monthly income as an intern in WRAMC

[p1asmid]

I would like to know net take home monthly total income as a pgy1 at WRAMC.... i have heard varying numbers from 70k to 80k/yr . Does it matter if you have a dependents or not? I'm looking at condos in the area and 3bdrm condos are around ~2500/month... which may be too expensive for me.

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[GeoLeoX]

it depends. military pay is a matter of public record and it helps to know what you should expect to see in your paycheck. your BAH will be different if you have dependents. in the example below if you have dependents your BAH will be 2433/mo. unlike your base and special pays BAH is not taxed. i would advise you not to pay much more than your BAH in rent, but $2500 looks pretty close to $2433. i always try to find a rent/mortgage for less than the total allowance, but that's my opinion.

Assuming you are an O-3 with less than 2 years and no dependents you will likely see:

Base pay:3,660.60
BAS:was 223.04, i haven't seen what it is for 2010 but it should be a smidge higher
BAH:2148.00
VSP: $100 for interns

That's 6131.64/mo then you have to pay:

Federal Taxes (figure around 5%)
State Taxes (if you decide that you live in a state with taxes, but let me tell you that there are plenty that don't - FL, TX, WA, among others).
Soc. Sec
Medicare
SGLI (life insurance)
TSP (if you decide to invest)

Overall assume you don't get to keep around 10% which would leave you with around $5500/mo.

 

[backrow]

If you are worried about how much to pay for rent go with the advice above and look at your BAH and then find something up to a few hundred dollars less.

I've ranged from paying $300 a month more than BAH to paying around $400 less than BAH and it sure does feel better to pay less than BAH.

Take some time to look around at the rental market for around the BAH rate and a few hundred less and you will likely find something that works well for you. Don't forget to look at location if going to WRAMC, the areas immediately surrounding are a bit suspect, but you can find decent stuff not too far away.

 

[GeoLeoX]

Also to consider when going to WRAMC is that if your residency requires you spend time at NNMC (or WRNNMC or whatever it is) or Ft. Belvoir you may want to look at areas that may be more advantageous to get to both.

 

[Slevin]

Quick question on TSP

Does the government match funds if you invest into the TSP?

 

[GeoLeoX]

Quick question on TSP

Does the government match funds if you invest into the TSP?

nope. but it is taken from your pre-tax income.

 

[GeoLeoX]

oops duplicate

 

[p1asmid]

thanks for the replies. do you guys think it is advisable to buy a home or rent? $2500/month is a lot of money for renting. I will be in walter reed for next 5 years.

 

[GeoLeoX]

this is one of the best times ever to buy a house - low mortgage rates, 1st home buyers credit, high inventory. that's probably going to change shortly when the government stops buying mortgage-backed securities and the tax credit expires. in addition rates will likely go up. especially if you are going to be there for 5 years.

 

[psychbender]

this is one of the best times ever to buy a house - low mortgage rates, 1st home buyers credit, high inventory. that's probably going to change shortly when the government stops buying mortgage-backed securities and the tax credit expires. in addition rates will likely go up. especially if you are going to be there for 5 years.

I bought a 2-bedroom condo in Rockville last year, and even putting $300 extra toward my principle, my mortgage is still under my BAH.

 

[Nylesor]

Some sources that might be useful

http://www.ahrn.com/ Automated Housing Referral Network (what the housing offices give out)

and

The USUHS Student Spouses club also lists other places as well.
http://www.usuhs.mil/ssc/housing.html

 

[jsmittyund03]

Be very careful where you end up buying/renting. As someone who grew up there and will be returning after my internship, DC traffic is not something to scoff at. The Silver Spring commute to WRAMC is not as easy as the map portrays, and it's even worse to Behesda Naval.

 

[GeoLeoX]

I used to live in Wheaton where my commute to WRAMC via car would take between 8 minutes (perfect conditions with lights still blinking yellow on Georgia, straight down Georgia to 16th) to 15 minutes (more common). Back home again could take 25 minutes or so. Going to NNMC was actually easier traffic-wise but took 20 minutes because I took back roads (PLyers Mills to Connecticut to Summit to Cedar).

Alternatively to WRAMC from Wheaton:

Via train - 10 minute walk to Wheaton station, 15 minute train to Silver Spring, 15 minute walk/bus to WRAMC (could go all the way to Takoma Park, too).

Via bus - 10 minute walk to Wheaton station, 35-40 minute (2 busses) to WRAMC.

Via bike - 30 minutes bike (back way past Forest Glen annex).

To NNMC from Wheaton:
Via car - 40 minutes MoCo bus from Wheaton Metro stop to Medical Center stop.

via bike - 35 minutes (same route as driving).

I wholeheartedly recommend the Wheaton/Kensington area, affordable (relatively), diverse, interesting, and as you can see pretty close to where you would need to go.

 

[p1asmid]

so would anyone recommend living in northern va? like mclean, tysons corner, oakton? my wife likes the schools / shopping/ suburban lifestyle there. I just don't want a long commute.

 

[GeoLeoX]

so would anyone recommend living in northern va? like mclean, tysons corner, oakton? my wife likes the schools / shopping/ suburban lifestyle there. I just don't want a long commute.

to me nova is a horror beyond horrors. tyson's corners is not a town - it's a mall. it's also where all bad urban planners are sent instead of hell. to each his own i guess. i know of people who have lived there and liked it. however, they also couldn't go home between 4 & 7pm or else they would sit on the beltway for over an hour.

to the poster who thought SS traffic is bad - what do you think of nova?

 

[NavyFP]

so would anyone recommend living in northern va? like mclean, tysons corner, oakton? my wife likes the schools / shopping/ suburban lifestyle there. I just don't want a long commute.

NoVa to NNMC is not too bad. Going in the morning (getting there by 7) is painless and about 30min from Fairfax. Going home (at 4-4:30) takes 45min (standard) to 3 hours (multi car accidents). It depends on the number of idiots between you and home. As an intern, you will go home around 6 and that will be a little worse. Add a little time for WRAMC as well.

Montgomery Co has good schools, shopping, suburban lifestyle as well.

 

[deegs]

As an intern, you will go home around 6

I WISH!!

 

[pgg]

I WISH!!

Depends on what kind of intern you are ...

I did my internship at NNMC before the 80 hour/week limit was imposed, and even then I'd guess at least half of the year I was done well before 6 PM on non-call days. Every outpatient rotation, every elective.

 

[NavyFP]

Depends on what kind of intern you are ...

I did my internship at NNMC before the 80 hour/week limit was imposed, and even then I'd guess at least half of the year I was done well before 6 PM on non-call days. Every outpatient rotation, every elective.

80 hour work week does push leaving time earlier, and yes, it depends on the rotation.

 

[Eggoth]

Hey, I'll be moving to the DC area this spring. Does anyone live in areas around Germantown, Gaithersburg, Montgomery?? If so how is the commute to NCC from these areas?

 

[Ziehl-Neelsen]

Hey, I'll be moving to the DC area this spring. Does anyone live in areas around Germantown, Gaithersburg, Montgomery?? If so how is the commute to NCC from these areas?

The 270 from northern montgomery county suburbs is a horror beyond horrors in the morning and evening. About as far north as most of my fellow residents live is Rockville. The ones that bought in Germantown not only took horrendous baths on their homes, but also endured minimum hour commutes (with the occasional 3 hour commute due to multiple accidents).

 

[GeoLeoX]

Hey, I'll be moving to the DC area this spring. Does anyone live in areas around Germantown, Gaithersburg, Montgomery?? If so how is the commute to NCC from these areas?

i totally agree with ZN (for a change!). think hard about it. i know that it appears new, affordable, and pretty in Gaitherburg/Germantown (and I presume you mean Montgomery Village?) from pictures on the internet and when you look at a map you think to yourself "that's not too far". but it is. i am a big fan of public transportation (which the gubmint will pay you to take) and living that far out is difficult. i know people who lived up there and liked it, but as stated above they sure didn't like it when they had to sell the townhouse they bought for $500k for $300k five years later. i, too, wouldn't look further out than Rockville if you are considering MoCo. Same goes for the folks who live up 95 (Laurel, Burtonsville). The traffic south on 95 in the am and north in the PM is terrible. though you can take back roads to Georgia Ave.

 

[pgg]

How soon will WRAMC be closing and moving to the NNMC/USUHS campus? That might factor into where I'd choose to live if I was looking at a NCC slot.

 

[GeoLeoX]

How soon will WRAMC be closing and moving to the NNMC/USUHS campus? That might factor into where I'd choose to live if I was looking at a NCC slot.

not soon enough. actually, i don't know if you'll find someone who will give you a hard date. some services are already there, some may be there by this summer, some later. another thing to consider is whether your residency will have rotations at the new hospital at Ft. Belvoir (if you are Army). that's a commuting nightmare!

 

[pgg]

not soon enough.

I may fly out for the bulldozing ceremony and sprinkle some salt on the earth. Closure and all that.

 

[Ziehl-Neelsen]

How soon will WRAMC be closing and moving to the NNMC/USUHS campus? That might factor into where I'd choose to live if I was looking at a NCC slot.

The hard date quoted by all the propaganda is September 2011. At that time, all services at WRAMC will supposedly cease and all departments will have moved to WRNMMC (though certain departments will have already completely relocated).

The state department will be inheriting the WRAMC campus. Ironically, building 2 (the hospital) will be the only major building that will be bulldozed. Everything else can either be converted into usable space or is protected as a national landmark.