (navy specifically). I'm no expert, being that I'm only an intern, however whatever I don't know I can certainly ask my residents or attendings and get you guys answers.

Cheers!

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Just wanted the experts opinions. If one were to sign up for HPSP during medschool they would have to do their residency training at a military hospital. The beifit is getting med school paid for. Are there serious drawbacks to doing this in terms of what you would learn/not learn in a military psych residency, and also career options that would be closed off in the private sector later after residency?

One of the best psychiatrists I've ever known did his training in the Navy after HPSP, and had an active duty career at Bethesda before switching gears. One pitfall (apart from the obvious selling of one's body and soul to the government 😱 ) which he pointed out is that the job of a military psychiatrist often involves determining fitness for duty, which puts you as the doc in a dual role--e.g. you're not just the patient's doctor/advocate, but also someone who is under pressure from the chain of command to get him back to the "front lines", whatever those may be. Makes for some interesting decision making in times of conflict.

By the way DON'T do it unless you're damn sure you want to be in the military. They don't make it easy for you to "change your mind".

 

[opheracco]

I've heard general medical practitioners have it bad in the military. Does the same go for psychiatrists?

I'm really thinking about going this route, anyone who is in or personally knows someone who is, your opinions would be appreciated.

 

[deleted77919]

For more information about military medicine try this forum:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=72

 

[opheracco]

For more information about military medicine try this forum:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=72

Thank you, but I've already been up and down, around and through that forum. I've gotten some important information, but I'm lacking opinions of people who went in for psychiatry, so I thought this forum would have been more direct.

Did anyone here go into military medicine to make their way?