1. Surrounded by conservatives. I won't have to feel like a reprehensible human being just because I believe in that destroying fetuses is wrong.
this is your #1. dear god. the military may have a higher percentage of right wing christian gun nuts in the combatant units but the population of doctors tends to be more centrist. surrounding yourself in an echo chamber is rarely a good idea, but I must admit I give you points for being the first person to use this as a "pro" for HPSP. is this "destroy fetus" belief based on a human rights sort of thing? because the military has a track record of killing all sorts of people, of which there are a measureable number of innocent civilians. fetuses typically turn into kids, then adults, but I find most anti-abortion conservatives don't place the same value on the end result of the fetus when it looks or believes differently than they do.
2. Serving my country. For all of its faults, America is still the greatest country on Earth and I am proud of my country.
serving your country-- legit reason. "greatest country on earth"-- fits with your #1. depends on what you are defining as great. health care? wealth inequality? access to birth control (dovetailing with your #1, since you appear to be vehemently anti-abortion). defense spending-- definitely.
3. Net positive money from here on out. This means that I don't have to feel guilty for any little thing that I spend my money on. As long as there's money left in the bank, I'm good. For someone like me who knows next to nothing about finances, this is huge. It's basically giving me 10+ years of my life back to stop worrying about finances.
as long as you have money, you're good. but you admit you know next to nothing about finances. where's my facepalm meme?
4. Adventure. The possibility of deploying some place cool (Italy, Japan, etc.). If not, I'll at least have the money to go on vacations that I wouldn't have been able to go on otherwise as a resident. (I personally wouldn't feel comfortable going on vacations until my debt is paid off).
it's definitely an "adventure" lol. you don't deploy to Italy or Japan. you move there. deployments are traditionally to deserts where if lucky you are bored to death and get in great shape and if unlucky get blown up in an MRAP or hit with a rocket or mortar. vacations-- yes, 30 days of paid annual leave is a pretty cool deal. but civilians get this too (as I recently found out when interviewing for civilian jobs).
5. Seems to be an advantage for residency apps. Look at all the old posts from people who took the GMO and out route. Can't find anyone who says that their military experience was looked on as anything but positive by PD's.
tends to be true.
6. Even once I'm out, it will forever be a networking opportunity for me to get connected with former HPSP'ers.
another unique positive. military service does get some amount of "in" with prior service civilians. however, most civilians aren't prior military, and in most cases the political capital and work experience to make it up the civilian food chain means most military people don't jump ship to the civilian side and instantly become important. so this is true about the same impact as maybe your fraternity/sorority alums would have.
1. A few countries I know of (Korea, Taiwan) require their adult male citizens to serve at least 2 years in the military, and they don't even get anything from it. Meanwhile, I will be getting 4 years of medical school paid for and I will only have to serve 2 more years than those people do. Or you could do the 3 year route and only serve 3 years (1 year more than them)
this is amazing. another one I've never heard. why did you choose korea and Taiwan and not israel or cuba?
** edit ** saw your other thread, you are looking at internship then GMO, which would be intern + 4 so technically 5 years of military time.
2. MD/PhD students get less pay and spend the same amount of time (4 years) doing research. I abhor research. At the very least, 4 years in the military seems much more palatable to me than 4 years doing research.
fascinating. fortunately the military (at least at the non-academic centers, and to a degree the academic centers as well) also abhors research. maybe not abhors but definitely doesn't care.
after 17 years in the forum, I thought I had seen most everything. you just kept me motivated to stay around another 17 lol.
--your friendly neighborhood thought you might be a troll but it's too internally consistent caveman
