OK, I was wounded in Iraq n 2007 and retired permanently with head injury, shrapnel, hip/shoulder etc in 2010. I lost EVERYTHING career-wise. DO NOT GO INTO THE ARMY UNLESS YOU ARE OK WITH GOING INTO A COMBAT ZONE. 99.9% of all military docs are Reservists! You do only 90 days on deployments--barely getting your feet wet and not 'getting' anything there unless you sacrifice and stay...I did the full 15 month rotations because I was NOT in private medicine, was single, and could afford to stay and they needed me BADLY. Back then we took more convoys--now we fly--much safer!
I have absolutely no regrets except loss of my medical career (permanent retired license now). I saw more trauma then several careers worth and I'm alive. But I was 53 years old. I could handle trauma and death w/o PTSD but DO have combat stress (uncomfy in crowds, restaurants etc)...BUT, I lost many medics and friends and afterwards even more to suicide. The things I know/saw/had to do would nightmare/ vomit most. (Ex civilians, 20, burned, no treatment available in Iraq, told to discharge them, too burned (75%)--morphine drips for 10. Those released were doomed to die of sepsis or be killed if Sunni (Shia hospital) Could you do it? and NOT have nightmares?
PLEASE do not go into military medicine unless you are well aware of this. Family? NO. Private career? NO!(90 days max and they will ask you to extend... and even 90 days gone has patients leaving...)
Training wise it is STELLAR for ortho and surgery because of al the trauma in theatre...and military medicine is ahead of the rest of the pack surgical, trying anything that works over there...years before it will ever see mainstream.
ps-Navy/Air Force had it safer/easier than Army as their bases are in green zones. They are smaller and take better care of their people too. (I loved Army life but I'm an athletic surfer girl and could 'keep up')
