RAF/Army/Navy Doctor, anyone?

[Jonathan Ford]

Originally Posted by Madimi

Aren't there quite strict age limits?

For the RAF you have to be under 42 when entering specialist training.

[pipedreamer]

I am a Territorial Army Officer in the RAMC attached to a Field Hospital Unit. Two of my med school colleagues were on Regular Army Cadetships.

I think the Cadetship is great if you're sure it's what you want to do: you get generous financial rewards, there are great opportunities for travel, adventure training etc. and your career is all laid out for you without all the hassle of trying to get specialist training posts etc.

On the negative side the commitment is quite long (I think around 6 years after F2), the Army own you and can send you pretty much anywhere they want, and you have to spend a certain amount of time as an RMO (ie regimental GP).

As a TA Medical Officer you work in the NHS as normal and fit your Army commitments around that. My trust gives staff who are in the TA an extra two weeks leave (1 paid, 1 unpaid) to attend annual camp but I think this varies by area. There are opportunities for TA MOs to deploy on operations and also to be seconded to the regular army for between 6 months and 3 years although this does depend on experience and specialty.

I've been in the TA for 2 years now and love it. I've had some really great experiences (the highlight being 2 weeks of leadership training at Sandhurst not long before starting F1) and I'd recommend it to anyone who is considering a career in military medicine: it's a good way to find out if the military way of life suits you before committing to joining the Regular Army.

Melanie
FP1 General Surgery

PS. To clarify: as aspirant doc says, Army medics are weapons trained and carry arms but are only permitted to fire in self defence (and weapons training is as much about knowing how to handle a weapon and make it safe as it is about firing it).

The thing about Army medics being officers first, doctors second is referring to the fact that Army medical officers are trained to be leaders and make decisions, and behave as an officer is expected to behave, i.e. we are not just doctors tagging along with the 'real' Army.

As a medical officer you would NOT be expected to 'lead forces into battle' - you are always a medic - but there may (very rarely) be occasions when a medical officer is the only officer present and therefore has to take charge of a situation.

[Everhopeful]

For the RAF you must be below 55 at entry if already qualified, and graduate before 46 if sponsored. May have changed post age discrimination laws coming in perhaps..

[469er]

Originally Posted by pipedreamer

The thing about Army medics being officers first, doctors second is referring to the fact that Army medical officers are trained to be leaders and make decisions, and behave as an officer is expected to behave, i.e. we are not just doctors tagging along with the 'real' Army.

My point, though, is that I can see there might be situations where the good of your patient might be at odds with the good of your unit, regiment or the army as a whole. As a doctor, I feel I will want to prioritise my patients, and being "an officer first" could represent a conflict of interests on a scale unlikely to be replicated in the NHS. If the chips were down, I'm pretty sure I would want to be "a doctor first" - which I think probably means I'm not really a suitable candidate for this forces lark! That's all I meant.

The opportunities sound amazing though, quite aside from the sponsorship money. But I think I'm just too old anyway - not literally (not quite!), but in terms of what else I have to accommodate in my life.

[aspirant doc]

I see what you are worried about but I think it very rarely happens! All the army docs I know would simply find a way of dealing with a conflict of interests and then forget about worrying about it. But yes, being a doc in the forces goes far beyond being an NHS doc.

[readyDoc]

Hi,
Sorry to butt into this thread, but it seems there are some people who may have thoughts on this...
As an already qualified doctor I'm interested in trying to decide which RESERVE force might offer the most benefit for me to join, obviously there being a mutual benefit in that I bring my expertise (not small) to the service.
Anyone have any thoughts?
Thanks

[Everhopeful]

You could join the medical reserve squadron at RAF Lyneham (medevac) unit. From speaking to friends who've served there you get to go on courses as part of your yearly commitment, you do regular short tours to hot and sandy places (which is good if you like that kind of thing) and you get experiences you wouldn't otherwise. If you're called up into service full time for a few months then your pay is replaced by the military and you don't lose out pension wise or anything (you have continuous service with NHS from that point of view). Don't know much more but if you google Medevac and Lyneham you should get some contact details...

[aspirant doc]

Just to echo Everhopeful, reserve doctors are employed as reserve doctors to deploy on operations in support of the regular army, so as long as you are cool with that, it's a great option. Stints tend to be 3-6 months? It would be possible to be a Regimental Medical Officer attached to a non-medical unit, i.e. you would not deploy if that unit deployed, but you could always volunteer to. Army and Navy and RAf doctors on operations work alongside eachother, generally in the hospitals, so there isn't a huge amount of difference between the conditions of service. As an ex-infanteer, I'd say go army, but of course I would say that wouldn't I?! What sort of doctor are you?

[***Kathryn***]

Im applying for 2009 entry. Im currently at uni and in the University Royal Navy Unit. Ive considered applying for the navy but im going to wait and see... it will depend where i want to specialise (if i do) etc...

To apply you need to have secured a place at med school/be studying or about to graduate. Then you begi the application process and have to pass the AIB (admiralityh interview board). Its like a rigorous selection centre, with psychometric tests, practical leadership task etc.. you also have to pass a medical and fitness test...

thats pretty much the length of my knowledge with regards to applying...

[moko]

The problem with getting funding from the army for your medical degree is that you have to spend a couple of years in the full time army after you become a doctor. this could be a pain in the ass as it could interfere with ur personal life, and you could die. However, for someone like my self, who is an adrenalin junkie, might wish to consider the territorial army which is lkike a part time army job where you get paid and get all the perks like free sport facilities etc.