Anybody ever try to do BOLC/OBLC as an elective during residency? Is there enough "medicine" during it to qualify as an elective for Family Medicine?
Army BOLC as a Residency Elective
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I have known residents go to BOLC mid-training in lieu of electives in order to prevent or move up a late graduation from residency. However, you need to understand, there's no medicine going on at BOLC. That is unless you count the weekend EtOH self-medication that's required to make it through BOLC.
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You could make the argument that it is systems-based practice.
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It's not practice at all. My medical school was very specific that you need to treat patients in some capacity for it to count as an elective.
I just mentioned this in another thread, but you might have some luck pitching BOLC as a "reading elective" or "didactic elective." Some schools give you a certain number of weeks in which you have allocated time to do study-based electives in which you don't work with patients (4 weeks of Public Health, etc.). You might be able to get BOLC to count towards this.
I just mentioned this in another thread, but you might have some luck pitching BOLC as a "reading elective" or "didactic elective." Some schools give you a certain number of weeks in which you have allocated time to do study-based electives in which you don't work with patients (4 weeks of Public Health, etc.). You might be able to get BOLC to count towards this.
Am I missing something? Is BOLC now a requirement before graduating FYGME or residency, or can you still just get it TDY en-route to your 1st utilization assignment?
If you can graduate residency without it, DO NOT waste time doing BOLC in lieu of a clinical rotation. C4, MMCBC, and MEIR, however, have some clinical relevance/offer CMEs and are considered acceptable (sometimes mandatory) electives.
If you can graduate residency without it, DO NOT waste time doing BOLC in lieu of a clinical rotation. C4, MMCBC, and MEIR, however, have some clinical relevance/offer CMEs and are considered acceptable (sometimes mandatory) electives.
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At least as of a few years ago, it appeared to be specialty dependent. For my specialty, BOLC is still being done TDY en route to one's first post-training assignment, but my BOLC class had a number of people from other specialties who were mid-residency (between PGY-1 and 2) or en route to more training (both fellowship and PGY-2 positions). It's clear there has been a push from big Army to get this done ASAP. I can only assume that it's the specific RRC committee requirements that either permit and preclude it mid-training. It would seem that if your training is interrupted for any reason (e.g. a PCS or moving from TY internship to residency), then they're free to send you to BOLC and you're forced to graduate late. I definitely agree that it's not worth doing it during GME if it can be avoided, unless you have a particular set of circumstances where it would force you to graduate late and such a delay would have unusually deleterious effects.
Makes sense as BOLC/OBC is required before an officer can be deployed in combat. Perhaps there were too many MC officers who were deployment ineligible because they hadn't gone to the course. I had a colleague who ETS'd last year who completed her residency and her HPSP ADSO without attending BOLC or deploying. I know of another on my post who recently got yanked out of clinic to complete the course.
I guess I was not clear why I was asking this question in the first place. I am Army Reserve in FM residency. I have an employment contract and a tentative start date. If at all possible I would like to get OBLC/BOLC completed by the end of residency so I will not be asking for a month off (or a month delay) just as I start my new job. Any thoughts?
