Pros And Cons Of Being A Military Doctor

Being a military medic has a lot going on for it.

Military medics have a more difficult job than some of their civilian counterparts, since they have to be prepared for mobilization at a moment’s notice, go on different types of dangerous assignments, and train with the troops as well as provide immediate first responder services. However, military doctors also have less control over situations since they report to their commanding officers rather than being self-employed.

On the one hand, you could say that the stressful situation of being deployed to an active battle zone makes military medics more like heroes because they’re risking their lives to save others’. But you could also argue that they’re just doing their jobs.

One thing is certain: being in the military isn’t for everyone. Whether you want to become a medic or not depends on your own personal values and what you want out of your career.

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Overview of Pros And Cons Of Being A Military Doctor

what is military doctor

Medical careers in the military can be extremely versatile, rewarding, and exciting. A military doctor provides health care to military personnel and their families and can work in a variety of settings, including hospital ships and international medical centers. Doctors enlisted in the military might take part in international relief efforts by providing care to victims of natural disasters. They also might ensure that soldiers are physically fit for duty and treat injuries during combat and other emergencies. Leadership positions might involve commanding medical units or coordinating the placement and employment of medical personnel.

The military employs doctors with specializations in common types of medicine such as pediatrics, family care, and neurology. Military physicians also might receive training and treatments pertaining to diving, tropical environments, or aerospace medicine. Military doctors need self-discipline and the ability to handle intense stress and pressure. Additionally, these army doctors must be physically fit and have exceptional critical thinking and quick decision making skills. According to Payscale.com, an army doctor salary is reported for those serving in the military with a Doctor of Medicine degree, earning between $100,000 and $275,000 as of January, 2020. The following article outlines the particular steps and options required on the path for how to become an army doctor.

Education Required	Doctorate (M.D.)
Education Field of Study	Medicine
Training	Internship and residency
Key Skills	Critical thinking and problem-solving skills, compassionate nature, and the ability to communicate effectively
Job Growth (2018-2028)	7% (all physicians and surgeons)*
Median Salary	Determined by rank*

Source: *United States Bureau of Labor Statistics

What Do Military Doctors Do?

Military doctors are always commissioned officers, in addition to being doctors. The Air Force, Army, and Navy all have medical corps which employ doctors in a wide number of specialties, from psychiatry to urology. They work on military bases, aboard aircraft carriers and other ships at sea, and at advanced hospitals like Walter Reed Military Medical Center, where presidents receive medical care. Military doctors can be active duty, or serve in the reserve while working in civilian hospitals. Their day-to-day responsibilities are much like those of civilian doctors, treating patients, diagnosing sicknesses, and prescribing medicine.

What Are the Requirements to Be a Military Doctor?

Military doctors must go through medical school, the same as any other doctor. This means they will need to acquire a bachelor’s degree, apply to medical school, and be accepted, completing seven to eight years of postsecondary schooling total. After graduating from medical school, new doctors will be expected to complete a residency to learn their specialty, which can take three or more years. It is only at this point that service in the military will actually begin. Military doctors must also be US citizens between the ages of 21 and 64, and typically must commit to at least two years of active duty service.

what is a military doctor called?

The Medical Corps (MC) of the U.S. Army is a staff corps (non-combat specialty branch) of the U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD) consisting of commissioned medical officers – physicians with either an M.D. or a D.O.

What Other Careers Are Similar to Military Doctors?

Combat medics are enlisted personnel who specialize in first aid and emergency care, treating injured soldiers, sailors, and airmen in the midst of battle. Nurses, orderlies, and other medical professionals also have a role to play in the medical corps of the armed forces. The obvious alternative is, of course, civilian doctors, and it is possible to transition from military to civilian and back quite easily. For those who wish to work with veterans and military members without joining themselves, medical facilities belonging to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs are always looking for qualified doctors and nurses to help treat those who’ve served.

How to Become a Military Doctor

To become a medical doctor in the military, you have two choices: the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) or the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP). Each program has advantages and disadvantages based on your personal preferences. If you attend the USUHS, you will be in the military from the get-go. If you take the HPSP path, you will attend a civilian med school and are commissioned in the U.S. military after graduating.

The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS)

The USUHS is also known as “America’s Medical School.” It was started by Louisiana Congressman F. Edward Hébert as the “West Point for doctors.” It’s located on 100 acres of wooded land on the grounds of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. USUHS is the foremost medical education and research center for the U.S. armed services. If you are accepted to the USUHS, you will be an active-duty service member, and your education will be paid for by the U.S. government. The school accepts both civilian and military applicants for commissioning into the Army, Navy, Air Force, and U.S. Public Health Service. It is important to note that there is a growing interest in the school because there are a lot of enlisted members interested in becoming military doctors.

Since the school was established 40 years ago, it has produced more than 5,000 doctors, 70 dentists, 660 nurses, and 1,300 medical research doctors. All of them have become career military medical officers serving our nation. USUHS has a year-round, four-year program. Their program is 700 hours longer than any other U.S. medical school. Students come from all geographic, socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.

Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP)

HPSP is the more common choice among the two. The difference between USUHS and HPSP is that in the HPSP program, you get to attend any medical school you choose (you have to get accepted first). Your tuition is paid for by the U.S. Government, and you get a monthly stipend (income)! Medical training is the same as your civilian peers, but as an HPSP recipient, you have to go to a modified form of basic military training. Training usually occurs during your second year of medical school. During your third and fourth clinical years, you get the chance to rotate at military hospitals if you choose.

What’s The Difference Between USUHS and HPSP?

The biggest difference between USUHS and HPSP is your relationship with the military. As a USUHS student, you are an active duty officer and have a bigger commitment to the military while in med school. If you are an HPSP student, you are commissioned as an officer in the Individual Ready Reserve. Either way, you will finish med school in the same amount of time as your civilian counterparts.

There are other areas that differ between the two programs, but they both have the same end-result—med school and a career as a military doctor. Let’s explore the two programs and their differences:

Medical School

USUHS

You will plunge into the military lifestyle right away. You will wear your military uniform to class, and you will be on active duty through all four years of med school. During your first 18 months of training, your instructors will be both military and civilians. You will take part in classes, labs, and medical field exercises. During your next phase of training, you will experience one year of rotations at military medical facilities. Your final 18 months of rotations will help guide you toward a residency and auditioning for your preferred program. During the last phase, you will have the chance to serve at military treatment facilities worldwide.

HPSP

As an HPSP scholar, med school is not much different than your civilian peers. You take the same classes, but don’t have to wear your uniform when attending school. You will have to attend officer training and take part in one 45-day training session for each year you get scholarship funds. During training, you can still study for exams for your med school classes, do research, or perform clinical rotations at military treatment facilities. You will wear your uniform during training periods.

The Two Paths to Military Medicine

To become a physician in the military, there are two main paths to choose from: the Health Professions Scholarship Program, or HPSP for short, and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, also known as the USUHS.

HPSP

HPSP is the more common path of the two, whereby you go to any medical school, whether osteopathic or allopathic, and here’s the kicker: your tuition is entirely paid for and you also receive a monthly stipend for living expenses. For the most part, your medical training is pretty similar to that of your civilian counterparts. However, as an HPSP recipient, you will have basic military training, most commonly during your second year of medical school. During your clinical years, meaning third and fourth year, you are usually granted the opportunity to become “active duty” and rotate at military hospitals if you choose.

So what’s the catch? The United States military paid for your medical school education, so it’s only fair to pay it back. Generally speaking, there’s a 1 to 1 payback in service to the military under HPSP. That means if you graduated from medical school after the traditional 4 years, you are required to be a physician serving in the military for at least 4 years after completing your training. While you are of course being paid when you are serving as a physician, note that military compensation rates are usually lower than civilian counterparts.

The main benefit to HPSP is that you have complete flexibility to where you attend medical school. Want to go to UC San Diego and enjoy the awesome weather? No problem. What about staying at Ohio State to be close to family? Also totally fine.

The downside is that unless you’re attending a medical school that has several HPSP recipients, you will be isolated from the rest of the military medical training process. You won’t be exposed to the military match process, the military in general, and you won’t be participating in drills or field exercises.

USUHS

If there’s one thing you can count on in medicine, it’s that no two paths are the same.

Sure, we all go to medical school and then residency, but from there it gets wild. You might decide to get a second degree in public health or an MBA, or you could end up doing a fellowship in infectious diseases, or you could move to another country for a year before starting your practice.

In this series, we’re going to look at some common interests/goals and the ways in which people can attain them. Today we’re going to talk about military scholarships.

The USUHS is the military’s medical school. Like HPSP, tuition is completely free, but rather than a small stipend for living expenses, you’ll be serving as an active duty 2nd Lieutenant and paid as such, which is around $40,000 per year base pay, with about another $20,000 of non-taxable income for housing. The most obvious downside is that you won’t have a choice in where you attend medical school – you’ll have to attend USUHS, which is located in Bethesda, Maryland. Additionally, the payback period is longer than HPSP at 7 years on average.

That being said, there are several benefits to this path. You’ll be fully integrated into the military medical training system from the get-go, and that means many more opportunities, unique experiences, and full immersion into the military culture. Of course, you’ll be participating in field exercises, but it gets much more exciting than that. For example, you can gain early exposure and do rotations in humanitarian medicine, disaster medicine, rotate across the U.S. and even internationally.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QMVyC2Eitg

Application Process

General Requirements

You must be at least 18 years old at the time of enrollment but no older than 36 as of June 30^th of your enrollment year. You must be a U.S. citizen and meet the physical, medical, and security requirements for becoming a commissioned officer in the military. If you are already in the military, you must have approval from your military department as part of your application. This also applies if you are in one of the service academies, ROTC, or a member of one of the Reserve Components.

How Do I apply?

USUHS

• You must apply through the AMCAS online portal using designation code 821. The USUHS takes part in the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS).
• Complete the application by filling out the required forms and include the requested material, including a personal statement form and checklists.
• After receiving completed AMCAS applications, the admissions committee will choose who they will interview.
• The interview trip involves in-person interviews and a tour of the campus.
• During the interview, you will rank which services you would like to join if you are accepted.
• If accepted, you will need to get medically and physically qualified.

HPSP

Basically, the requirements to get into USUHS are the same as getting an HPSP scholarship. Since scholarships are limited, it may be a little harder to get an HPSP scholarship than getting into USUHS. Admissions numbers for both programs fluctuate year to year depending on government funding.

• Be eligible to join the military as outlined under the USUHS.
• Gather all of the required documents (transcripts, letters of recommendation, test scores).
• Start applying at the same time you apply to medical schools. Each service usually takes only 300 students per year, and the acceptance process usually takes about three months.
• Get in touch with a recruiter for each service that you want to join. You can apply to just one or to all three — Army, Navy, and Air Force. Check out the recruiter contact info below.
• Recruiters will schedule an initial interview with you.
• Fill out an application for each service that you are interested in.
• You will take a physical examination at a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS).
• Once you are accepted to an accredited medical degree program, your recruiter will complete your application.
• A selection board will evaluate your application.
• If more than one service accepts you, you can choose that one you want to join.

Contact a Recruiter

If you have more questions or need info, the best place to start is a recruiter. It is smart to talk to recruiters from several services, so you know all of your options. They can answer all of your questions and guide you through the application process.

Service Website	Phone	Contact
Army	1-888-710-ARMY(1-888-710-2769)	Contact
Navy	1-800-USA-NAVY(1-800-818-6289)	Contact
Air Force	1-800-423-USAF(1-800-423-8723)	Contact
Army National Guard	800-GO-GUARD(1-800-464-8273)	Contact
Army Reserve	1-888-710-ARMY(1-888-710-2769)	Contact
Navy Reserve	1-800-USA-NAVY(1-800-818-6289)	Contact
Air National Guard	1-800-958-3923	Email
Air Force Reserve	1-800-257-1212	Contact
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences	301-295-3101	Email

 USUHS vs. HPSP

Here is a side-by-side comparison between the two paths to becoming a military doctor.

	USUHS	HPSP
Application Process	Apply through AMCAS using School Code 821. Choose branch of service if accepted to USU.	Apply through service-specific recruiter.
Medical School	Attend USUHS.	Attend any med school accepted to.
Tuition	Tuition-free until graduation or disenrollment.	Full tuition is paid for a maximum of 4 years.
Books/instruments	Offered free to students.	Reimbursed for school-required fees and expenses; rental fees for microscopes.
Computers	Computer resources available at school. Students may buy their own laptop.	Computer resources available at school. Students may buy their own laptop.
Pay	Full O-1 pay, BAH and BAS. For 2020 is $5,841.78 per month without dependents.	Over $2,300 stipend per month for 10½ months; 45 days active duty pay as an O-1 + BAH and BAS. One-time signing bonus of $20,000.
Service Obligation	7 years Active Duty after graduation.	Students will pay it back through a 1 to 1 payback in military service for every year of scholarship, up to 4 years.
Benefits	Active Duty benefits for self and dependents; free health care available on campus; commissary and base exchange privileges.	Active Duty benefits only when on 45 days of active duty during training; limited base exchange and commissary privileges when not on active duty (with I.D. card); not eligible for health benefits for self and family when not in training.
Military Training	Attend officer training before enrollment.	Attend officer training during first or second year.
Contacts	admissions@usuhs.edu (301)295-3101 (800)772-1743 www.usuhs.edu	Contact a local recruiter.

Source: Uniformed Services University “What You Need to Know”

Conclusion

If you have your mind set on becoming a military doctor, there are two great choices. After reading this article, we hope that it will help you pick which path is the best for you—attending USUHS or receiving an HPSP scholarship. No matter which route you take, you can rest assured that you will be serving your country by providing our troops with the best care anywhere!

USUHS is the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. This school is run by the military, and it’s mission is to train health professionals to treat the men and women who serve in our armed forces and their families. The “uniform” in USUHS refers to the fact that since it is run by the government, all students are required to wear uniforms on campus. If this sounds like something that would be up your alley, then this school could be perfect for you!

Of course, attending USUHS isn’t right for everyone. Some students want to attend a civilian school and then join the military as a doctor once they graduate. In this case, an HPSP scholarship might be better for them. HPSP stands for “Health Professions Scholarship Program”. It provides full tuition

How is Military Medical Training Different?

The world of military medicine shares many similarities with civilian medicine, but is in some ways a world of its own.

As a military physician, it’s not only necessary for you to be a specialist in your field, but also a competent and flexible generalist while deployed. For example, a general surgeon, while deployed, may be asked to do cases more typically reserved for a neurosurgeon, otolaryngologist, or urologist. Alternatively, a pediatrician may be deployed as a battalion doctor, the military equivalent of a primary care physician.

This is a difficult and stressful aspect of military medicine, but it’s mitigated by a strong support system and excellent training. You’ll always have someone to call to ask for help or clarification. And these cross-specialty responsibilities are only reserved while you’re deployed. Back home, you’ll stick to working within your intended specialty.

Military Match & Specialty Choice

The military match process is an entirely different animal. The regular civilian match occurs in March, but the military match occurs in December. All specialties are still available for residency training, however, the military is working to curtail the number of “non-deployable specialists.” For example, the military will still train pediatricians but may limit additional subspecialty training in fellowship.

Once you graduate medical school and start residency, you are promoted to captain in the Army and Air Force, or to Lieutenant in the Navy.

A majority of graduates match into their intended specialty of choice. For the Army, that number was 85% in 2018. The Air Force’s most recent published number was 85% for 2017. Taking into account specialty and location, in 2016 72% of USUHS graduates got their first choice of specialty and site (across all branches). The Navy is a bit different in that the majority of their graduates will complete an intern year and do a General Medical Officer Tour prior to completing residency.

A General Medical Officer, or GMO for short, is essentially a primary care plus doctor. After completing intern year, GMOs are assigned to different units. Depending on their unit, they will undergo additional training, lasting months to years, to best be in service of their unit. For example, Navy flight doctors will go to flight school where they will learn not only about the physiology involved in flying fighter jets and helicopters, but they themselves will also learn to fly. They’ll work with pilots, go in jets, and experience multiple aspects of the unit. The goal is to make them experts in their respective fields. GMO units have a wide range, from flight medicine to dive medicine, and much more.

As a GMO, you can expect to get significant field experience and even deploy, with tours usually lasting 2 to 3 years. During this time you will be treated and salaried as an attending physician.

GMO’s are colloquially referred to as “surgeons,” such as flight surgeon, dive surgeon, etc. However, they are not surgeons. If you want to be a surgeon and actually do surgery, the military has training programs for the traditional surgical specialties such as general surgery, otolaryngology, orthopedics, urology, etc.

If you don’t become a GMO, you will proceed with residency training in a similar capacity to civilians. The main difference is that you will be required to fulfill certain military requirements such as physical fitness tests, drills, and online training. Some programs offer the opportunity to attend military schools, such as airborne, air assault, or flight medicine.

Those that fail to match will complete a transitional year, and they will reapply during the subsequent match. If they go unmatched again, they will go on to become a GMO. Navy graduates have the highest rate of graduates becoming GMO’s. This has nothing to do with the applicants — it’s just part of Navy medicine to have GMO’s with units. The lowest rate for GMO’s is in the Army with the Air Force in the middle.

Who Should Consider Military Medicine?

Military medicine is certainly not for everyone. Here’s how you can decide if it’s a good fit for you. First, consider the downsides. If any of these are deal-breakers for you, then it’s likely not a good match.

Lower Compensation

The average military physician makes approximately $150,000 to $200,000 per year, depending on your rank, although that is not fully accounting for specialty bonuses. As a civilian, you can make much more, depending on your specialty. As a primary care doctor, you’ll be making a similar amount, but as an orthopedic or neurosurgeon, you’ll be making 2-3x that amount.

Inflexible Practice Location

As a military physician, you don’t have much control over where you’ll be living and practicing medicine. While you can certainly submit preferences, it’s ultimately up to the military to determine where you are most needed.

Additionally, after residency you can be deployed at any time, and that usually means significant time away from your family and loved ones. There are, of course, risks if you are deployed to active war zones.

Limited Fellowship Options

If you’d like to subspecialize with fellowship training, understand that while it is certainly possible, the military limits the number of fellowship trainees every year. Between 2016 and 2018, only about 50% of Army doctors who wanted to do a fellowship were allowed to do so. That said, if you are permitted, military physicians typically go to top flight fellowship programs.

military doctor vs civilian doctor

Job Description. A doctor in the Army has a different, compared to their counterparts in civilian practice. Army doctors can enjoy regular vacations, and they often work shorter hours than civilian doctors. Military doctors don’t have to deal with the quagmire of their patients’ health insurance coverage.

Pros And Cons Of Being A Military Doctor

Military doctors are some of the bravest men and women in the world. Pursuing a medical profession in the military comes with sacrifice, but it can yield great benefits. As a military doctor, you can work in a variety of settings, including hospital ships and international medical centers. You might take part in international relief efforts by providing care to victims of natural disasters, or ensure that soldiers are physically fit for duty and treat injuries during combat and other emergencies.

The military primarily employs doctors with specializations in common types of medicine such as pediatrics, family care, and neurology. If you would like to become a military doctor, you must earn a medical degree and meet military requirements.

Enrolling in medical school in either the Navy, Army or Air Force is an honorable pursuit. While some aspects of the role may deter aspiring medical students, it can pay off in the long run.

Here are some pros and cons of becoming a military doctor.

Pros

Student Loans Paid Off

There’s no argument that its a financial hardship to get through medical school, but the military can help. Students can opt to attend a military medical school, but it isn’t necessary to have a degree from a military-affiliated school to get financial aid. Students may qualify for military financial aid to support them in non-affiliated medical schools. In this case, students make an agreement that they will join the military as a commissioned officer after graduation.

Guaranteed Job and Salary

While it’s uncertain where you will be stationed, there is no pressure of finding a job after leaving school. Military doctors are guaranteed a job after graduating. There is a requirement of four to eight years of service and your salary is first determined based on the standard Department of Defense pay tables. You can then grow in rank and salary like any military official.

Daily Activity

Unlike doctors who work in a hospital setting, military doctors have guaranteed workout time. Physical Training (PT), is a daily and required workout that all service members must partake in. With daily exercise activities, military doctors can keep themselves healthy while also helping others do the same.

Cons

Limited Specialties 

When applying for your role, you generally have to go to a military residency spot. These spots become very limited for specialties such as urology, radiation oncology, dermatology, emergency medicine, etc. However, general surgery, medicine or family practice are frequently available.

Relocation

Military doctors typically don’t determine where they are stationed. However, they are able to select a few destination points for their assignment, but only those who are very lucky will be assigned to their first choice. A former military doctor explained that relocation happened often throughout his career.

Possible Deployment 

Although physicians won’t be deployed abroad during medical school or residency, deployment is a very real possibility during active duty. Deployment could be in hazardous areas and last for months at a time. It’s uncommon for doctors to run into trouble while overseas, but there are safety concerns.