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- Sep 23, 2005
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So, I've been reading alot of your forums, talked to one or two people in town and at my school, and everyone here pretty much agrees that AF is not the way to go in any instance, and HPSP is not a fun thing to do, either.
I've never considered the AF or the Army (sorry for those that are in and like it, you just never appealed to my baser instincts) and after 10 years as a Marine, decided being a grunt wasn't as fun as it was 10 years ago. I left after a particularly bad experience with an unbelievably incompetent set of senior SNCOs who, rather than look out for the little guys (me and my Marines), would rather bust anyone down a notch for trying to do their job. (It's a long story, and is out of the scope of a discussion here.) Suffice to say, my OPSO (I was in the S3 at the time) and my XO persuaded me to use my head for something other than a target for the SgtMajs size 8.5 boot.
So, here I am a 30 year old junior in Exercise Physiology/ Pre-Med with about a 3.5-ish GPA, taking the MCAT next year and hoping to matriculate in '07 to med school. Sorry to ramble, but a bit of background can go a long way, I think.
My questions are primarily for those that are Navy docs (or have been, or have worked closely with). The plan (as it currently stands) is to finish my undergrad and go to medical school, and then on to the Navy. But plans always change, and I would solicit opinions, stories and advice in general about being an MD/DO in the Navy. (No need for bad sea-stories, I already have one or two of my own, thank you.)
Has anyone had a positive experience being a physician in the military, specifically the Navy? (Xmilmd, you have to have at least ONE thing to say, don't you?) I am most interested in UMOs and their experiences, how they got in, what they do, why they still do it; but I would greatly appreciate any thoughts from those of you who know what it's like when the Bosun says "fresh water secured until next week" or the ships store runs out of Cup-O-Noodles....
Based on the experiences of those who post here and the (very, very) few prior-service physicians I've been able to talk to around town here, I will not be going the HPSP route, and if/when I do put on a uniform again it'll be via the FAP. Being a GMO just doesn't sound like it'd be any kind of fun.
I've never considered the AF or the Army (sorry for those that are in and like it, you just never appealed to my baser instincts) and after 10 years as a Marine, decided being a grunt wasn't as fun as it was 10 years ago. I left after a particularly bad experience with an unbelievably incompetent set of senior SNCOs who, rather than look out for the little guys (me and my Marines), would rather bust anyone down a notch for trying to do their job. (It's a long story, and is out of the scope of a discussion here.) Suffice to say, my OPSO (I was in the S3 at the time) and my XO persuaded me to use my head for something other than a target for the SgtMajs size 8.5 boot.
So, here I am a 30 year old junior in Exercise Physiology/ Pre-Med with about a 3.5-ish GPA, taking the MCAT next year and hoping to matriculate in '07 to med school. Sorry to ramble, but a bit of background can go a long way, I think.
My questions are primarily for those that are Navy docs (or have been, or have worked closely with). The plan (as it currently stands) is to finish my undergrad and go to medical school, and then on to the Navy. But plans always change, and I would solicit opinions, stories and advice in general about being an MD/DO in the Navy. (No need for bad sea-stories, I already have one or two of my own, thank you.)
Has anyone had a positive experience being a physician in the military, specifically the Navy? (Xmilmd, you have to have at least ONE thing to say, don't you?) I am most interested in UMOs and their experiences, how they got in, what they do, why they still do it; but I would greatly appreciate any thoughts from those of you who know what it's like when the Bosun says "fresh water secured until next week" or the ships store runs out of Cup-O-Noodles....
Based on the experiences of those who post here and the (very, very) few prior-service physicians I've been able to talk to around town here, I will not be going the HPSP route, and if/when I do put on a uniform again it'll be via the FAP. Being a GMO just doesn't sound like it'd be any kind of fun.
