Navy Psychiatry

[RugbyJC]

Yeah, I am on the different career a week program...

can anyone comment on the Navy Psychiatry programs? Specifically the differences between the programs at each hospital? What opportunities there are? Things a perspective might want to know?

I started my psych rotation this week and love it. Shouldn't have been a surprise, since my BA is in psych, but I didn't think I would like it this much. There are two faculty members who did their residencies in the Navy, but that was 20 years ago. Both said they found themselves sutuering, setting bones with ortho, in the ER and using their medical skills more compared to civilian practices...does this still hold true today?

Thanks!

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[DeanWormer]

They are correct and still today psych interns do ob, icu, ortho, er and treated just like every other physician. You will do "hands on" then do a GMO especially since the rumor is they are civilianizing psych in the Navy. hiring contract psychiatrists so after your pgy-1 in psych spent suturing, delivering, bone setting, treating uremia, q3 med call you'l go to iraq with the marines and use it all. that's the truth.

Yeah, I am on the different career a week program...

can anyone comment on the Navy Psychiatry programs? Specifically the differences between the programs at each hospital? What opportunities there are? Things a perspective might want to know?

I started my psych rotation this week and love it. Shouldn't have been a surprise, since my BA is in psych, but I didn't think I would like it this much. There are two faculty members who did their residencies in the Navy, but that was 20 years ago. Both said they found themselves sutuering, setting bones with ortho, in the ER and using their medical skills more compared to civilian practices...does this still hold true today?

Thanks!

 

[EElise]

Just wanted to add a question to this...if you decided to join Navy Med after a civilian Psych residency and perhaps a few clinical years of civilian practice, would you be slotted for non-psych related duties? (I know this is a yes, needs of service, but to what extent?) And again, this is with no military affiliation before joining as a civilian trained physician. Thanks.

 

[Gastrapathy]

Just wanted to add a question to this...if you decided to join Navy Med after a civilian Psych residency and perhaps a few clinical years of civilian practice, would you be slotted for non-psych related duties? (I know this is a yes, needs of service, but to what extent?) And again, this is with no military affiliation before joining as a civilian trained physician. Thanks.

Actually...no. You would be exceeding likely to be deployed within a year of joining but would almost certainly deploy as a staff psychiatrist (lots of focus on forward psych, minimizing medevacs for psych, etc). I can't say that I've seen a shrink fill a GMO-type slots. I've seen pediatricians, internists, FPs and even dermatologists in this role. The surgical subs can get deployed as general surgeons (even saw them try to send an OB once, yikes!). But, as a psychiatrist, you'd probably get to practice a version of your specialty.

-apathy

 

[RugbyJC]

guess ill add on another question:

after i do some work as a GMO, is there a chance that I would still be able to get back into the psych track at a Navy hospital? or are they phasing this out completely?

 

[Gastrapathy]

guess ill add on another question:

after i do some work as a GMO, is there a chance that I would still be able to get back into the psych track at a Navy hospital? or are they phasing this out completely?

There is no current plan to phase out psych residency (at least according to a couple of current trainees). Psych is 50/50 on whether or not you have to do a gmo, but, regardless, if you do a psych internship, then a gmo tour, you can come back to psych residency thereafter.