Air Force Questions for Air Force Flight Surgeons

[HopefulPA2MD]

Hello, I am an AD PA working in FM. I plan on applying to med school next year and plan on applying for Operational FM or IM. I just wanted to know if anyone on here went through the same path and if so how difficult was it to go this route? If at all possible can you tell me how your lifestyle is day to day in FM or in IM? In IM are you still doing some inpatient work at the clinic? Are there chances to moonlight after off duty hours for both FM and IM? What is the deployment tempo? If you are placed in a SME what is your typical day like and deployment tempo? Once you become a Flight Surgeon is it easy to do a Aerospace Medicine Residency? Are there a lot of jobs on the outside after completing a RAM? Are there some Flight Surgeons who work for NASA and other space companies as AD Flight Surgeons? If so, how difficult is it to get those positions, and what is the career progression and promotion status as a Flight Surgeon? Sorry, for asking some many questions, but I have been trying to talk to someone for awhile about this. I just can’t seem to get in touch with anyone. I checked on this forum and many others, but have not seen any update to information on my questions that I am trying to get answered. Any information that can be provided would be great and thank you in advance.

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[DeadCactus]

I think it will be hard to give you an accurate picture of what operational medicine will look like in the almost decade it will take you to get there.


For your RAM questions, I can't give you any first hand information but the below is my understanding based on conversations with people in the field:

The RAM programs' competitiveness are difficult to predict. Not a lot of people want to do it but there are also not a lot of spots so year to year fluctuations can be notable. Jobs seem to be available if you are flexible and willing to let career opportunities determine where you live.

NASA and other space companies do have flight surgeons but I don't know of any active duty physicians filling those roles. It doesn't really make sense for the military to pay you to fill that role. The current feeling in the space industry is that there is a dearth of space medicine trained flight surgeons and the training pipeline is inadequate for the coming explosion in commercial space travel. If you want to be a space medicine physician, you would be better off finishing up your active duty time and attending medical school as a civilian (preferably in Houston or Los Angeles). UTMB offers both a NASA clerkship and an introductory aerospace medicine rotation. Since you're already a PA, trying to attend one of those would be a good first step in the meantime.

 

[HopefulPA2MD]

Thank you for this information and for breaking it down for me. I really appreciate your perspective and any other perspectives that I can receive on this topic.