Pros and Cons about medical military

Dustin, my husband, is a first year med student and an HPSP. I was wondering if you all could give us some pros and cons of being in the military as a Physician. What should we expect in the future years to come, good or bad?
Lauren Clark

[DCJenn]

Expect the unexpected and you'll be fine!

In all seriousness, the military is a unique lifestyle but it can be enjoyable. It can also suck the soul from you and turn you in to a bitter resentful person. And sometimes it can be both wonderful and awful at the same time.

We love it- but we have been extremely lucky in that we haven't been sent to any major s**tholes either. My husband is a USUHS grad so we owe 7 after training- which means since he was enlisted prior to USUHS, he'll be eligible for retirement by the time he's finished with the payback. So, for us, there's no choice except to make it the best experience possible.

You'll read about lots of positives and negatives on this site- my best advice is to be prepared for a lot of change, and remember that as much as you might want to- you really have no control over your life at all.

Jenn

[mommax3]

This will be quick and probably incomplete, BUT.....

Pros:
higher salary during residency than civilian programs
excellent medical insurance and care, particularly if you are at a large medical center
opportunities for travel
opportunity to serve your country
lack of med school debt
some of your salary is tax-exempted
ability to shop at the commissary, get military discounts when available
no worries about liability insurance -- covered by the military

Cons:
no control over where you live or your work situation
(sometimes) lower salaries than in the civilian sector (dependent on specialty)
no autonomy
no negotiating power
threat of deployment during wartime or peacetime


Remember, we have not yet been out of the military, so I am probably seeing civilian life through rose-colored glasses -- however, it is a fact that most docs get out as soon as they are able and I haven't seen too many begging to come back in! For us, the lack of choice about where we live and the threat of deployment are the biggest things that bug us right now.

Sally

[peggyfromwastate]

Lauren, I can't really comment on the pros and cons of military medicine, since my husband hasn't begun yet. But we did look at this decision very carefully (many older threads go into the details of the pros and cons) and ended up deciding with the military because in the end my husband decided that even if he was in the cilivilian sector, he'd take some kind of military contract at some point because he's always wanted to be part of the military. I don't know if we'll look back on all that as a bad decision, but I'm sure that had he not pursued the military medicine, he would always wonder what his life would have been like.

Another major consideration for us is the health care costs of our own family. That the military will provide health care and prescription drugs with nominal fees is just so awesome and tangible to us. We have significant health care costs each month ($700-$800) and with the military that will drop to below $100. We also have hassels with our insurance company constantly. Also, we keep close tabs on medical malpractice costs and it seems that although these tend to ebb and flow from inexpensive to prohibitive, the future of medical malpractice seems to be toward the more expensive end of the spectrum. My dad (a civilian doc) has been sued several times, and they have all been frivolous but people just want to make a quick buck...

So, we looked at the practical stuff (money, medical insurance, etc.) but it came down to the fact that my husband has always wanted to serve. I finally said, if you always wanted to serve anyway, just do it.

We have a family that will come out to visit us. Plus, we have relatives in all regions of the US. My parents fly and travel a lot, and I know that they will come out to DC to visit us probably 2 or 3 times a year. Then they will probably hope we get based somewhere else so that they can get to know another part of the states. My in-laws don't visit us now, and they live 50 miles away. Even if they happen to be shopping in the town where we live, they don't stop in and visit! : I think it doesn't occur to them. I hope it's not something I did.

At this point, you guys have made the decision. Prepare yourself for the worst (That could be what Sally has been going through lately--- Poor Sally!!) so if the Best (Jenn??? Is that you?) happens you'll feel that much more blessed! Try not to worry too much. Things can change by the time your husband and mine are actually practicing medicine!!! It's a long ways off!

Peggy

My husband has also always wanted to serve in the military, so I as well said go ahead. I think things will all work out, but sometimes I get scared (especially considering my husbands choice of specialty, trauma surgery?). I guess I need to just chill out! Thanks for the words of encouragement!


Lauren