<p>I want to serve my country, but i turned down the Naval Academy because i didnt want my doctors practice to be just in the military. Does anyone know what it's like for a physician in the reserves? or more specifically a surgeon? I'm just looking for information and doing some research on the subject. thanks to anyone who can help...</p>
<p>This probably won't do much to answer your question, but there was an article in Newsweek, maybe 6 months ago, about a Navy Doctor (I'm not sure if he was a reservist) who recieved a bronze star; it was a pretty good story.</p>
<p>Your experience will vary depending on where you do your reserve drills. I spent a lot of my active duty career at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. For the weekend drills, there were two days of scheduled surgery involving just the reserve unit. The unit had there own surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and technicians. They did strictly outpatient procedures.
Their two week Annual Training was usually spent at Bethesda working along with the Active Duty docs.
In long periods of peacetime, many Reservists can spend all their time doing their drills and Annual Training without being called to active service. This clearly WASN'T the case with the first Persian Gulf war when large numbers of doctors, especially the wartime specialists were called to active duty for 7 months or more. The recruiters don't emphasize this part of the bargain. I have been out of the Navy for over four years and I don't know firsthand how the current situation has affected the Reserves. Another poster may know.
IMHO, attending the Naval Academy, or any service school, as a path to becoming a physician is best for someone who is seriously considering a career in military practice. MANY, MANY, MANY service academy grads also attend the Uniformed Service University of the Health Sciences. The payback for both practically gets you a career.
I hope you didn't misunderstand what is involved in military practice and think that all your patients are active duty. During my career, the age range of my patients went from fetuses still in utero to 90+ years old.</p>