Opinion PSedrishMD: Air Force HPSP?

Pre-Med & Medical School Careers in Medicine
1

<p>So wow,</p>

<p>As some of you may know, I love UMKC Med to pieces. Unfortunately, it just happens to be the second most expensive medical school in the nation. Out of state tuition gets up to about $75,000 a year and I believe that I am rounding down... I do have scholarships to pay for almost half of this, but still... the injustice of it all. :)</p>

<p>Despite the way that I have started this discussion, money is not the only reason that I would possibly join the Air Force. I believe that a career in the Air Force would be an amazing experience for pretty much the same reason most Air Force members would say: serving the country, serving those who serve our country, travel, benefits, training... etc. </p>

<p>In fact, I have even asked myself, "If school would be totally free for you Melody would you still want to join?" So far, my answer is still yes.</p>

<p>The point I am getting to I suppose is that I am afraid I have too much positive information about HPSP (Health Professions Scholarship Program) and life as and Air Force doctor. I need to hear both sides of the story before I commit yet another 8 year chunk of my life. </p>

<p>For those of you who are unfamiliar with the HPSP, it is a military scholarship. You are in the reserves during med school commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. Upon graduation you are promoted to Captain and are chosen to complete either a civilian or military residency. After residency, you then must serve on active duty for as many years as the program paid for your education (for me, the last 4 years of the 6 year program).</p>

<p>In my case, I plan on applying for an internal medicine residency. I heard that the Wilford Hall Air Force Base Hospital ranks 3rd in the nation for internal medicine, so this is also a major incentive for me. Yes, I know a “good” residency depends more on how much you put in to it as opposed to rank, but I also plan on doing a cardiology fellowship eventually… (maybe even interventional cardiology after that) and I know how competitive that is to pursue…. I am an ambitious little dreamer! :) </p>

<p>So PSedrish, I would greatly appreciate any opinions you have on military medicine, especially some cons. I come from a military town right by Scott Air Force base… not hearing too many bad things about Air Force life from home. :) </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p>I have been a rheumatology provider for Keesler AFB in Biloxi, MS. for 10 years (when they have a rheum on base, I see only dependent personnel, when there is no rheum, I see active duty as well). I know lots of the AF docs and I know a lot about their lifestyle.
In general, they are well trained, well treated, well paid, well travelled and well thought of by their civilian colleagues. There was a time when civilian docs made twice what they made, but that's no longer the case. In addition, their gov't benefits, most especially their retirement plan, is aces.
My wife and I have both come to the conclusion that were we to do it over again, we would both do it though the military.</p>

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<p>When you say you see active duty, what exactly does that include? Although most of my friends from home are in the Air Force, my family is not. Besides the normal medical responsiblities of a doctor, what else would I be required to do?</p>

<p>I am still struggling to try to create a well wounded picture of an air force physician's life before a recruiter hands me his/her sugar coated version of the story. :)</p>

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<p>i'm interested in military med too, but i don't really want to leave my family for extended periods of time... or take the mcats. lol</p>

<p>just a few informative links...
<a href="http://www.acponline.org/journals/impact/summer2004.htm#mm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.acponline.org/journals/impact/summer2004.htm#mm&lt;/a>
<a href="http://www.nejmjobs.org/resource_center/Military_Physician_Careers.asp%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nejmjobs.org/resource_center/Military_Physician_Careers.asp&lt;/a>
<a href="http://www.healthpolitics.com/program_transcript.asp?p=prog_61%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.healthpolitics.com/program_transcript.asp?p=prog_61&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>Yeah I've been to some of those links but others I have not... so thanks! :D</p>

<p>If you are in certain BS/MD programs you don't have to take the MCAT... but I still don't know if it's right for me... which means I shouldn't sign my life away just yet. :)</p>

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<p>My name is Maj Young, and I'm a family practice doc in the Air Force under the HPSP scholarship. I've served 3.5 years, and initially joined for patriotic reasons. It was one of the worst decisions I have ever made. We are ordered around by sadistic nurses, and are treated like absolute slaves. All of the fellow docs feel as I do, and not one of the 22 FP docs I know are staying in past our initial commitment. It is the worst run organization I have ever experienced. So join if you like slavery, leaving your family for 6 months of the year, and being treated like a 17 year-old just out of high school. I assure you that you will regret it.</p>

<p>Try the national health corp or just go in debt. I wish I did.</p>

<p>Maj Young, MD</p>

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<p>EVERY one of us here at my station is desperate to get out. Good luck with your plans. there are some good things. You get the opportunity to care for some great folks, have fairly good work hours, and some fair locations to be in. If you ask most primary care managers, they will almost always give my same opinion. You're still young and naive, so I don't expect you to know about any of this...yet. You'll soon learn. I too was gung-ho for the military and joined ONLY for patriotic reasons. I've earned several prestigious awards as a doc in the AF, so I'm not some rogue renegade that is lazy and will do anything to get out. I just ask that you talk to some docs before you state how grand things will be in the military. I wish you the best.</p>