Questions about National Guard during medical school

[DocOrBust2019]

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I have been interested in joining up with the Air/Army National Guard for some time when I am pursuing my medical education. I saw that there are some states which offer state tuition assistance towards Medical School for members of the National Guard. While I am interested in serving my country, I don't want to go through the military to get my degree as I'm interested in matching into whatever civilian residency I am capable of and it seems as though that's what the ANG allows for. I also like the flexibility it allows: I would be able to go IRR by the end of residency and would have the ability to choose whether I want to continue in my role in the ANG or not. As far as I know, medical students can not be deployed while in the ANG as a medical student.

My questions are general and as follows:

1) Does anyone have any experience in going this route? If so, what was the balance like between drilling and school? As far as I understand you aren't required to drill more than 6 times a year. Does anyone know anything about the specific differences between Air/Army NG as a med student?

2) What states offer 100% tuition coverage through state( Not federal! ) tuition assistance or reimbursement? I know that New Jersey is one. The reason I'm interested in state reimbursement specifically is because I would like to get school paid for without having to extend my service obligation unless I decide that's what I want.

3) How did you feel about your work in the ANG? And if you were called to duty after completing residency, how did the pay work while active duty?

4) If you stayed in military medicine: How do you find the overall job experience as compared with the civilian rotations and residencies that you did? If you had to do it all again, would you have preferred to go into civ med or do you love mil med?

Thank you!

 

[deleted480308]

I've just got to say that if your goal is to join in school for free tuition (which is fine) specifically because you only drill 6x/year and then get out before you are even at risk of deployment that you aren't really "serving your country".

It could be amazing math, but it's not service

 

[TheEarDoc]

I have been interested in joining up with the Air/Army National Guard for some time when I am pursuing my medical education. I saw that there are some states which offer state tuition assistance towards Medical School for members of the National Guard. While I am interested in serving my country, I don't want to go through the military to get my degree as I'm interested in matching into whatever civilian residency I am capable of and it seems as though that's what the ANG allows for. I also like the flexibility it allows: I would be able to go IRR by the end of residency and would have the ability to choose whether I want to continue in my role in the ANG or not. As far as I know, medical students can not be deployed while in the ANG as a medical student.

My questions are general and as follows:

1) Does anyone have any experience in going this route? If so, what was the balance like between drilling and school? As far as I understand you aren't required to drill more than 6 times a year. Does anyone know anything about the specific differences between Air/Army NG as a med student?

2) What states offer 100% tuition coverage through state( Not federal! ) tuition assistance or reimbursement? I know that New Jersey is one. The reason I'm interested in state reimbursement specifically is because I would like to get school paid for without having to extend my service obligation unless I decide that's what I want.

3) How did you feel about your work in the ANG? And if you were called to duty after completing residency, how did the pay work while active duty?

4) If you stayed in military medicine: How do you find the overall job experience as compared with the civilian rotations and residencies that you did? If you had to do it all again, would you have preferred to go into civ med or do you love mil med?

Thank you!

I am sure others will chime in, but I do not believe you can be in the ANG as a medical student with that flexibility if you are not on some scholarship program. You would have to be enlisted or have a bachelor's degree that would allow you to be a direct commissioned officer or you'd have to do ROTC route.

As for the 6 drills a year as a the minimum. That might be true, but those drills even with multiple units might fall when you have lots of stuff going on for school so I wouldn't bank on doing the bare minimum.

You can easily google what states give 100% tuition coverage for state guards.

From the questions you asked it sounds like you want to do the bare minimum, never deploy, and get all the benefits. Unfortunately that's not how life works and that sure isn't how life works in the military. Uncle Sam doesn't care about what you want if it doesn't jive with the mission he has.

My suggestion would be remain a civilian until you finish your medical school. Then if you feel the need to serve (and not do the bare minimum) then apply for the ANG or reserves as a doc and get the nice loan repayment incentives.

 

[Jbirdski]

If the ANG is giving you money while you are in medical school, it is likely you owe them time after and you can't just "go IRR" unless you have some excuse that otherwise unqualified you (injury, health reasons, etc). It is true you most likely won't deploy while you are in school, however, if anyone has reservations about deploying then they should not join the military in any capacity in the first place.

 

[DocOrBust2019]

Perhaps I have not been as clear as intended in my post: I am certainly looking to get my school paid for(who isn't?) That said, I am also interested in serving my country and possibly military medicine as a long term career.

I like the flexibility of choosing a civilian residency and specialty. I would not want to go the HPSP route where as I understand it, you are required to take a military match if offered, even if you get your dream civilian match. I would be incredibly upset if I did everything necessary in school to match derm or neurosurg, matched, and then was told by Uncle Sam that I was needed in Family practice.

Additionally, if after med school I go into a specialty where owning my own practice is the best route, I certainly would want to avoid deployments if at all possible. It is impossible to build a practice if you are going away for 90 days at a time. In this case, I would be doing the bare minimum.

That said, if I go into emergency med, internal med as a hospitalist or anything else that is more shift work oriented, I would be interested in extending my service obligation. Deployments are not an issue when they don't destroy your income, practice, and threaten your livelihood and in fact I would welcome the opportunity to deploy in these cases.

That is why I was looking for some feedback from military physicians. I'm interested in military medicine and serving, but I am not so interested in serving that I would be willing to sacrifice my own say in my potential specialty, hence the NG route of service.

 

[TheEarDoc]

Perhaps I have not been as clear as intended in my post: I am certainly looking to get my school paid for(who isn't?) That said, I am also interested in serving my country and possibly military medicine as a long term career.

I like the flexibility of choosing a civilian residency and specialty. I would not want to go the HPSP route where as I understand it, you are required to take a military match if offered, even if you get your dream civilian match. I would be incredibly upset if I did everything necessary in school to match derm or neurosurg, matched, and then was told by Uncle Sam that I was needed in Family practice.

Additionally, if after med school I go into a specialty where owning my own practice is the best route, I certainly would want to avoid deployments if at all possible. It is impossible to build a practice if you are going away for 90 days at a time. In this case, I would be doing the bare minimum.

That said, if I go into emergency med, internal med as a hospitalist or anything else that is more shift work oriented, I would be interested in extending my service obligation. Deployments are not an issue when they don't destroy your income, practice, and threaten your livelihood and in fact I would welcome the opportunity to deploy in these cases.

That is why I was looking for some feedback from military physicians. I'm interested in military medicine and serving, but I am not so interested in serving that I would be willing to sacrifice my own say in my potential specialty, hence the NG route of service.

Then I would say go to med school on the cheap on loans. Do you specialty of choice. Then sign up as said specialty in the NG or Reserves with huge sign on bonuses and have them pay off your loans, but only if you are able to be deployed for 90 days and step away from a business. Not always possible.

 

[deleted480308]

Perhaps I have not been as clear as intended in my post: I am certainly looking to get my school paid for(who isn't?) That said, I am also interested in serving my country and possibly military medicine as a long term career.

I like the flexibility of choosing a civilian residency and specialty. I would not want to go the HPSP route where as I understand it, you are required to take a military match if offered, even if you get your dream civilian match. I would be incredibly upset if I did everything necessary in school to match derm or neurosurg, matched, and then was told by Uncle Sam that I was needed in Family practice.

Additionally, if after med school I go into a specialty where owning my own practice is the best route, I certainly would want to avoid deployments if at all possible. It is impossible to build a practice if you are going away for 90 days at a time. In this case, I would be doing the bare minimum.

That said, if I go into emergency med, internal med as a hospitalist or anything else that is more shift work oriented, I would be interested in extending my service obligation. Deployments are not an issue when they don't destroy your income, practice, and threaten your livelihood and in fact I would welcome the opportunity to deploy in these cases.

That is why I was looking for some feedback from military physicians. I'm interested in military medicine and serving, but I am not so interested in serving that I would be willing to sacrifice my own say in my potential specialty, hence the NG route of service.

Don’t join

 

[Jbirdski]

Perhaps I have not been as clear as intended in my post: I am certainly looking to get my school paid for(who isn't?) That said, I am also interested in serving my country and possibly military medicine as a long term career.

I like the flexibility of choosing a civilian residency and specialty. I would not want to go the HPSP route where as I understand it, you are required to take a military match if offered, even if you get your dream civilian match. I would be incredibly upset if I did everything necessary in school to match derm or neurosurg, matched, and then was told by Uncle Sam that I was needed in Family practice.

Additionally, if after med school I go into a specialty where owning my own practice is the best route, I certainly would want to avoid deployments if at all possible. It is impossible to build a practice if you are going away for 90 days at a time. In this case, I would be doing the bare minimum.

That said, if I go into emergency med, internal med as a hospitalist or anything else that is more shift work oriented, I would be interested in extending my service obligation. Deployments are not an issue when they don't destroy your income, practice, and threaten your livelihood and in fact I would welcome the opportunity to deploy in these cases.

That is why I was looking for some feedback from military physicians. I'm interested in military medicine and serving, but I am not so interested in serving that I would be willing to sacrifice my own say in my potential specialty, hence the NG route of service.

Definitely don't join before med school or during medical school. Military medicine in any capacity is a commitment as much a civilian medicine career. Doing ANG or Reserves isn't just a simple weekend, it gets in the way of your civilian life, it isn't convenient. Deployments are what you sign up for regardless of the field you decide to go into in medicine. Deployments do take away from income, your one weekend a month can take away from your income. Not to mention time away from family. Plenty of people in private practice manage to also be a part of the guard or reserve, they make it work because they want to make it work and because they sign up for the commitment of being a member of the armed forces.

What I am trying to get at is if you truly want to serve in the military, then you do it and you make it work regardless of specialty/career path in medicine. And you do it knowing full well the commitment you sign up for.

From my own experience, I knew a couple of docs, that were private practice, both specialists and made more money that I will make as a future hospitalist. Both worked as flight surgeons, while on weekends they did barely anything pertaining to their specialties and loved it. They enjoyed being a part of a different aspect of medicine than their day-to-day job outside of the military. One retired a couple years ago from the military, the other is still in and still loves doing both his jobs in the civilian world and military world.

 

[lp430]

To echo what some people have said, don't do it for the tuition money or "Army experience". You should be willing to deploy, if you sign that contract. You won't while in med school, but afterwards could be another story. Furthermore, the 6 drills a year is highly Unit/Commander specific. Plan on being present for most drills and Annual Training.

Almost every medical student/resident/PA that I have crossed paths with, has been looking to get out as soon as possible. Take that for what you will. The time/money isn't worth it unless you have a strong draw to the military. I have been in the Army National Guard for over 7 years now (during med school/residency and now attending) to pay off an ROTC commitment so feel free to PM me for more specific questions.

 

[wittles]

I have been interested in joining up with the Air/Army National Guard for some time when I am pursuing my medical education. I saw that there are some states which offer state tuition assistance towards Medical School for members of the National Guard. While I am interested in serving my country, I don't want to go through the military to get my degree as I'm interested in matching into whatever civilian residency I am capable of and it seems as though that's what the ANG allows for. I also like the flexibility it allows: I would be able to go IRR by the end of residency and would have the ability to choose whether I want to continue in my role in the ANG or not. As far as I know, medical students can not be deployed while in the ANG as a medical student.

My questions are general and as follows:

1) Does anyone have any experience in going this route? If so, what was the balance like between drilling and school? As far as I understand you aren't required to drill more than 6 times a year. Does anyone know anything about the specific differences between Air/Army NG as a med student?

2) What states offer 100% tuition coverage through state( Not federal! ) tuition assistance or reimbursement? I know that New Jersey is one. The reason I'm interested in state reimbursement specifically is because I would like to get school paid for without having to extend my service obligation unless I decide that's what I want.

3) How did you feel about your work in the ANG? And if you were called to duty after completing residency, how did the pay work while active duty?

4) If you stayed in military medicine: How do you find the overall job experience as compared with the civilian rotations and residencies that you did? If you had to do it all again, would you have preferred to go into civ med or do you love mil med?

Thank you!

Pick a different route. You aren't suited for military service.