Navy folks on the green side...

[DeadCactus]

Are the Navy physicians assigned to Marine units all GMOs or do they also have residency-trained physicians? If the latter, what is their role? (e.g. Are they actually using their skills or just over-trained GMOs?)

Just a curious question about how the Navy side of things is structured...

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[IgD]

Are the Navy physicians assigned to Marine units all GMOs or do they also have residency-trained physicians? If the latter, what is their role? (e.g. Are they actually using their skills or just over-trained GMOs?)

Just a curious question about how the Navy side of things is structured...

Most of the physicians assigned to Marine units are GMOs and they are at the battalion level. There are some board certified docs at the Regiment and Division levels but they are more leadership positions. I was a Division psychiatrist. There has been a lot of discussion about utilizing physician assistants and others but not sure where that is today.

My impression was the GMOs acted as primary care providers and command consultants for healthy young service members.

 

[NavyFP]

Most of the physicians assigned to Marine units are GMOs and they are at the battalion level. There are some board certified docs at the Regiment and Division levels but they are more leadership positions. I was a Division psychiatrist. There has been a lot of discussion about utilizing physician assistants and others but not sure where that is today.

My impression was the GMOs acted as primary care providers and command consultants for healthy young service members.

Agree. I did time as an FP with the Marines. I ran the Group Aid Station and was Deputy Group Surgeon. I had 3 GMOs working directly for me.

There has been a move to have only one doc per battalion with one PA or NP as the other. They have also discussed having a specialty trained doc assigned to the BN but working in the hospital. The PA would run medical for the BN and the doc would integrate when the BN deployed. Not as great for unit cohesion, but better use of medical assets.

 

[IgD]

There has been a move to have only one doc per battalion with one PA or NP as the other. They have also discussed having a specialty trained doc assigned to the BN but working in the hospital. The PA would run medical for the BN and the doc would integrate when the BN deployed. Not as great for unit cohesion, but better use of medical assets.

My experience was that a community model for medical care delivery is more effective than the "ivory tower" model where physicians work at the hospital. I would recommend having a board certified FP doc plus a PA who could treat service members and family members at the aid stations.

I don't like the efficient use of medical assets argument. For example, my employer has more psychiatrists than the entire Marine Corps. It doesn't make sense why we can settle for less in an operational unit.

 

[DeadCactus]

So as things currently stand, do the board certified physicians with Marine units have any significant clinical duties?

And on a related note, are there physicians in the Navy Reserve assigned to USMC units?

 

[NavyFP]

My experience was that a community model for medical care delivery is more effective than the "ivory tower" model where physicians work at the hospital. I would recommend having a board certified FP doc plus a PA who could treat service members and family members at the aid stations.

I don't like the efficient use of medical assets argument. For example, my employer has more psychiatrists than the entire Marine Corps. It doesn't make sense why we can settle for less in an operational unit.

I like that too. Working with a defined group of Marines does set up the small town doc scene where you do get to know most of them and their problems. Its biggest negative is that you don't get to practice full spectrum medicne and you can have the skill atrophy we have discussed often on this forum. Adding family members to the mix would make that better, but line guys have been resistant to that scheme.

 

[NavyFP]

So as things currently stand, do the board certified physicians with Marine units have any significant clinical duties?

And on a related note, are there physicians in the Navy Reserve assigned to USMC units?

Yes, they see sick call/appointments of the Marines under their care.

Yes, (but very few) they are assigned to 4th Marine Division which is the reserve Marine unit.

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

I like that too. Working with a defined group of Marines does set up the small town doc scene where you do get to know most of them and their problems. Its biggest negative is that you don't get to practice full spectrum medicne and you can have the skill atrophy we have discussed often on this forum. Adding family members to the mix would make that better, but line guys have been resistant to that scheme.

They won't add family members unless the GMO system finally goes. Imagine a GMO that did a surgery internship trying to do a well child check and go over developmental milestones with mom and dad. Or trying to evaluate for autism in a 2 year old. (Just an obvious peds example).

 

[Jet915]

I'm currently a naval flight doc assigned to a marine squadron so that is another possibility...

 

[NavyFP]

They won't add family members unless the GMO system finally goes. Imagine a GMO that did a surgery internship trying to do a well child check and go over developmental milestones with mom and dad. Or trying to evaluate for autism in a 2 year old. (Just an obvious peds example).

Absolutely. My premise was that it be an FP doc not a GMO. I suppose this could also be an issue if you put Internists and Pediatricians in this position. The pediatrician might not fell comfortable dealing with the older family members and the internists certainly are not going to want to do well baby exams.

 

[GreenSideDoc]

I'm a Navy GMO assigned to the Marines. Do you have a question in mind?

 

[DeadCactus]

I'm a Navy GMO assigned to the Marines. Do you have a question in mind?

I was mostly just curious if you can make a career out of being a physician for Marine units or if it was exclusively the realm of people early in their career. Curious about the possibility for both AD folks and Reserve folks.

 

[i want out]

They won't add family members unless the GMO system finally goes. Imagine a GMO that did a surgery internship trying to do a well child check and go over developmental milestones with mom and dad. Or trying to evaluate for autism in a 2 year old. (Just an obvious peds example).

Don't try to imagine to hard.

A classmate of mine was a GMO in Keflavik Iceland, and they were seeing pediatric dependents after an ortho internship.

When I was a stateside GMO, I continually had to fight the nurses running the clinic to keep my age limit 16 or older.

And while I didn't do a surgical internship, I also didn't do any pediatrics in my civilian internship.

My defense to the nurses, was that if they forced me to see pediatrics, I would volunteer that information at my earliest convenience in any future depositions.

i want out (of IRR)

 

[GreenSideDoc]

You can have several tours with the Marines but it would be unlikely that you'd spend your entire career in an operational medicine billet. Trust me, you'd be exhausted!

 

[IgD]

Oh how I miss the Marine Corps but not dealing with the chaos that is Navy medicine.