No more Navy GMO's?

[crazybrancato]

You'll be done with the USMLE steps by the time you do GMO time (since you need to have an unrestricted state medical license).

As a Marine GMO, it was very hard to do much reading while at home, because the pre/post deployment admin monkey was always on my back in a big way. Lots of long days. I had the opportunity to spend some time at the local naval hospital doing some cases, but never did because I couldn't really justify spending more time away from home in between deployments.

Deployment was another matter. I was bored out of my skull 90% of the time. I took 4 or 5 anesthesia textbooks and a handful of review books with me, and tried to study. Without the context of patients though, it was very hard to retain anything. The stuff I love reading now (as I prepare or review specific cases) put me to sleep then. Maybe you're smarter than me and can make it work. I had the best of intentions and read a lot of pages, but didn't really feel like I was learning much until I actually started residency.

But yes, there is a lot of time to study for residency.

yeah, i don't doubt that real casework is the best way to learn . . . .no substitue for it . . . I was just wondering, b/c I've been on boring deployments and watches too. I kept myself busy by studying and reading a lot. When I got back home I was way ahead of the crowd. ok, thanks.

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[BigNavyPedsGuy]

Can PAs practice independently? My understanding is they require supervision from a family practice doc. I don't think you could deploy a PA alone in support of a Marine battalion for example.

I'm the GMO on a large deck amphib. I have a Senior Medical Officer (SMO) around anyway. There's no reason he couldn't suprevise the PA. I'm not complaining: it's nice to have some experience around, but it's not like I'm saving the world with my great medical saves in the middle of nowhere with no help. A PA could do it.

 

[adismo]

as a marine gmo, it was very hard to do much reading while at home, because the pre/post deployment admin monkey was always on my back in a big way. Lots of long days. I had the opportunity to spend some time at the local naval hospital doing some cases, but never did because i couldn't really justify spending more time away from home in between deployments.

Deployment was another matter. I was bored out of my skull 90% of the time. I took 4 or 5 anesthesia textbooks and a handful of review books with me, and tried to study. Without the context of patients though, it was very hard to retain anything.

+1

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

Are all Navy docs forced into a GMO tour coming out of USUHS or HPSP?

I want to go to medical school -> residency -> duty station. If that is not a realistic possibility, I will more than likely not apply for those programs.

One more Q. I'm former military and the doc stationed on my ship (small ship) was some dude straight out of USUHS. So, where are all of the specialists? Are they stationed on carriers or are they all stationed in hospitals?

 

[rotatores]

Are all Navy docs forced into a GMO tour coming out of USUHS or HPSP?.

No! Just look through this forum...this has been addressed relentlessly!

I want to go to medical school -> residency -> duty station. If that is not a realistic possibility, I will more than likely not apply for those programs.

"Those programs"...if you mean the Navy...likely a wise choice given your goals!

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

No! Just look through this forum...this has been addressed relentlessly!



"Those programs"...if you mean the Navy...likely a wise choice given your goals!

So the Navy would be a poor choice. Which service would most likely allow me to go straight through my schooling and training? (I'm former Navy, that was my only reasoning behind choosing it)

 

[orbitsurgMD]

Are all Navy docs forced into a GMO tour coming out of USUHS or HPSP?

I want to go to medical school -> residency -> duty station. If that is not a realistic possibility, I will more than likely not apply for those programs.

One more Q. I'm former military and the doc stationed on my ship (small ship) was some dude straight out of USUHS. So, where are all of the specialists? Are they stationed on carriers or are they all stationed in hospitals?

None of the service branches will guarantee this progression for you under HPSP, but of the three, the Navy is the least likely and able to assure you of the pathway to service you say that you want.

I recommend you consider FAP instead.

 

[rotatores]

None of the service branches will guarantee this progression for you under HPSP, but of the three, the Navy is the least likely and able to assure you of the pathway to service you say that you want.

I recommend you consider FAP instead.

I agree with the FAP program also!

The Navy is kinda moving away from GMO (well...at least out of internship). I was fortunate to go straight through! Although I imagine I'm now on a short leash to do a GMO after I graduate from residency next summer!

 

[crazybrancato]

I agree with the FAP program also!

The Navy is kinda moving away from GMO (well...at least out of internship). I was fortunate to go straight through! Although I imagine I'm now on a short leash to do a GMO after I graduate from residency next summer!

If you're prior service, are they more/less likely to put you straight through? Or is prior service completely irrelevant?

And how did you go straight thru? Did you request that, and did you get that path b/c you had good grades/board scores (any of that matter)?

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

If you're prior service, are they more/less likely to put you straight through? Or is prior service completely irrelevant?

And how did you go straight thru? Did you request that, and did you get that path b/c you had good grades/board scores (any of that matter)?

Irrelavant. There's nothing you can do to prevent yourself from doing a GMO. You can do great. Your progarm can want you to go straight through, you can want to go straight through and it doesn't matter. You can still get sent out.

This can't be said clearly enough. There is no way to control whether or not you do a GMO tour. None! Stop asking. There is no way to control it.

 

[IgD]

Irrelavant. There's nothing you can do to prevent yourself from doing a GMO. You can do great. Your progarm can want you to go straight through, you can want to go straight through and it doesn't matter. You can still get sent out.

This can't be said clearly enough. There is no way to control whether or not you do a GMO tour. None! Stop asking. There is no way to control it.

Actually, there is a way. If you are disabled or incompetent they have to keep you somewhere to recover or be under constant supervision.

 

[crazybrancato]

Irrelavant. There's nothing you can do to prevent yourself from doing a GMO. You can do great. Your progarm can want you to go straight through, you can want to go straight through and it doesn't matter. You can still get sent out.

This can't be said clearly enough. There is no way to control whether or not you do a GMO tour. None! Stop asking. There is no way to control it.

So what are you trying to say?! j/k okay okay. dont raise your blood pressure

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

Actually, there is a way. If you are disabled or incompetent they have to keep you somewhere to recover or be under constant supervision.

Yeah, I noticed that.

 

[adismo]

its one way to get out of deployment

 

[DrMetal]

Been there, done that.

^ This post should be a sticky.

Hi,

Is there a difference between a 'GMO' and a regular tour? Or is 'GMO' just used to refer to every tour that a mildoc does?

At the major MTFs, how long is a typical tour (after you've done all of your training, say you're a gensurg)?

 

[DrMetal]

When posters here use "GMO" they are normally referring to those of us who completed a year of internship, then are sent out to be physicians in an operational environment before returning to complete residency. For the Navy, this usually means a tour with a Marine Corps unit or on a ship. There are other locales/job descriptions, but these are the main ones.

Many will also include Flight Surgeons and Dive Medical Officers in with "GMO" because they usually have the same level of education/expereince. In the strict sense of the term however, they are their own entities and not truly "General Medical Officers".

Ok, thanks for the explanation. So then, after your internship, after your GMO, after your residency . . . from then on, you do a 'regular tour', or is that called something else? (trying to get the lingo straight here). And how long are your tours (say at a major MTF), are they typical 3-year orders, or can they be longer? (I've heard rumours of specialists getting 5-year orders, true?)

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

duplicate

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

Ok, thanks for the explanation. So then, after your internship, after your GMO, after your residency . . . from then on, you do a 'regular tour', or is that called something else? (trying to get the lingo straight here). And how long are your tours (say at a major MTF), are they typical 3-year orders, or can they be longer? (I've heard rumours of specialists getting 5-year orders, true?)

Typically 3 years. rumors are rumors and even if they might be true they are not to counted on.

 

[DrMetal]

for those of you that have done Navy GMOs: were you just assigned something, or did you get to pick a GMO? can you give preferences? is it hard/easy to get a sea GMO?

 

[DrMetal]

You have a detailer, which is somebody whose job it is to assign other people jobs. Basically my conversation with him went like this:

Nice, ok thanks. Is the detailer a doc too, or some other Naval officer?

Then after you did your GMO, did you land the residency (what kind, where) of your choice?

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

Nice, ok thanks. Is the detailer a doc too, or some other Naval officer?

Then after you did your GMO, did you land the residency (what kind, where) of your choice?

Detailers are medical service corps officers (at least ours). They are admin guys, not docs.

Tired and I are both still in our GMO tours. I also believe we were both categorical interns meaning that we'll have spots to go back to after our GMO tours.

 

[IgD]

Detailers are medical service corps officers (at least ours). They are admin guys, not docs.

Tired and I are both still in our GMO tours. I also believe we were both categorical interns meaning that we'll have spots to go back to after our GMO tours.

My detailer was a physician.

Even though you completed a categorical internship, you still have to apply for the JSGMESB for a PGY2 position.

 

[IgD]

Yes, but things aren't like they used to be. Some of us now have promised spots following GMO time. Supposedly some of us even have written guarantees that would require due-process to break.

Show me the doctrine

 

[IgD]

Your GMO detailer was probably an MSC LT. Why would a physician actually do operational medicine detailing?

I was never a GMO.

You want a physician as the detailer so they will know what they are doing. The detailer is supposed to look at someone's professional goals and see if they are a good fit for a billet.

 

[DrMetal]

I was never a GMO.

What do you mean? You went straight thru you're training? Is so, what kind of training was it, and what were the circumstances under which you were allowed to go straight thru?

 

[Gastrapathy]

People do go straight-through and the numbers are increasing. Tired, the GME and GMO/FP detailers are traditionally MSC-types, the other detailers are physicians. You don't get to choose your detailer.

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

You want a physician as the detailer so they will know what they are doing. The detailer is supposed to look at someone's professional goals and see if they are a good fit for a billet.

I see why the GMO detailer is an MSC. That way all those pesky "professional goals" don't get in the way of filling GMO billets

 

[rotatores]

What do you mean? You went straight thru you're training? Is so, what kind of training was it, and what were the circumstances under which you were allowed to go straight thru?

I was never a GMO either...it does happen (although I'm sure it will catch up with me eventually)!

 

[DrMetal]

I was never a GMO either...it does happen (although I'm sure it will catch up with me eventually)!

you're also a USUHS grad, right? So you went straight from USUHS to internship to residency? What kind of residency are you doing and how did you go straight thru (just asked???)

[Sorry, I'm full of questions, my coffee's kickin]
At what point do you know whether or not you'll be doing a GMO or going straight through your training? (do you find out when you match for your intership during your 4th year of med school, or do you find out sometime during your internship year?)

 

[rotatores]

you're also a USUHS grad, right? So you went straight from USUHS to internship to residency? What kind of residency are you doing and how did you go straight thru (just asked???)

[Sorry, I'm full of questions, my coffee's kickin]
At what point do you know whether or not you'll be doing a GMO or going straight through your training? (do you find out when you match for your intership during your 4th year of med school, or do you find out sometime during your internship year?)

Yes...i went from USUHS to a pediatric internship straight to a pediatric residency. You know if you're going straight through in December when GM2 2+ results are out during you internship year! I was able to go straight through b/c 1) I applied 2) I got lucky b/c nobody that year wanted to return from GMO to pediatrics.

 

[DrMetal]

Yes...i went from USUHS to a pediatric internship straight to a pediatric residency. You know if you're going straight through in December when GM2 2+ results are out during you internship year! I was able to go straight through b/c 1) I applied 2) I got lucky b/c nobody that year wanted to return from GMO to pediatrics.

Ok thanks. So I guess it doesn't hurt to apply. I got some more specific (and possibly personal) questions for you, if you're willing to entertain. I'll PM you . . .

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

That's what I said.

All I got were assurances that it existed, and that I had a spot promised.

Big, you ever see anything in writing.

No, but Peds is different than Ortho. We've always been "categorical". We actually had a GMO come to our program who had done a psych internship before his GMO. He was a full-on intern. No resitern stuff he had to do the entire internship and he was guaranteed to go straight through.

With ortho, this is a new switch. So there's a lot less precedence.

If it is in writing, it's in the program director/RRC approval/GME level. I'm sure the policy to do it is there. I don't think they guarantee it to specific candidates, because what if we suck and they don't want us back? Some civilian programs don't even "guarantee" the later years in their original contracts.

 

[adismo]

You have a detailer, which is somebody whose job it is to assign other people jobs. Basically my conversation with him went like this:

Me: "I'd like a ship please."

Him: "All I have is the Marines."

Me: "I know a couple guys who are leaving ships right when I start. Maybe I could get one of their spots?"

Him: "All I have is the Marines."

Me: "What about the USS ________. Or the USS _________ ?"

Him: "All I have is the Marines."

Me: "There's a ship being built in Avondale. They'll need a GMO."

Him: "All I have is the Marines."

Me: "I really don't care if I have to go to the West Coast. I just really want to be on a ship. It's actually the whole reason I joined the Navy in the first place."

Him: "Oh . . . okay. Well, if you want West Coast I have 29 Palms."

Me: "That's a Marine billet. I meant I don't mind going to the West Coast to get on a ship."

Him: "All I have is the Marines."

Me: "Would it help if I waited a while? See if anything frees up?"

Him: "You can wait for orders to the Marines. Or you can take orders to the Marines now."

Me: "So basically you're telling me I can't have a ship no matter what?"

Him: "All I have is the Marines."

Two weeks later I got orders to 2MARDIV.

I'm not complaining, I actually love my job right now. But for a male with no EFMP children or hardship circumstances, I didn't get much of a choice.

excellent! this is EXACTLY how it goes. except after finishing my civilian internship in Detroit, I was begging for a chance to go back to the west coast.

"Ok, we have a spot with 1MARDIV, would you be interested?"

"Do you have anything with the Seabees or a ship."

"All I have is Marines."

you can surmise how the rest of the conversation went.

Gosh, i hope the GMESB goes in my favor. It's the only pot of gold that i can surmise is left after following the GMO rainbow!