I understand that roughly half of Navy HPSPer's will not get into a Navy residency (depending on their residency choice) and will end up doing a GMO tour. I also understand that GMO/FS/UMO needs will fluctuate year to year.
That being said, does anyone know the breakdown of each year (or each two-year billet?) for how many Navy docs leaving internship begin work as:
-a GMO (with Marines or in some other capacity)
-Flight Surgeon
-Undersea Medical Officer
I know FS and UMO is a bit more competitive, but I'm just curious how many docs work in the different roles.
Thanks
Types of billets:
Shipboard GMO
USMC GMO
USN Flight Surgeon
USMC Flight Surgeon
USN DMO
USMC DMO (there's at least a coupe of Force Recon billets, although when a friend was in this role, he was a second tour DMO)
Neither flight nor dive are competitive, although dive is somewhat self-selective and has fewer spots (so, its possible its a little competitive some years). Both require passing a physical that is moderately rigorous. The main differences between these and a "regular" GMO are the length of the tours and the selection process. Flight and dive applicants are selected at the GMESB. If you don't apply and then accept training, you can't do these. You can apply for these and for residency and take whichever you get. Flight and dive tours are typically 3 years vice the 2 year for a regular GMO tour.
In terms of numbers of slots, shipboard GMO is actually the most competitive and, according to a recently returned GMO on my service, they seem to have taken mostly women recently (presumably due to restrictions on placing women in many greenside billets).
The process of getting an individual billet is entirely unpredictable. If you are in a flight or dive class, you get your orders sometime while you are in training. In the past, that meant that you went into a room with a list of billets and came out together having worked out who went where. I've heard that isn't true anymore. Presumably, now you all give your preferences to the detailer and he decides where you go. You are always lower on the totem pole than any second tour GMO. As a flight surgeon, you can go to either a Navy or USMC squadron.
If you do a regular GMO, you'll get orders while you are still an intern to a specific billet. Again, you'll list preferences and the detailer will decide where you go.
As for actual numbers, I don't know.
My guess is that there are 15 shipboard billets/year, 75 flight billets, 20 DMO billets and 100 greenside billets (total swag).
