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Needanswers
I created a throwaway account for help with this situation as I haven't found a good answer elsewhere and could use some help.
I am currently a 2nd year Internal Medicine resident in the process of being discharged from the national guard and being told there is potential that it will be an other than honorable discharge.
My background is this. My national guard obligation started via ROTC scholarship in college. I was lucky enough to get accepted to a US allopathic med school immediately following college and chose to go into the guard as a non-deployable medical student rather than pursue ed delay or hpsp based on advice from peers as well as this forum. My ROTC experience was complicated by a diagnosis of major depression and being prescribed an SSRI for 6 months. I did report this to my unit and a medical waiver was sent, which eventually got approved but with the caveat that my commissioning to be an officer would be delayed by 6 months following graduation from college so that I would be off the medication long enough. Due to this, I did not attend BOLC the summer following 1st year of medical school as by the time I had commissioned all summer spots had filled, and ultimately did not find a block of time to complete BOLC during the rest of medical school due to step exams and rotations. I had seen other med students and residents put off BOLC indefinitely so I thought it would not be an issue.
Drilling with the guard during medical school was mostly uncomplicated, but issues started following the start of my intern year. I matched into a program in a neighboring state from where I did medical school. I was coded AWOL for missing 2 consecutive drills in early fall without notifying leadership at my old unit. This caught me off guard, as I and other students had missed drill due to weekend call without necessarily notifying the guard leadership and did not get any violations. I spoke with the leadership about this and it was agreed that in the event I could not make drill in the future I could either submit CME credits or split drill with a unit in the state and that we would work on officially transferring me to an in state unit which I had intended to do but residency obligation caught up with me. Did not get further AWOL codes.
Unfortunately, when my unit submitted the paperwork for inter state transfer, someone from state reviewed my case and determined that based on not completing BOLC within 36 months of commissioning and not producing paperwork to start the timer on BOLC over (honestly wasn't even aware I was expected to do this) that I should be discharged. It is apparently too late to just submit that paperwork now. I have been in close contact with my leadership and the character of the discharge is still to be determined by higher but that most soldiers with this situation get an OTH discharge.
Just to clarify, no criminal charges whatsoever, no positive drug screens, no accusations of misconduct. Not attending BOLC is the only reason for the discharge with the 2 AWOL drill periods as secondary, though I was told even if the AWOLs had not happened I would still be discharged. They also say they can help transfer me to the IRR to complete my ROTC obligation after the discharge is final.
I am very confused by all this and my main concern is how I can expect this to affect me going forward when it comes to further work as a physician. I have the opportunity to draft a memo to submit to state describing my side of the situation but was told the likelihood of affecting things is limited, though I still plan to submit anyway.
If it is relevant at all, I am at a decent academic program and I have performed above average on residency evaluations so far and my ambition is to do a fellowship in pulm/critical care following residency or be a hospitalist.
I realize this whole situation is partly my fault for not communicating more frequently with my unit on what I was required to do, but I honestly never dreamed it would lead to being discharged prematurely. Any input you have would be appreciated.
I am currently a 2nd year Internal Medicine resident in the process of being discharged from the national guard and being told there is potential that it will be an other than honorable discharge.
My background is this. My national guard obligation started via ROTC scholarship in college. I was lucky enough to get accepted to a US allopathic med school immediately following college and chose to go into the guard as a non-deployable medical student rather than pursue ed delay or hpsp based on advice from peers as well as this forum. My ROTC experience was complicated by a diagnosis of major depression and being prescribed an SSRI for 6 months. I did report this to my unit and a medical waiver was sent, which eventually got approved but with the caveat that my commissioning to be an officer would be delayed by 6 months following graduation from college so that I would be off the medication long enough. Due to this, I did not attend BOLC the summer following 1st year of medical school as by the time I had commissioned all summer spots had filled, and ultimately did not find a block of time to complete BOLC during the rest of medical school due to step exams and rotations. I had seen other med students and residents put off BOLC indefinitely so I thought it would not be an issue.
Drilling with the guard during medical school was mostly uncomplicated, but issues started following the start of my intern year. I matched into a program in a neighboring state from where I did medical school. I was coded AWOL for missing 2 consecutive drills in early fall without notifying leadership at my old unit. This caught me off guard, as I and other students had missed drill due to weekend call without necessarily notifying the guard leadership and did not get any violations. I spoke with the leadership about this and it was agreed that in the event I could not make drill in the future I could either submit CME credits or split drill with a unit in the state and that we would work on officially transferring me to an in state unit which I had intended to do but residency obligation caught up with me. Did not get further AWOL codes.
Unfortunately, when my unit submitted the paperwork for inter state transfer, someone from state reviewed my case and determined that based on not completing BOLC within 36 months of commissioning and not producing paperwork to start the timer on BOLC over (honestly wasn't even aware I was expected to do this) that I should be discharged. It is apparently too late to just submit that paperwork now. I have been in close contact with my leadership and the character of the discharge is still to be determined by higher but that most soldiers with this situation get an OTH discharge.
Just to clarify, no criminal charges whatsoever, no positive drug screens, no accusations of misconduct. Not attending BOLC is the only reason for the discharge with the 2 AWOL drill periods as secondary, though I was told even if the AWOLs had not happened I would still be discharged. They also say they can help transfer me to the IRR to complete my ROTC obligation after the discharge is final.
I am very confused by all this and my main concern is how I can expect this to affect me going forward when it comes to further work as a physician. I have the opportunity to draft a memo to submit to state describing my side of the situation but was told the likelihood of affecting things is limited, though I still plan to submit anyway.
If it is relevant at all, I am at a decent academic program and I have performed above average on residency evaluations so far and my ambition is to do a fellowship in pulm/critical care following residency or be a hospitalist.
I realize this whole situation is partly my fault for not communicating more frequently with my unit on what I was required to do, but I honestly never dreamed it would lead to being discharged prematurely. Any input you have would be appreciated.
