Question for MilitaryMD

[residentx2]

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After hearing the recruiter's side of things, I would appreciate your input. My situation...I'm board certified in FP but I have been an ER attending for 4 years... Anesthesia was always my first love, but family constraints after internship precluded a residency at the time...Now I will be starting as a PGY2/CA1 in Oct 05 and can't wait...however, going from $180,000+ per year to $36,000 per year is a little daunting so I contacted the Navy about their FAP program....I have not signed anything yet....The FAP money is pretty impressive, but I can get by without it if I had to...I spent 8 yrs in the Natl Guard as a medical officer so I am vaguely familiar with military medicine...your views on chance of deployment...duty stations...family life...etc would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[militarymd]

As an incoming anestheiologist, there are a lot of places they can send you, and you have no control of that....take a look at where they can send you.

Once there, you will be low man on the totem pole for call, deployments, leave, etc. Anesthesiologists are being deployed all over the world right now, so you can count on deploying.

If you have interest in fellowship training, you will most likely not be able to do it.

Your family will go with you to wherever you get stationed, but they will not go with you for deployment which can be up to 9 months or more.

You pay....my last 6 months in the military with 11 years of service and at the rank of LCDR with 3 dependents....W-2 income...about $36,000. You will get 2 bonuses for the year which should add up to 41,000 before taxes.

If all of the above is OK with you, then FAP should be OK for you.

I personally would not do it.

 

[jetproppilot]

As an incoming anestheiologist, there are a lot of places they can send you, and you have no control of that....take a look at where they can send you.

Once there, you will be low man on the totem pole for call, deployments, leave, etc. Anesthesiologists are being deployed all over the world right now, so you can count on deploying.

If you have interest in fellowship training, you will most likely not be able to do it.

Your family will go with you to wherever you get stationed, but they will not go with you for deployment which can be up to 9 months or more.

You pay....my last 6 months in the military with 11 years of service and at the rank of LCDR with 3 dependents....W-2 income...about $36,000. You will get 2 bonuses for the year which should add up to 41,000 before taxes.

If all of the above is OK with you, then FAP should be OK for you.

I personally would not do it.

41K? Are you serious Military? I considered the military route (very very briefly) after acceptance to med school and the recruiter said MDs enter as Captains, and the pay was around 100k- that was in 1992. And you had 11 years? 41K? You must be experiencing some of the endogenous cannabinoid the other thread mentioned, huh? 😱

 

[jetproppilot]

41K? Are you serious Military? I considered the military route (very very briefly) after acceptance to med school and the recruiter said MDs enter as Captains, and the pay was around 100k- that was in 1992. And you had 11 years? 41K? You must be experiencing some of the endogenous cannabinoid the other thread mentioned, huh? 😱

Sorry, the dude told me that in 1988.

 

[militarymd]

41K? Are you serious Military? I considered the military route (very very briefly) after acceptance to med school and the recruiter said MDs enter as Captains, and the pay was around 100k- that was in 1992. And you had 11 years? 41K? You must be experiencing some of the endogenous cannabinoid the other thread mentioned, huh? 😱

The bonuses add up to 41,000...so for a full year you get 113,000 before taxes.

But because I was getting out I couldn't take the bonus, so minus 41,000 from the 113,000....leaving 72,000 for the year....and I left in July...so for January to June, I made 36,000 as reported on the W-2....Can you fvoking believe it??? 👎

 

[Alpha_Male]

The bonuses add up to 41,000...so for a full year you get 113,000 before taxes.

But because I was getting out I couldn't take the bonus, so minus 41,000 from the 113,000....leaving 72,000 for the year....and I left in July...so for January to June, I made 36,000 as reported on the W-2....Can you fvoking believe it??? 👎

That's bull****....at least you have no debt though.

 

[Willamette]

Gulf War I Vet here...You were in the Guard, so you should know: Once you sign on the dotted line, you're THEIRS. It's almost like being property, and it isn't even REMOTELY set up in your favor. If you're going to go back to residency, eat it for the three years and then be free to write your own version of the rest of your career/life. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely in favor of having a strong military. It's just important for you to realize (remember) that YOUR best interests are only important when they happen to cooincide with the MILITARY'S best interests (i.e. not very often). In my opinion, the armed forces is a young and unmarried person's gig.


Willamette