Pathway to specialty not offered by military GME for an HPSP officer

[LTMCUSN]

Does anyone know whether there is a way to fulfill your service obligation by direct commission following a residency that military GME doesn’t offer? - As an example, the Navy has PM&R billets but no PM&R residencies. I imagine the only way for someone would be to finish their commitment as a GMO and then recommission after residency but I couldn’t find any info in the HPSP handbook on it.

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[DeadCactus]

There are deferrals that allow you to attend a civilian residency but, yea, you might have to go the GMO and out route.

 

[j4pac]

PM me and I’d be happy to discuss

 

[John1513]

“Full time out-service” FTOS option

 

[M3_SixSpeed]

Does the navy and army select your residency based on the branch need or do you get to rank the residency of your interest?

 

[SirGecko]

Does the navy and army select your residency based on the branch need or do you get to rank the residency of your interest?

You rank what you want but they only give you what they need.

 

[j4pac]

Does anyone know whether there is a way to fulfill your service obligation by direct commission following a residency that military GME doesn’t offer? - As an example, the Navy has PM&R billets but no PM&R residencies. I imagine the only way for someone would be to finish their commitment as a GMO and then recommission after residency but I couldn’t find any info in the HPSP handbook on it.

I'm one of the many, many people who did Navy HSPS, decided along the way to do PM&R, failed repeatedly to get a spot a Walter Reed, then went the GMO and GTFO route, and did a civilian PM&R residency. PM&R is incredibly overmanned in the Navy. I've known a few people who have managed to land Walter Reed PM&R, but it is very random and they are minority. I'm not sure what they actually do when in the military, as I suspect that the military may not know how to utilize a specialty with an sample size around 10. The good thing right now is that GMO is still an option. But if the GMO and GTFO option ever dries up, those who want to pursue many specialties and subspecialties that are unavailable will be SOL.

 

[DeadCactus]

I'm one of the many, many people who did Navy HSPS, decided along the way to do PM&R, failed repeatedly to get a spot a Walter Reed, then went the GMO and GTFO route, and did a civilian PM&R residency. PM&R is incredibly overmanned in the Navy. I've known a few people who have managed to land Walter Reed PM&R, but it is very random and they are minority. I'm not sure what they actually do when in the military, as I suspect that the military may not know how to utilize a specialty with an sample size around 10. The good thing right now is that GMO is still an option. But if the GMO and GTFO option ever dries up, those who want to pursue many specialties and subspecialties that are unavailable will be SOL.

Can GMO and GTFO ever really go away, though? Sure, at the end of the day, the government and the military can do anything it wants. But from a realistic stand-point, residency training extends your military obligation. It would be difficult to force people to do a residency without it counting as payback time. I guess they could make the alternative be to finish your time as a Medical Service Corps officer or something.