You get WAY better teaching and a more demanding and fast paced environment to learn in and grow as a physician. Which in turn makes you a better doctor on the civilian side. IF you ever wanted to leave the military of course. 🙂
Pros of military medicine
- Thread starter Homunculus
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fail
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Pre-med = NO credibility
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Even better in Canada!
Canada (a.k.a. Canuckistan to many of us) is a peace-loving country and we rely on our big brother Uncle Sam to do the heavy lifting. This means it's even harder to get physicians / med students to sign for patriotic duty.
Here are some advantages for 1st year med students:
- Pretty much all pros that were mentioned for the Americans
- $40,000 CDN sign in bonus (BTW, Canuckistan money is now worth more than it used to)
- All training expenses paid, including tuition, books, toys,
- $44,000 first year salary while in med school, increasing to $52,000 in 4th year
- Full military benefits
- 4 weeks paid vacation and the opportunity to contribute to your pension while in school
- Paid residency (Has to be Family Medicine / General Practice) $54K - $58K
- After 5 years, 5 weeks paid vacation
- After residency: Promoted to the rank of Captain (Air Force / Army) Or Lieutenant (Navy) and pay starts at $134K, with big yearly increments
- Unlimitted sick time (must be justified, so you need to brush-up on your acting skills)
- Great patients
- Moonlighting at civilian facility is allowed (even encouraged) for extra ca$h, as long as it doesn't interfere with military duties
- No HMOs! - That one's a given... Healthcare is socialised in Canuckistan!
- Less hours than civilian MDs, unless you moonlight and get more money from the Province where you practice.
- More time with each patient, which allows for more history taking and discussion & planning with said patients
- No business management
- No need to hire staff - All healthcare professionals hired by the Department of National Defense (or civilian hospitals)
- Team-based environment
- You get to get out of the office more
- Paid environmental training (Flight Surgeon, Dive Medicine, etc...)
- Military personnel tax deduction
- After four years as a Family Practitionner, One can leave, can apply for specialty training (Internal Med / General Surgery / Anasthesia / Ortho / Radiology / Psychiatry) and get Specialist Pay (Yes - Psych's earn as much as surgeons) or will usually be promoted to Major (or Lt. Commander in the Navy). During specialty training, one earns his/her full pay (Approx. $150K)
- All Canadian military hospital were closed, meaning hospital duties are performed at civilian hospitals. Bases and stations still have medical inspection rooms, though.
- In Canada, military personnel don't usually wear uniforms off base and they are not as respected as they are south of the border, but some chicks do dig guys in uniform.
- I am trying to avoid repeating what was already said, as pretty much the same advantages that our US brethren apply. I am just trying to enumerate the extra or different advantages Canucks have as far as military medicine is concerned.
Canada (a.k.a. Canuckistan to many of us) is a peace-loving country and we rely on our big brother Uncle Sam to do the heavy lifting. This means it's even harder to get physicians / med students to sign for patriotic duty.
Here are some advantages for 1st year med students:
- Pretty much all pros that were mentioned for the Americans
- $40,000 CDN sign in bonus (BTW, Canuckistan money is now worth more than it used to)
- All training expenses paid, including tuition, books, toys,
- $44,000 first year salary while in med school, increasing to $52,000 in 4th year
- Full military benefits
- 4 weeks paid vacation and the opportunity to contribute to your pension while in school
- Paid residency (Has to be Family Medicine / General Practice) $54K - $58K
- After 5 years, 5 weeks paid vacation
- After residency: Promoted to the rank of Captain (Air Force / Army) Or Lieutenant (Navy) and pay starts at $134K, with big yearly increments
- Unlimitted sick time (must be justified, so you need to brush-up on your acting skills)
- Great patients
- Moonlighting at civilian facility is allowed (even encouraged) for extra ca$h, as long as it doesn't interfere with military duties
- No HMOs! - That one's a given... Healthcare is socialised in Canuckistan!
- Less hours than civilian MDs, unless you moonlight and get more money from the Province where you practice.
- More time with each patient, which allows for more history taking and discussion & planning with said patients
- No business management
- No need to hire staff - All healthcare professionals hired by the Department of National Defense (or civilian hospitals)
- Team-based environment
- You get to get out of the office more
- Paid environmental training (Flight Surgeon, Dive Medicine, etc...)
- Military personnel tax deduction
- After four years as a Family Practitionner, One can leave, can apply for specialty training (Internal Med / General Surgery / Anasthesia / Ortho / Radiology / Psychiatry) and get Specialist Pay (Yes - Psych's earn as much as surgeons) or will usually be promoted to Major (or Lt. Commander in the Navy). During specialty training, one earns his/her full pay (Approx. $150K)
- All Canadian military hospital were closed, meaning hospital duties are performed at civilian hospitals. Bases and stations still have medical inspection rooms, though.
- In Canada, military personnel don't usually wear uniforms off base and they are not as respected as they are south of the border, but some chicks do dig guys in uniform.
- I am trying to avoid repeating what was already said, as pretty much the same advantages that our US brethren apply. I am just trying to enumerate the extra or different advantages Canucks have as far as military medicine is concerned.
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OK, folks, any more from the pro perspective?
In all honesty the one thing that I do miss about military medicine is not medicine. It was the people that I met and some of the friendships that I've made. Over the years, I actually still do keep in touch with a handful.
The GMO time was a great break and allowed me a chance to really sit down and think about what I wanted to do professionally, personally and with my life in general. I got paid really well for basically being a nurse and lived in a nice bachelor pad in a city and culture I never dreamed of being in. It was actually a bit of an adventure. Well, maybe not...
In the end, it all worked out and I'm a happy well adjusted civilian who is proud of doing his small part.
The GMO time was a great break and allowed me a chance to really sit down and think about what I wanted to do professionally, personally and with my life in general. I got paid really well for basically being a nurse and lived in a nice bachelor pad in a city and culture I never dreamed of being in. It was actually a bit of an adventure. Well, maybe not...
In the end, it all worked out and I'm a happy well adjusted civilian who is proud of doing his small part.
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IWO...you should change your username...if memory serves me right, you should be out of the IRR by now
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I should but don't really know how.
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Any USUHS prior or current students out there that can give some advice to a prior service member (myself). I went to the pro military forum and I'm not seeing a lot of positive energy. PM would be great too if anyone is able. Thanks SDN military members!
Hello guys, I have a question.
I did two years in acgme accredited internal medicine in a civilian program, but my PD is giving me hard time to promote me to PGY3 because i had an argument with him. He wants me to do few more months and says he might not renew my contract for PGY3
can i join as a PGY3 in internal medicine residency in military?
I would really appreciate if you could get back to me with some details. I am clueless how obtaining military residency works. Who do i talk to?
I did two years in acgme accredited internal medicine in a civilian program, but my PD is giving me hard time to promote me to PGY3 because i had an argument with him. He wants me to do few more months and says he might not renew my contract for PGY3
can i join as a PGY3 in internal medicine residency in military?
I would really appreciate if you could get back to me with some details. I am clueless how obtaining military residency works. Who do i talk to?
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If you're not already in the military, no.
Those who are already residency trained can join (subject to the needs of the armed forces) and after completing a 2-3 year staff tour in that specialty, can apply for an inservice 2nd residency.
Your best bet is to work things out with your PD, accept the extension if you must, and graduate. Once you're out of residency, all kinds of life options open up.
Those who are already residency trained can join (subject to the needs of the armed forces) and after completing a 2-3 year staff tour in that specialty, can apply for an inservice 2nd residency.
Your best bet is to work things out with your PD, accept the extension if you must, and graduate. Once you're out of residency, all kinds of life options open up.
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What if you are a chick, and you are not looking to attract another chikc, but rather a hot manly man. Does the uniform help? I highly doubt it. he he! Another issue that works for men and against women. grrr.
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I don't think you're going to find a lumbersexual being attracted to anyone being in the military.
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Oh great. No civilian would want to trot all over
The world following his girl's military career. And seems like no military lumberjack would want a military girl, either. What am I doing?!
The world following his girl's military career. And seems like no military lumberjack would want a military girl, either. What am I doing?!
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Uniform pants are not cut to flatter a woman.
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Unfortunately, they do promote a steady pear-shape.
Changing the blouses to untucked has helped. But yes, I had several attractive women that I worked with and you could only tell at happy hour after work when they had changed. (they would all agree with me by the way).
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Thanks for the informative post. This is the second thread you've essentially posted the same thing. Care to elaborate to actually provide help to those who come here looking for advice. Even if you had a bad/good/indifferent experience your story can help those in the future. Random, unsubstantiated posts like that one add nothing to the discussion.
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I love learning from you guys, even if I'm not in "medicine" per se, but mental health. All the posts in te end are still helpful to us "non-med" people pursuing medcom. Keep sharing 🙂
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Why was he/she banned?
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kmawfo was being a malignant personality. Hated the military medicine system but never bothered saying why and therefore never contributed to any discussion. Ended up insulting one of the forum's more senior contributing members which therefore got him smacked with the ban hammer.
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I know I'm very late to the party, but I read through the whole thread. I am about to enter med school this August, and I'm seriously considering, after finishing med school and deciding what residency I want, pursuing military medicine through FAP. I'm open to HPSP but I want to get a lot more information before contacting any recruiters. I know a good majority of the people on the thread have said NOOOOO don't do it. I respect that experience and having worked as a civilian with the Navy before, I have a vicarious understanding of the frustration with red tape and bureaucracy. However, I also have a great respect for the Navy that stems from my experience working with them for four years. I have a desire to serve the country. I know I might be able to serve the country as a civilian, but the military culture is something that appeals to me, at least for part of my career.
My question is this: if I decided to pursue a civilian residency in surgery (which is my primary interest right now, but of course this might change once I enter med school and get a taste for it during rotations), then enter the military through FAP, will this hinder, help, or have no impact on my ability to be a successful surgeon after leaving the military? Does it depend on the length of time one spends in the military?
Is any surgery done on medical mercy ships, like the USNS Mercy? What are the chances of a person landing a position on such a ship?
Thanks to anyone who might be able to answer these questions objectively!
My question is this: if I decided to pursue a civilian residency in surgery (which is my primary interest right now, but of course this might change once I enter med school and get a taste for it during rotations), then enter the military through FAP, will this hinder, help, or have no impact on my ability to be a successful surgeon after leaving the military? Does it depend on the length of time one spends in the military?
Is any surgery done on medical mercy ships, like the USNS Mercy? What are the chances of a person landing a position on such a ship?
Thanks to anyone who might be able to answer these questions objectively!
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