Worrisome presentation

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Thyroid Storm
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Has anyone else been forced to go to that presentation on med corp career progression by a big wig med corp colonel and HRC? I was forced to go to it recently and it was pretty scary how out of touch he was.

The colonel (who is an FP doc) went on and on about how we need more specialists and surgeons doing operational medicine like brigade surgeon tours. And he also stated how it important it was we try and go out and do "adventure training" like dive school and EFMB. Then he literally made fun of physicians who didn't want to go to ILE because they "thought clinic was so important" (he said that last part in a funny voice).

Naturally he never mentioned issues like skill erosion. It's just pretty scary to see the mindset of the med corps leadership up close. The future of the med corps just keeps looking worse and worse.

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I didn't attend, but it sounds like the same presentation was given at my MTF awhile ago. Maybe this is all a function of contraction and the same sort of nonsense happened during the Clinton-era. Either way, the people behind the wheel appear hell bent on running what's left of milmed into the ground. It's gotten so bad in just the last six months that I know people who are getting out at 13-14 years because they just can't stomach staying to retirement. And some of these people are well beyond their initial ADSO, so that speaks to how much worse things have gotten just in the last few years since they signed their latest MSP contract.
 
Has anyone else been forced to go to that presentation on med corp career progression by a big wig med corp colonel and HRC? I was forced to go to it recently and it was pretty scary how out of touch he was.

The colonel (who is an FP doc) went on and on about how we need more specialists and surgeons doing operational medicine like brigade surgeon tours. And he also stated how it important it was we try and go out and do "adventure training" like dive school and EFMB. Then he literally made fun of physicians who didn't want to go to ILE because they "thought clinic was so important" (he said that last part in a funny voice).

Naturally he never mentioned issues like skill erosion. It's just pretty scary to see the mindset of the med corps leadership up close. The future of the med corps just keeps looking worse and worse.

didn't anyone say anything? i would have absolutely no problem asking a few questions-- tactfully, of course.

the root of the problem is that leadership positiosn in the amedd are now given to people who have advanced their careers on the op side and not the clinical side. so of course they are going to be biased-- they haven't experienced real medicine since residency.

--your friendly neighborhood vocal but restrained caveman
 
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Sad. Broken system run by clueless, non-clinical people who would be eaten alive in the world of real civilian medicine. Get out as soon as you can and please speak with prospective med students and inform them not to sign-up for this "smoke and mirrors" scholarship. The only way we can enact change is to completely gut the medical corps of future physicians. Our leadership led by our nurse surgeon will certainly never see the light.

Out in '14.
 
Has anyone else been forced to go to that presentation on med corp career progression by a big wig med corp colonel and HRC? I was forced to go to it recently and it was pretty scary how out of touch he was.

The colonel (who is an FP doc) went on and on about how we need more specialists and surgeons doing operational medicine like brigade surgeon tours. And he also stated how it important it was we try and go out and do "adventure training" like dive school and EFMB. Then he literally made fun of physicians who didn't want to go to ILE because they "thought clinic was so important" (he said that last part in a funny voice).

Naturally he never mentioned issues like skill erosion. It's just pretty scary to see the mindset of the med corps leadership up close. The future of the med corps just keeps looking worse and worse.

Haven't seen it, but I've certainly seen presentations and Powerpoint-by-email stuff like it. It's no surprise that the O6 never-in-clinic physician who chose the admin and adventure summer camp route thinks that admin work and time pretending to be a combat jockey in the field are more important than clinical work. Disappointing, but not new and no surprise.

My favorite was a presentation maybe 7 or 8 years ago that presented polling data, in which the top concerns of military physicians were pay, support staff, deployment inequities, and skill atrophy ... and a couple slides later, the presenter concluded that what was REALLY driving physicians away was a lack of career mentorship from senior physicians.
 
Haven't seen it, but I've certainly seen presentations and Powerpoint-by-email stuff like it. It's no surprise that the O6 never-in-clinic physician who chose the admin and adventure summer camp route thinks that admin work and time pretending to be a combat jockey in the field are more important than clinical work. Disappointing, but not new and no surprise.

My favorite was a presentation maybe 7 or 8 years ago that presented polling data, in which the top concerns of military physicians were pay, support staff, deployment inequities, and skill atrophy ... and a couple slides later, the presenter concluded that what was REALLY driving physicians away was a lack of career mentorship from senior physicians.

Agreed. These O-6 physicians (FM, psych, peds) who occupy in non-clinical position AND see zero patient....should not even get bonuses (ASP, ISP etc...) Is it just me but most of these commanders are FP...

Military community tend to think that all physicians are competent once you graduate medical school and residency. Doctors know who are competent...and who are clueless...
 
Has anyone else been forced to go to that presentation on med corp career progression by a big wig med corp colonel and HRC? I was forced to go to it recently and it was pretty scary how out of touch he was.

The colonel (who is an FP doc) went on and on about how we need more specialists and surgeons doing operational medicine like brigade surgeon tours. And he also stated how it important it was we try and go out and do "adventure training" like dive school and EFMB. Then he literally made fun of physicians who didn't want to go to ILE because they "thought clinic was so important" (he said that last part in a funny voice).

Naturally he never mentioned issues like skill erosion. It's just pretty scary to see the mindset of the med corps leadership up close. The future of the med corps just keeps looking worse and worse.

Just more crap from above!!

A conclusion early in my career was the following. Colonel "So and So" who is in charge of "whatever" at say Walter Reed, MECOM, OTSG or any other various high and mighty position, who has been "practicing medicine" for 20+ years, that we all bow down to whenever they enter the room, where celestial lights from God himself beam down from the heavens and follow the person wherever they walk, the person we fear to even go against their ideas, etc etc. Well that person is-------------

A big fat nobody if they walked down the street to GWU, Johns Hopkins etc. Sometimes making that 0-6 mark and being in charge of something "important" is the only way to validate their ego. Otherwise, they'd just be another lemming in the community rushing toward the cliff having to actually see and take care of patients to make a living.
 
And he also stated how it important it was we try and go out and do "adventure training" like dive school and EFMB.

I'd sign up for the military after residency if they guaranteed schools like dive school.
 
I'd sign up for the military after residency if they guaranteed schools like dive school.

There's a school that'll accept your Visa card and teach you to dive within rock chucking distance of just about every body of water in the United States. ;)


If you want to be a dive med officer and do that particular job, that's a good reason to sign up.

If you joined after residency, you'd have to do a staff tour first, but you could absolutely apply for a DMO spot, and you'd get one. More or less guaranteed, provided you're physically qualified. They'd snatch up a board certified applicant. Though you may be ineligible for ISP during those years, if you're not in primary care and not practicing in your specialty.
 
didn't anyone say anything? i would have absolutely no problem asking a few questions-- tactfully, of course.

the root of the problem is that leadership positiosn in the amedd are now given to people who have advanced their careers on the op side and not the clinical side. so of course they are going to be biased-- they haven't experienced real medicine since residency.

--your friendly neighborhood vocal but restrained caveman

It would have been hard for me to remain tactful when asking such questions. But I think most doctors in the military don't want to stick their necks out. Better to just keep your head down and get out ASAP.
 
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