Navy Internship, Flight Surgery, 4 Year HPSP

[Trajan]

A couple quick questions from an MS II....

I'm a 4 year Navy HPSP student who is very enthusiastic about the Navy, though for personal reasons I know that staying beyond my committment is not likely. Nevertheless, I'd like to serve by doing a transitional internship, flight surgery training, and four years of payback as a FS before leaving to finish residency as a civilian.

1) How competitive is it to get a Navy transitional internship (especially at Bethesda) coming from a non-USUHS allopathic medical school? What can I do to improve my chances?

2) What are the chances of being selected for flight surgery training after intern year? What are the most important factors? (grades, board scores, connections, physical fitness reports)? Are there any fourth year electives that would help?

3) I was sent to sick call at OIS when I had some chest wall pain while running (nothing more than a stitch, but my officer was paranoid and made me go). Do things like this stay in your record and come up when you apply for FS/UMO training?

4) If you finish flight surgery training and at that point owe 3.5 years, can you extend a 2 or 3 year billet to 3.5, or do they make you sign on for a second tour, keeping you in beyond your 4 year requirement?

5) What are the chances of getting the flight surgeon billet of your choice -- specifically, is Brunswick NAS (Maine) a popular choice, or would they be happy to find someone who actually would like to be with a patrol squadron in Maine for 3.5 years (i.e. me)?

Many thanks for any information/advice from those who have served before!

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[Spang]

Wow, that's alot of questions! I'll give it a shot, but welcome the thoughts of others.

1. Take a look at the JGMESB instructions. Basically it's your USMLE scores, grades, letters of rec, etc. like anywhere else. You can increase your chances of getting a particular place by rotating there as a 3rd or 4th year, and impressing them of course. USUHS folks have to do a military internship, you don't. That can also be a factor, but I wouldn't sweat that one.

2. In general, the majority of people who want FS get it, because there are so many billets to be filled. You could do a NAMI rotation 4th year, but not sure you need that to get selected for FS. A "FITREP" does not report on your physical fitness, it's your Officer Fitness that's evaluated. Only one block for your PRT on that form. While in training you will get not-observed fitreps, if medical corps is like aviation.

3. You'll have to have a flight physical before you submit your package for flight surgeon. If you have a condition that is waiver-eligible you'll have to get that too. Doesn't sound like, from what you've said, that it would be a big deal. One episode of chest pain in a young man with no other risk factors and normal labs, EKG, CXR, etc.

4. Your PRD (projected rotation date) is flexible based on your command's needs, your geographic location and your EOS (end of obligated service date). For example if you're overseas for 3 years and have 6 months to go the Navy is not likely to PCS (permanent change of station) you for the last six months.

5. With regards to particular billet, it depends on the needs of the Navy (get used to hearing that phrase), the requirements of the billet and your qualifications and desires. There are multiple billets for a given location, for flight surgeons you need to be aware of claimancy vs. operational billets, that can dictate how much squadron time you actually get. Lastly, have you ever spent any length of time around a bunch of P-3 NFO's? Or spent an icy winter in Brunswick? Lobster rolls at McDonalds are great of course, but it gets real cold and real quiet there in January!

If you have any other particular questions you can re-post here, or PM me. I'm going on vacation for a week on Friday right after my medicine shelf exam, so if I don't get back to you, hold tight.

Spang

 

[Trajan]

Wow Spang!

You rule! Thanks for answering those questions!

As for Maine, I believe it to be the best state in the Union. No problems with cold weather either -- if the Navy wants to deploy me to Iceland, Greenland, or Antarctica, that would be just fine (for a little while at least).

I don't know too much about P-3 NFO's, but there is something about the North Atlantic and after reading some of the history, there is something about patroling the sea that I find cool (though I have been known to romanticize things in my day). Also, I believe that the Brunswick squadrons deploy to the Mediterranean on a rotational basis. Have you had any experience with patrol squadrons?

Thanks again for taking the time to respond to those questions!

Best,
Trajan

 

[Spang]

The Brunswick squadrons do deploy to the med. They rotate through Sigonella. I have limited exposure to P-3 NFOs. P-3 folks in general, and NFOs in particular tend to be a more on the cerebral side. I flew CODs and we had no NFOs, but our E-2 brothers did. On the whole, they were a good group of guys (never knew any female NFOs).

I agree Maine is great, but I'm more of a summer-in-Maine kind of guy. I did SERE school in Maine, in February. Kind of broke me of wanting to spend much winter time there! Came close to buying a summer house there right before I started med school. Probably will end up in the neighborhood as my wife in from NH.

Good luck to you in your future endeavors and don't hesitate to PM me or ask more questions here.

Spang