Navy doc, Army residency?

[krwhite]

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Hey folks.... Found one thread on this topic back in 2010 that was not helpful. So I'll keep it simple for patience's sake:

I'm a Navy HPSPer, and my boyfriend is Navy -- stationed in Hawaii. Tripler Army MC is the only training facility there. I've heard of some cross-branch residency training occurring (Navy to Army facility, in this case). Does anyone have any ideas how difficult this is to do, or how to go about inquiring?

Facts, anecdotes, and opinions all welcomed.

Thanks.

 

[colbgw02]

Not that this is definitive, but I've never seen it happen. I spent quite a few years at TAMC but never saw a Navy resident. There were a handful of Air Force people around, but that was because they shut down the Keesler GME programs following Hurricane Katrina. At present, I'm at SAUSCHEC, and I've never seen a Navy person here either.

As "purple" as milmed can seem at times, I've found that for training slots the services remain staunchly independent. I'm guessing you're fighting an uphill battle. Whether the Navy realizes it or not, they have an interest in keeping you two together. The trick will be convincing the Army to give one of their training positions to another service, which would be easier to do in a non-competitive specialty. Do you know what you're interested in? Do they even have the program at TAMC?

By the way, I hope you know that you had better already have a marriage certificate on file before you even start this process. No one is going to pay you any mind for a boyfriend or even a fiancé...only a spouse will receive any special consideration.

 

[backrow]

I haven't seen this particular issue in the past; however, the Navy is very much in the business of keeping dual military spouses colocated when able.

You don't mention what year you are or how long your bf has left in this tour which will impact things if you guys get married. As mentioned above you will have about a zero percent chance of the Navy caring where your significant other is until you get married.

Unless you are a rising 4th year and your bf just checked into a command in HI it is possible that he will be due for a PCS and then he could actually find orders to the area you will be going for internship.

Now if you do end up married an he is still in HI then I would give you decent odds at going to Tripler if you are competitive for the specialty you want. Hopefully NavyFP can give some insight here, but as I understand it the Navy would fund you and you would take up one of the acgme approved slots at Tripler. A lot of programs are accredited for more residents then they actually take so that isn't a huge issue in a lot of cases.

Anyway, bottom line: all this talk is useless until you get married.

 

[Gastrapathy]

The point about career timing is huge. There isn't that much Navy in Pearl and your BF is liable to get his next set of orders elsewhere. Enlisted orders are for longer periods but if the BF is an officer, he's liable to move relatively soon. You'd be better off trying to colocate in a fleet concentration area like SD or Naw-f*ck

 

[NavyFP]

I did it back in the 90s, but do not know of anyone doing it recently. Agree with Gastrapathy, try to colocate in Hampton Roads or San Diego.

 

[krwhite]

Thanks for the great feedback, y'all; I appreciate it. I've just gotten back from a visit to said BF in Hawaii, but I haven't bothered any program directors or anything just yet.

To clarify a few things that were asked of me:

@colbgw02 -- I am interested in Family Medicine and Pediatrics. Set for a peds course at the moment but have really enjoyed FM, so it's a serious contender. And those are both available at TAMC, if I'm not mistaken.

@backrow -- You hit the nail on the head; I am a rising 4th year, and the BF just checked in to MCBH for a 3-year NFO sea tour.

@Everyone -- I'm aware of the necessity of marriage in this situation, but I'm unclear on when it would be most important. Meaning if we're not married by interview time will that be a deal breaker? This may be splitting hairs, but obviously it's important for the overall planning of major life events that needs to happen here…

Finally, @Gastrapathy, you think it would help our careers line up better in the end if I were to aim for training in SD (or Camp Pendleton if I go FP)? I'm under the impression that the NFO pipeline leads to a first shore tour back in Jacksonville as an instructor, so that may throw everything off once again… Does the Navy ever give 1-year extensions just to help couples line up like we need to? With my 1 year left of med school + 3-year residency and his 3-year tours, it seems like we'll always be about a year off from each other, unless the Navy will work with us on that.

THANK YOU!

V/r

 

[backrow]

Well, you are definitely seeing first-hand the difficulties of a relationship between people in line vs staff officer billets.

In my opinion you have a choice of either biting the bullet now, or biting the bullet in the future. What I mean by that is you are going to have difficulty in aligning your billets, so you can either fix that now, or fix it at some point in the future and continue to be off cycle.

It appears that your significant other is a P3 person so the good news is there are plenty of jobs for them at any fleet concentration area for a first shore tour. Yes, JAX is the ultimate because that means you are an instructor and that is highly though of for future jobs/promotions; however, I know plenty who have taken jobs doing things like anti-submarine work in San Diego, or Joint Forces work in Germany, or work in Norfolk, or DC/Annapolis. So, with that he can really go anywhere for a shore tour, some will be better for his career though.

Now, the issue is that you will only be somewhere in the middle or end of PGY2 year when he is due to PCS (a lot of P3 NFO's get held on to for longer than 36 months ( I think the rule is up to 6 mos longer than original orders is allowable)) so what do you do then??? He PCS's and then by the time you are ready to PCS his shore tour is almost up (and those are almost never extended) and he is ready to PCS. (Although there may be some shore tour jobs for him in HI as well with the Wing or similar, but I haven't heard too many people excited about those jobs).

In my opinion, your best option is to do your intern year somewhere, say San Diego, and either continue on, or go do a GMO tour. Then when he is ready to PCS for a 2yr shore tour you will be very close to each others regular PCS rotation which then makes life easier for the detailers. You then have many options to follow him as a pediatrician or family physician to anywhere that plane is based out of and including his disassociated tour on a carrier or something similar.

I think if you try to go to HI for internship you may find it more difficult to get things lined up well, but again, it may be doable.

Also as to when to be married. Well the sooner the better in this regards. If you want to even have a remote chance at going to TAMC you must be married before the GME board meets in November. Sooner than that would be better in my opinion as it shows the program directors and GME people intent.

Anyway, all the best and good luck.

 

[krwhite]

@backrow: I am so appreciative of your time and thoughts. You hit essentially every major concern and have excellent insight. I tend to think you're right about biting the perverbial bullet now rather than later. I'd also prefer to keep the detailers happy this early in my career! Assuming the programs are a good fit for me personally, I'll most likely shoot for a Southern CA internship.

I'm sure I'll come back to this thread for some further analysis, so feel free to come up with more free advice. 🙂