Wife is a Pediatric ENT, If I Join the Army Through the HPSP How does that Affect Her Career?

[PAinMotion]

As the title above. I am an older premed student starting next fall. My wife is a fellowship trained Peds ENT. I have always wanted to join the Army, and I am looking at the HPSP as a good way to stay in the green during med school. (Prior to this time I was the primary earner in the house with a good salary, and I have a hard time taking all that debt especially with she just getting started as an attending)

If I do this, can you give me some idea about what kind of limitations ( or opportunities) this would bring up for her career?

She likely would want to stay civilian. We want to have kids in the next year too.

Thanks for the insight.

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[TheEarDoc]

As the title above. I am an older premed student starting next fall. My wife is a fellowship trained Peds ENT. I have always wanted to join the Army, and I am looking at the HPSP as a good way to stay in the green during med school. (Prior to this time I was the primary earner in the house with a good salary, and I have a hard time taking all that debt especially with she just getting started as an attending)

If I do this, can you give me some idea about what kind of limitations ( or opportunities) this would bring up for her career?

She likely would want to stay civilian. We want to have kids in the next year too.

Thanks for the insight.

Well she wouldn't have a problem finding PRN work or possible staff positions in most VA's, but it wouldn't be for pediatric ENT though. Most likely she could find a job as an ENT in most postings you would go to for your career or possibly do contract work for the DOD as an ENT. the problem would be if she wanted to go with you she would changing jobs every couple of years unless she could always line up a federal job.

 

[DrMetal]

As the title above. I am an older premed student starting next fall. My wife is a fellowship trained Peds ENT. I have always wanted to join the Army, and I am looking at the HPSP as a good way to stay in the green during med school. (Prior to this time I was the primary earner in the house with a good salary, and I have a hard time taking all that debt especially with she just getting started as an attending)

If I do this, can you give me some idea about what kind of limitations ( or opportunities) this would bring up for her career?

She likely would want to stay civilian. We want to have kids in the next year too.

Thanks for the insight.

It could potentially screw her. Don't do it. Join the reserves instead. You can be a weekend warrior.

 

[DMBandFan86]

As long as she is okay switching jobs when you have to relocate or living apart from you, then do what you want. I would think Pediatric ENT would have to live in a fairly populated area to be successful. Some army bases are not in the best areas.

I agree, the reserves is a decent option, however paybacks can be longer and I recommend choosing a good specialty if you want to make it worthwhile.

Just as with anyone joining the Army with a family, it will create struggles that you otherwise wouldn't have in the civilian world.

 

[Trefoil]

I have a spouse that works, but she isn’t in medicine. She would have to choose to be employed rather than starting her own private practice or buying into a private practice. I’m sure if you lived in a city, it wouldn’t be a huge problem. She could probably find employment at the local pediatric hospital, but it would limit options. Most of the training programs (residency) are located in cities where she could find employment. Assuming, you choose a field that doesn’t increase your time owed, she would have to postpone starting her own private practice for at least four more years (probably 12+years total, 4 during med school, 4ish during residency, and another 4 during payback) but could probably find employment at a local pediatric hospital both during medical school and during residency. The first duty station after residency could be anywhere, so there is a fair possibility that you end up somewhere where she is not practicing very much. This is a lot to ask of your wife if her intent is to continue working. If you have a good consultant, you can make an argument to be stationed in a city but that doesn’t mean you will for sure end up in a place where she can practice.

A lot of people who have children go the USUHS route because the higher pay, but that is a seven year payback. Having children with all of this does toss in a pretty tough variable. Remember that you will be very busy during your third year of medical school and especially during residency (you will not be able to help with childcare), so your wife will probably need some kind of familial support or consistent daycare if she intends to continue working. I have friends that had children during residency, but their wives had to stop working for several months and then came back part time. I imagine she could probably work part time with childcare during your residency years. Just things to consider.

 

[HighPriest]

I was an ENT in the Army. Got out in 2017.

If your wife is happy doing tubes and tonsils, and not peds airway, CI, craniofacial, or anything else that a general ENT couldn’t do just as well, then she’ll be fine.

But most people don’t do a fellowship in peds ENT so that they can turn around and do general ENT.

If you got really, really lucky and ended up at a major MEDCEN, and keep in mind the military doesn’t care much about doing your civilian spouse any favors, then she might be able to find a position at a local children’s hospital. Maybe.

It is unlikely that she would be able to work at the military facility because most of them either already have a pediatric ENT (and nowhere near enough complex peds cases to support them), or the facility is unable to support a peds ENT doc at all. Peds ENT was fairly competitive in the Army, primarily because they didn’t approve it that often because they don’t see it as all that important to blowing people up and because it’s hard to support a peds ENT doc. This means that the people who get those fellowships are usually lifers (or so close it doesn’t matter), and they stick to MEDCENs like white on rice.

The local children’s hospitals are usually short staffed and so if you ended up somewhere near a large metro area with a children’s hospital she might be able to find a job there, but at some point they’re going to find out that you may move every few years, and that’ll hurt her chances a bit compared with someone who wants a career.

Most MTFs are nowhere near someplace where a children’s hospital is on anyone’s mind.

It would be very tough on her career, I would think, and as stated above you should consider the reserves.

Also, if your wife is a pediatric ENT and you’re going in to almost any field of medicine - unless she’s already got crazy debt you’re going to be able to pay any debt you accrue off fairly easily. Unless you’re big, big spenders.

 

[PAinMotion]

I was an ENT in the Army. Got out in 2017.

If your wife is happy doing tubes and tonsils, and not peds airway, CI, craniofacial, or anything else that a general ENT couldn’t do just as well, then she’ll be fine.

But most people don’t do a fellowship in peds ENT so that they can turn around and do general ENT.

If you got really, really lucky and ended up at a major MEDCEN, and keep in mind the military doesn’t care much about doing your civilian spouse any favors, then she might be able to find a position at a local children’s hospital. Maybe.

It is unlikely that she would be able to work at the military facility because most of them either already have a pediatric ENT (and nowhere near enough complex peds cases to support them), or the facility is unable to support a peds ENT doc at all. Peds ENT was fairly competitive in the Army, primarily because they didn’t approve it that often because they don’t see it as all that important to blowing people up and because it’s hard to support a peds ENT doc. This means that the people who get those fellowships are usually lifers (or so close it doesn’t matter), and they stick to MEDCENs like white on rice.

The local children’s hospitals are usually short staffed and so if you ended up somewhere near a large metro area with a children’s hospital she might be able to find a job there, but at some point they’re going to find out that you may move every few years, and that’ll hurt her chances a bit compared with someone who wants a career.

Most MTFs are nowhere near someplace where a children’s hospital is on anyone’s mind.

It would be very tough on her career, I would think, and as stated above you should consider the reserves.

Also, if your wife is a pediatric ENT and you’re going in to almost any field of medicine - unless she’s already got crazy debt you’re going to be able to pay any debt you accrue off fairly easily. Unless you’re big, big spenders.

Thanks for the wisdom. No, we are currently debt free. I think the flexibility of the reserves/ guard might be the way to go if military at all.

Thanks again.

 

[DeadCactus]

Just another vote for Reserve or Guard. It has it's own challenges but you're already talking about managing 2 high-demand professional careers, children, and deployments/training. The home life stability and control of the Guard/Reserve is going to be worth more than the dubious financial benefits of active duty.

 

[Dr. Wexler]

Don't do it. Could (read: probably would) ruin her career or your marriage or both.

 

[armytrainingsir]

Reserve or Guard is really the only way to scratch the itch anymore.