Talk to me about preferences

I think we just received the list in the mail. A large manila envelope arrived from the AFHQ and I think they mentioned that we would receive the choices in September. I am *foaming* at the mouth to open it. And as luck would have it, my DH isn't here!
So what to expect? Is it going to list all of the bases where they have openings for next year?
Talk to me. . .talk to me!

[mommax3]

I don't remember, BUT you are a better woman than me if you wait until your DH gets home to open it. I always figured that if it involves me in any way, I can open it even if it has his name on it. So, anything military is fair game, but for test scores, I need an okay before I rip it open.

Let us know what it is!

How is little Charlotte doing? And her mommy, as well?

Sally

What a disappointment. It contained a letter that instructs us to list our top *20* choices for base assignments. It then says that we might not receive one of those choices depending on the openings. Oh, and they say that we will find out on April 15th. . .but don't go and buy a house or anything because that could change, too! What the @*&(@?!?!? So, basically, you and us both have no clue where we are going? Why even list choices? What are the chances that you get even one of your top ten?
And how do you know which bases have the particular specialties? They just sent a map with dots where all of the bases are located. Errrgh!

Sally: Charlotte is doing wonderful! She is such a precious girl. I don't think I can possibly love her anymore than I do right now! She is smiling all of the time now and even gave me a little laugh the other day! My husband and I are both in love!! How are your boys?

[mommax3]

Ah, yes, it's all coming back to me now......

They probably really don't know yet what openings they have, but they will know more around the first of the year, although things will still be shifting around at that point. The guy that makes the actual assignment is called the assignments officer. I think the guy for surgery handles OB/GYN also. I can't remember his name, but I will ask DH and post a link or two if I can find one. Your husband should contact him (email) after the 1st of the year and see if there is even a tentative list of where the openings are. The assignments officer should be able to give you a list of which bases currently have surgeons --- that does change, but at least he could tell you how it stands right now. I just talked to DH the guy's name is Major Quigley, he does assign surgeons also, he is stationed at Randolph AFB in San Antonio.

I will write more later.....

We got the same letter yesterday too! (along with the official paper from her swearing in ceremony...that happened in Oct 2001!!).

Along with the map and letter there was also a list of base names with lines on the sides. We are not sure if the darkened lines are bases that have pediatrician docs on base or vice versa?! Anyway, should be interesting next few months, doesn't have to returned to them until Dec 1, will be trying to research areas.....all for nothing I am sure, as we will get sent wherever the USAF needs a peds Dr.!!!

[mommax3]

Just remember that I am down here at Sheppard, very lonely......

I am sure that I have complained enough about this place to make you put it WAAAY at the bottom of your list.

Seriously, San Antonio is awesome, if you have no idea how to rank things.

Sally

[mommax3]

Claudia,

Have your husband check the professional organization for his specialty -- for my husband, it is the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. These organizations are usually divided into smaller sections or chapters by state, and ACOG has an "Armed Forces" district with Air Force, Army, and Navy sections. You may be able to get some information from contact people there.

Sally

[mommax3]

Claudia, (and anyone else)

Look at this link http://lukeballard.tripod.com/ASSIGNMEN ... ITIES.html

(it was posted elsewhere in this forum)

This IS NOT entirely accurate, but it may give you an idea and if you really want to know for sure about a certain base, let me know and I will ask DH to try and find out for you.

Good luck as you fill out your preference sheets! A lot of people believe that after we all sweat blood over them, the assignments officers send them straight to the shredder and make assignments with the help of darts and a dartboard.

Do your spouses have to go to OTS?

Sally

No, he doesn't have to do OTS again (thank goodness!)

After looking through the bases, we have a very short list! Most of the bases don't have hospitals (and so do not do surgery?? we are guessing) and/or don't need general surgeons. Thankfully, it is really only the big cities that have surgeons on base and/or a hospital.

Or are we way off here?

[mommax3]

I think you are probably on the right track, but there will be some bases that have a hospital/surgeons that AREN'T in a big city, which is precisely why they have a hospital/surgeons --- because they are too far from a town of any size to have even a civilian hospital to send patients to. Mountain Home, ID is one of these kinds of bases. I wouldn't call where I am a big city AT ALL, but there are general surgeons stationed here.

Feel free to ask about certain bases if you want. We may not have been there, but I bet we could find someone to ask that has.....

Sally

Would be Ok if I ask you too?!?

Don't want to be a bother, just where you may have heard of peds doc truly hating life. I tried to locate some info but haven't been overly successful....kids have a way of pulling you from the computer!

We have no real idea where we would like to go. Not to far North, I can't handle the bitter cold, I am a big wuss!

If it is Ok, I will just post my question here if/when I think of some, alright, Sally(or anyone else who had "military knowledge"!)?

[mommax3]

Yes, please ask away. You won't bother me. Jenn (jloreine) may be able to help you out too, because ~half of her DH's residency mates were Air Force. If my husband doesn't know the answer to something, like I said before, I am sure he knows someone who does know. The Air Force is kind of a small world.

We are friends with one of the pediatricians here, and I don't get the impression that they are hating life too much, other than the routine military crap that you have to put up with. Although there is a hospital on base here, there is no inpatient overnight care, so the pediatricians (and the ob/gyns, and surgeons, for that matter) do all of their inpatient stuff at the civilian hospital in town, which DH counts as a huge bonus. I am sure this is probably true at some other bases, as well.

Randolph AFB in Universal City, TX (San Antonio, for all practical purposes -- it's a suburb) is not part of the teaching programs that are in San Antonio proper. Your wife probably wouldn't do too much inpatient care at all there, since Randolph is only a clinic --- if her patients needed to be hospitalized, they would come under the auspices of the attendings/residents at Wilford Hall. That could be a huge drawback in terms of her feeling like she has kept her skills up, so you should definitely be on the look-out for similar situations throughout the Air Force.

I am happy to help if I can.....I know how it felt when we were trying to figure out how to rank, and DH was even active duty at the time.

Sally

[DCJenn]

Matt-

I can tell you what little we know from my husband's co-workers from residency, if you'd like. We have one friend who's doing the clinic at Randolph, two at Wilford Hall, one in Europe, one couple in Arizona, one in San Angelo, TX, one is suffering mightily in LA (haha). He's got a pretty good familiarity with their issues, etc. There's a huge difference in responsibilities from place to place, depending on size and location. Our friends who went to peds clinics because they're biding their time either until they get out or until they can apply for fellowships- they're generally miserable at the smaller clinics but do well at the bigger clinics where there's more going on. The ones who plan on going in to general peds seem to enjoy the smaller clinics where they don't have to focus on the interns and residents as well as the patients. The smaller places can be limited in scope and often do have to send their patients to the larger medical centers.

And a word to the wise- nearly all of my husband's peers got to go where they had selected- but those who didn't- well, let's just say that one Army peer is essentially working Q2 because all of the other pediatricians are activated and one AF peer was nearly sent to a place in the middle of no where, where her husband (a former JAG who is still in the reserves) couldn't practice law and wasn't even on their list- as in no one in the AF even knew that this place was a possibility. Luckily they got swtiched to a less horrible place at the last minute.

Basically, until you have orders in your hands, you can end up going anywhere. The worst part about the AF experience this year is that the assignments officer refused to answers calls and emails, and then was allowed to take leave for the whole week after the assignments came out. There were plenty of people who complained about her but I don't know if anyone with any rank heard about it.

The AF was really late in getting people's orders to them this year, as well.

Oh well, the price you pay...

Jenn

[gmdblack]

All right ladies..and men too, if there are any?! Tell me what you might know about a couple of these places if you don't mind. Thank you in advance for your helping me!

Travis AFB
Nellis AFB
Wright-Patterson AFB
Mountain Home AFB
Scott AFB
Sheppard AFB
Little Rock AFB
Charleston AFB
FE Warren AFB
Offutt AFB
(please don't feel obligated to answer all or any..I am just curious what you may have heard or know from your experience!)

...Ok, that is a few, and maybe too many to ask about all at once! We have been looking over the map that they sent us and I think that we would like to stay, somewhat, in the middle of the continent. Not to far North, and not to far South, East/West doesn't really matter. Although, some of these will be forever hot, and really cold in the appropriate seasons.

From the looking around that I have been able to do, it appears that most the work for a Peds Dr is clinic. Would you say that is the case with your husband Jenn? (before becoming a fellow). Is all the peds work clinic if you aren't in San Antonio or in DC area?

Sally, of the peds docs in your neighborhood, do they seem content? I realize that some (we could be one) are just waiting to get out at first chance, but I mean are they happy with the work they do from what you can tell?

Thanks for being patient with me, I realize that some of this may have been covered in previous posts. I am re-reading those as I type...ok, after I type. I think that etteugab posted about some bases during the time of server change and those posts were lost at cyber-sea...

Again, thanks for the input and putting up with repeats and my ignorance of the system. I will learn soon enough!!

[DCJenn]

Matt-

If they're not at a larger hospital, then yes, most of the work is clinic. The smaller the base, the smaller the caseload and the smaller # of things they deal with. Most critical cases are shipped out to either the local hospitals or to the larger military hospitals.

Most of our friends who are doing clinic at the smaller places are bored outof their minds, especially after being in San Antonio. But it's great for the people who have something other than mold in the refirgerator to look forward to at the end of the day (i.e. those people with families and spouses!)

Jenn