USUHS and Payback

[mountainplayer987]

I understand that with USUHS you owe 7 years to the military after residency. However, what would happen if you complete all of your schooling and residency, then few years into your 7 year obligation you have medical issues, can't complete the PFT, etc. Would you be required to payback all of your salary, schooling, etc.? Would they make you pay back the rest of your service at a VA hospital?

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[Cooperd0g]

Neither of those would happen. You would likely be kept on active duty as a physician unless you were so broken they just medically retired you.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I understand that with USUHS you owe 7 years to the military after residency. However, what would happen if you complete all of your schooling and residency, then few years into your 7 year obligation you have medical issues, can't complete the PFT, etc. Would you be required to payback all of your salary, schooling, etc.? Would they make you pay back the rest of your service at a VA hospital?

My physician mentor (they hook us up with mil med or former mil med docs to check in with if we need to) graduated from USUHS, did his internship, went into GMO land, then got diagnosed with a chronic medical condition and was med boarded out. He's a civilian physician now.

 

[mountainplayer987]

My physician mentor (they hook us up with mil med or former mil med docs to check in with if we need to) graduated from USUHS, did his internship, went into GMO land, then got diagnosed with a chronic medical condition and was med boarded out. He's a civilian physician now.

You go into all of this hoping to make a career and then something like that comes up out of no where. Well, at least he's doing well now

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

You go into all of this hoping to make a career and then something like that comes up out of no where. Well, at least he's doing well now

Yeah, he's pretty happy. He ended up going into preventative medicine and works in public health.

 

[TheEarDoc]

I understand that with USUHS you owe 7 years to the military after residency. However, what would happen if you complete all of your schooling and residency, then few years into your 7 year obligation you have medical issues, can't complete the PFT, etc. Would you be required to payback all of your salary, schooling, etc.? Would they make you pay back the rest of your service at a VA hospital?

You would have to be pretty broken to not be able to stay on active duty. Most likely they would put you on profile, keep you CONUS, and keep you working until your contract was up then you would walk out the door.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

You would have to be pretty broken to not be able to stay on active duty. Most likely they would put you on profile, keep you CONUS, and keep you working until your contract was up then you would walk out the door.

There are several chronic conditions that will get you med boarded out.

 

[TheEarDoc]

There are several chronic conditions that will get you med boarded out.

Yes there are many that should get you med boarded out, but I've seen plenty of med professionals in service not be med boarded out. Line officers vs. med officers are not always treated the same.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Yes there are many that should get you med boarded out, but I've seen plenty of med professionals in service not be med boarded out. Line officers vs. med officers are not always treated the same.

Fair enough. It probably depends on service too.

 

[pgg]

I understand that with USUHS you owe 7 years to the military after residency. However, what would happen if you complete all of your schooling and residency, then few years into your 7 year obligation you have medical issues, can't complete the PFT, etc. Would you be required to payback all of your salary, schooling, etc.? Would they make you pay back the rest of your service at a VA hospital?

If the medical issues aren't due to

1) misconduct (e.g. injured in a DUI), or
2) a condition you already had but failed to disclose when you joined

then you'll get a medical evaluation board which will ultimately either

1) allow (require) you to stay on active duty to finish out your obligated service, or
2) medically discharge you, with no repayment due

The system isn't generally malicious or spiteful. Inefficient or indifferent, maybe. If you've done no wrong, you won't be punished. That said, the facts of each case are different.

 

[Kingfisher]

My physician mentor (they hook us up with mil med or former mil med docs to check in with if we need to) graduated from USUHS, did his internship, went into GMO land, then got diagnosed with a chronic medical condition and was med boarded out. He's a civilian physician now.

The likely reason why this doc was able to get boarded out was his GMO status when the issue popped up. Since he was a GMO and had a deficiency in residency completion and board certification, he wasn't much use to Uncle Sam. If he was a board certified Neurosurgeon, had 6 more years on his payback, AND could still function in his specialty....No way he gets off the hook.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

The likely reason why this doc was able to get boarded out was his GMO status when the issue popped up. Since he was a GMO and had a deficiency in residency completion and board certification, he wasn't much use to Uncle Sam. If he was a board certified Neurosurgeon, had 6 more years on his payback, AND could still function in his specialty....No way he gets off the hook.

Yeah. Well he didn’t want to get off the hook. He was actually pretty disappointed. But yeah, you’re definitely right.

 

[armytrainingsir]

Can’t pass PT? They will keep you, but no promotions or other favorable actions.