Homunculus said:
exactly. we have an N of 1 for long term career-ish docs (and from the navy no less). how can you say your word is "it" when it comes to these issues? personally i'd like a variety of people from all stages of their careers to comment on this, but at the moment we're stuck with what we've got.
--your friendly neighborhood finally got a day off caveman
Glad you're having a good time at Reed. Never been there myself, although I have a few friends who are fellows there.
I've been lurking around here for a while...generally I read forums when I'm feeling too good about myself and enjoying my career too much. Once I read MilMD's posts, I realize once again that I'm a second-rate doctor working in a second-rate system. Oh, only if I had someone like him to warn me earlier in life!
I don't have MilMD's 11 years of active duty, just a lowly 5.5 years. Still, I suppose that gives me some street credibility here. I'm a Navy IM resident, waiting to start my ID fellowship this upcoming summer. Between my R-1 and R-2 years, I was a carrier air wing flight surgeon and deployed for Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom. So here goes:
It sounds like MilMD got screwed. Now, I don't know why or under what circumstances; nor do I particularly care. I'm sure he means well and is trying to dissuade people from getting screwed like he did. The problem is, he's become the sole voice of experienced military physicians on this forum, and I'm afraid he's poisoned the well.
Now, I've never had the pleasure of meeting MilMD in person (probably...it is a small Navy). But think about this for a moment: when someone spends eleven years in a large organization and
insists that everyone else was an incompetent failure out to screw him, there is a
possibility that there is another side to the story.
When I first found out about the GMO requirement in the Navy, my first thought was "crap", followed by "****", followed by a series of other obscenities. In the end, I decided to do the FS thing, and I've never looked back...great time, great friends, and a great experience for me as a physician. I'm a better doctor, and specifically a better internist, for the experience.
I have never in my going-on-six-years had a nurse pull rank on me. I have had nurses pull
experience on me when I was an intern and quasi-clueless, at least in the beginning. As a senior resident, it never happens (and that includes interactions with Nurse Corps commanders and captains). Perhaps it's because I have good relations with my colleagues. Perhaps it's because the wings and ribbons make me look more officer-ish than they do. Perhaps it's because I don't whip out my ego and swing it around the room every time I talk to the nursing staff. Who knows?
I have misgivings about the military, for sure. Anyone who doesn't have their doubts about the Navy is insane, but the quality of attendings and fellows with whom I've worked has been great. Our department is well-integrated with the local civilian academic community, we do some decent research, and we make good internists and subspecialists. I can't comment intelligently about the surgical programs, but I've spent a fair amount of time bitching to my surgical counterparts on call, and they seem every bit as irritated and surly as me.
I am worried about some of the changes, specifically in pediatrics...I hope we can salvage that community. Uniformed military pediatricians taking care of Iraqi and Afghan kids would do make a strong impression on the world. The impact on IM has been pretty minor, thankfully.
So to summarize:
-GMO tours are often fun and can be good for you as a doctor. (Incidentally, you always have backup, with some very rare exceptions.)
-The Navy is an imperfect organization and might expect you to perform some military duties in exchange for the money they're giving you.
-Doctors in the military are a cross-section of medical practice: there are some great ones, a few bad ones, and a great middle ground of competent physicians.
-The Navy has some jerks in it.
-So does the real world.