Confused About Army Payback

[mommax3]

Shel,

Is Walter Reed the only military hospital that trains people in PM & R? I wouldn't want to live in D.C. either, although I know many people (Jenn, for one!) who love it there. What other locations are possibilities? Does that specialty require an internship year before they can start the residency?

I don't know how much help I can be for scenarios with an internship at one hospital and a residency elsewhere -- OB (DH's specialty) is generally done all at one place, although they are "interns" their first year.

You realize that you may get a civilian residency, even if you want a military one, right? It just depends on how competitive a particular specialty is.

We DID NOT want a military residency, and DH did not even interview with anyone at Wilford Hall or anywhere else military, but they took him anyway, based on his test scores. I have also talked to plenty of people who wanted a military residency, and didn't get one. So a lot of times it is a waiting game.

Sally

Walter Reed is our only choice for PM&R residency. He will have to do an intership or transitional year (whatever you want to call it ). There are only three - I think - PM&R spots in the residency program. We are not opposed to doing civilian.

Sooo, I am just wondering if he doesn't match to that program, does the Army still assign him to a TY (internship) within the Army?

I feel like I have come leaps and bounds in regards to my knowledge about the military, but I still know very little. Do you ever feel like you know everything you need to know?

Thanks again! You all are like a lifeline....

Shel

[DCJenn]

Shel-

First, do not fear DC. For as much as it appears to be a large city, really a lot of it has to do with traffic. If you plan your move and do so with the intention of not having to drive too far than it really can have a small town flavor to it. Of course I was born and raised in the DC 'burbs so I am somewhat biased.

Walter Reed itself is a tiny post. We're planning on living as close to the hospital as possible so that my husband can walk or ride his bike (we're only 6 miles from Fort Sam Houston now!) DC has some hugely expensive areas and some not so. You do get a corresponding increase in pay (BAH- Basic Allowance for Housing) when you live in an expensive area as Jennifer indicated. The suburbs are huge and go on for miles and miles- with some people commuting in from West Virginia. There is a Metro stop not too far from WR and there are shuttles that run often. DC is a pretty commuter friendly town (by necessity) so I have found that as often as not a car can be a hassle when you live in town. It's a requirement to sit in traffic if you live in the 'burbs and I've spent too much time idling in a traffic jam in my life to ever do it on purpose again. But the 'burbs are significantly less expensive- and the further out you go, the cheaper it gets- but you compound that by traffic.

As for the internship/residency thing- most people that we know did both their internship and residency at the same place although Rick knew of a fellow USUHS grad who did her transitional year in San Antonio and then residency in Hawaii. She was general surgery though.

Good luck and post often-

Jenn

PS- NO, you will never know all that there is to know because so much of it depends on who you talk to, when you talk to them, etc.

DH had his meeting with the recruiter last night. It went very well. We had a list of questions and information we had gleened from every source imaginable. I think he was surprised at how much we knew.

Our next step is the physical in two weeks, so we are embarking on a serious weight loss regimen.

Anyhow, I am very excited. I know that some people enter the military in totally different circumstances than we do, and maybe it's because we are asking only for a one-year scholarship, but whatever the reason, I am thrilled!

Oh, and DH is a little nervous because he won't be required to do OBC until AFTER his residency (and then it is a 10-week thingy). He will have no prior introduction to military rules and regulations. Is there somewhere he can learn this before he rotates or does an intership?

Thank you all!

Shel

[mommax3]

The residents where he matches (if he gets an active duty match) will help him get up to speed -- most of the military docs I know did OBC after residency, so your husband will not be the only one. There may be some others here who can reassure you on this one. The purely military things (who to salute, how to salute, stuff about the uniforms) will not be too hard to learn -- he will be able to pick it up in conversations with upper-level residents, etc. The medical stuff will be much more time consuming! There are probably some books he could read too -- it seems like I actually saw a document on line that would be pertinent -- I will look for a link if I get a chance.

Sally

DC Locations

Jenn (and all):

What are the best neighborhoods near Walter Reed to raise a family? I really love a small town feel, and I would really love to live near the hospital. We would be looking to rent. If there isn't anything close, what are my most family friendly options?

Thanks!

Shel

[DCJenn]

Shel-

Probably the best best would be Silver Spring, Takoma Park (both in Maryland, just over the line) or Brightwood, which is the neighborhood that Walter Reed is in. There are someother great small towns in the big town but they cost a lot more than those three. Those three areas are where we're concentrating our efforts as well.

See you there!

Jenn

PS the zipcodes are 20910, 20912 and 20012 respectively- not that I'm addicted to Realtor.com or anything...

Jenn, You are awesome! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Of course, I am starting my search way too early, but I am doing more for comfort than anything else. Everyday D.C. becomes a little bit less "scary."

I appreciate it and will keep you posted, especially come December!

Shel

[peggyfromwastate]

Hi Shel- I haven't posted here in so long because I've been getting ready for a trip back to DC to go house-hunting, of all things. I thought I'd chime in, anyway! My husband is going to USUHS and just starting his military career. With interest rates as low as they are now, we are going to buy a house. With a residency pay plus your BAH and BAS you will have no problem living in DC area, and should be able to pay down some of your debts as well if you're very clever with finances! In our analysis of the DC area, we have decided to live in the 'burbs and let dh commute to the school via metro. We were even considering going so far out that he'd have to take the commuter train. For us, living in a very livable area for me and the kids was priority. From what we've found, the area isn't conducive to living close to the hospital or the campus. We didn't want to rent a small tiny apartment type of deal, and as we come from a rural type of area, we are more comfortable in a more rural type of area than extreme city. Anyway, we are going to look for a house in Gaithersburg, which is where many of the med students at USUHS (and residents at WR) live. This is nice for us b/c it is close to the USUHS campus (subway ride will take about 20 minutes, but who knows how long to the subway...) and it's close to the Walter Reed hospital. Not as close as Silver Spring, which is also pretty affordable, but we didn't want to be that close to the city. Silver Spring is inside the Beltway. Also, for us, schools are important since we have a 7 year old. Gaithersburg has (at least statistically) excellent schools and also is a very safe area with a low crime rate. Anyway, as far as where to live just research the area. You'll find something that you're more attracted to. I had to give up the thought of being close to USUHS or Walter Reed b/c of our family situation and our priority of having a 4 BR place! I figured it's a lot easier for my husband to hassel with commuting into the city for school than it is for me to fight traffic constantly while carpooling and going on basic errands to keep our house running. There is so much information about DC available on line, and we are really excited to be moving to such a vibrant place. It will be hugely different and I can't see us wanting to settle there, but anyway where we live will be pretty much determined by the Army from here on out...

As far as information for your husband regarding military stuff, there is a red paperback book called the Army Officer's Guide or something like that. It's available on Amazon and I think it was recommended by the OBC people, but I'm not sure. It's huge and it's dry but it's got lots of information. My husband is on page 13, I think. But then he's only had it for 3 months. Anyway, I think he'll learn what he needs to at OBC this summer.

Good luck with it all-- it's good that you're getting informed! From our research process, we have found that the more informed people are when they sign the dotted line the more satisfied they are with their military career later on... As a rule...

Peg

Thanks Peggy!

That is great information. We have three children, too. They are 7, 4 and 18 months. I just want a SAFE environment to raise them in. I have never been in Washington, so it seems so scary. But, lately, I have really been looking forward to it.

I told my husband about the book. Thanks!

Maybe we'll meet up in D.C.!

Shel

[peggyfromwastate]

Shel- we just got back from a house-hunting trip out to DC, where we focused primarily on the Gaithersburg/Germantown area. Houses are ridiculously expensive there, but it is definitely a liveable place and I liked it a lot. We tried out the metro during the work days and it was great. We tried out the freeways also during the work week and they weren't that bad. Similar traffic to Seattle, at least! Anyway, we found a couple of nice homes and we are in the process of closing on one. It's a townhouse with enough space for us, and even maybe one more person down the road! I could not believe how many shopping centers there are out there, though! It's sort of the antithesis of Jenn's posts about the armpit of the Mojave desert! Where I live now it takes about 1.5 hours to drive to a decent mall, and that one isn't terrific. But we do have a Target..

Anyway, back on point-- we loved Gaithersburg and are excited about moving out there now that we've seen the area. There is so much to do, and the museums are free (so we won't feel bad if one of our kids has a breakdown and we have to leave after about 15 minutes), and the zoo is free, too!

Feel free to pm me or post questions on this forum about the area and I'll try to answer as well as possible. Good luck with everything!!!!

It's Official

Well, I haven't been around for months, but I wanted to pop in and say that DH is being commissioned on July 28.

Peggy, thanks for all of the D.C. information. It looks like we are one step closer to Walter Reed.

Shel

[DCJenn]

Welcome, then!

We ended up in SW Washington, DC. My husband is taking the Metro to work everyday which he's really enjoying. Reading the newspaper or his backlog of journals is much more pleasant than fighting traffic. and they pay $300 month to those who agree to use Metro as a primary means of transportation!

Let us know what's going on!

Jenn

The Metro

Wow! $300/month. Now is that because it costs $300/mo to ride the metro/

Shel

[peggyfromwastate]

Shel- Is there an update on your situation!? I have been off the radar for so long, but we are sort of settled in Gaithersburg now, we survived Hurricane (tropical storm : ) Isabel and have our power back on after 2 days! They seem to have power trouble out here. I guess it's because of so many trees, so few trimmers...

Well, since you are interested in living conditions, I can tell you that I've been driving around silver spring and there certainly are mammoth houses there! With mammoth price tags... Out here in Gaithersburg it takes my husband about 45 minutes using Bus and Metro combo to get to USUHS. He does use the $300/quarter metrochek pass, which apparently can be exchanged at certain commuter stores for bus passes or even MARC train passes if that meets your need. Since your husband will be spending most of his time at Walter Reed, it may be nice for you to look into the neighborhoods a bit closer to Walter Reed. With his schedule, the Metro and MARC may not always be available, but we've found that even during rush hour (5-5:30 pm) on the days when my husband drives from Bethesda it usually will only take him 45 minutes. To Gaithersburg from Walter Reed it would probably take much longer, since it's a lot more congested around Walter Reed and the Beltway down there ALWAYS has an accident. ALWAYS. It's amazing.

I'm hoping that my husband can "hit the MARC" as they say during any rotations he may have, b/c the MARC train from Silver Spring to Gaithersburg is only a 17 minute ride!

Anyway, let me know if I can help you at all with any advice on the area. I am no veteran like Jenn!! But I'm learning as I go. It's kind of interesting that we both have 7-year olds, too!

Good luck!

Peggy