FS in the Reserve or Air National Guard

[Osteo4life]

Can someone join the Air Force reserve, and sign the contract to become just a flight surgeon even though they have completed residency (or do they need to not have been specialized already)? Would the reserve FS also get flight time or would they just be on the ground in the clinic 24/7?

In the AF would a flight surgeon be required to conduct an internship? Also, what are all the classes taken to prepare to become a flight surgeon in the AF? I had though it was just AMP (the 6 week course) and that S.E.R.E. was just for pilots and air crew.

The AF flight surgeons also do not get stick time, right (since where in the AMP course would you receive the flight training)? Since most of the AF is now either going to be F-22 or F-35 would you get stick time even on a C-130, Helo, or V-22 or is the AF culture for flight surgeons just to be passengers on board. I know a FS would never be allowed in a F-22 or F-35, NEVER. (The days of FS sitting in the back of a F-15F never existed, right?).

Does HPSP or something similar exist with the Air National Guard and if so how does their training of flight surgeons go?

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[bogatyr]

Can someone join the Air Force reserve, and sign the contract to become just a flight surgeon even though they have completed residency (or do they need to not have been specialized already)? Would the reserve FS also get flight time or would they just be on the ground in the clinic 24/7?

In the AF would a flight surgeon be required to conduct an internship? Also, what are all the classes taken to prepare to become a flight surgeon in the AF? I had though it was just AMP (the 6 week course) and that S.E.R.E. was just for pilots and air crew.

The AF flight surgeons also do not get stick time, right (since where in the AMP course would you receive the flight training)? Since most of the AF is now either going to be F-22 or F-35 would you get stick time even on a C-130, Helo, or V-22 or is the AF culture for flight surgeons just to be passengers on board. I know a FS would never be allowed in a F-22 or F-35, NEVER. (The days of FS sitting in the back of a F-15F never existed, right?).

Does HPSP or something similar exist with the Air National Guard and if so how does their training of flight surgeons go?

I had an attending who completed his anesthesiology residency in the army, did his time then got out, then joined the Air Force Reserves as a flight surgeon with an F-16 squadron while he worked his civilian anesthesia career.

 

[teacherman84]

Can someone join the Air Force reserve, and sign the contract to become just a flight surgeon even though they have completed residency (or do they need to not have been specialized already)? Would the reserve FS also get flight time or would they just be on the ground in the clinic 24/7?

In the AF would a flight surgeon be required to conduct an internship? Also, what are all the classes taken to prepare to become a flight surgeon in the AF? I had though it was just AMP (the 6 week course) and that S.E.R.E. was just for pilots and air crew.

The AF flight surgeons also do not get stick time, right (since where in the AMP course would you receive the flight training)? Since most of the AF is now either going to be F-22 or F-35 would you get stick time even on a C-130, Helo, or V-22 or is the AF culture for flight surgeons just to be passengers on board. I know a FS would never be allowed in a F-22 or F-35, NEVER. (The days of FS sitting in the back of a F-15F never existed, right?).

Does HPSP or something similar exist with the Air National Guard and if so how does their training of flight surgeons go?

Yes, you can join the guard or reserves as a FS even after you've done residency. I just finished AMP101 and we had one doc from each, an EM doc in the guard and an IM doc in the reserve.
Most of the AF is not going to be the F22 or F35, those are the new genration of fighters but we actually have a lot of other planes. If you are assigned to one of these single seat planes, you would get your flying time in other planes on your base or other bases nearby.
All you need to be a flight surgeon if a medical license and the six week AMP course, during which you do get to fly. To be an operational flight doc, meaning you can deploy, you do have to go through SERE.
flight docs do get stick time if their pilots are comfortable with it. We heard from flight docs who had been at the stick of F16s flying wingtips in formation, So I'm assuming they got quite a bit of stick time to get to that point.

 

[ProwlerturnGas]

Since when did FS have to go to SERE training????? Did 2 operational Navy FS tours and never required to go. Is this new? Seems like a waste!

 

[Osteo4life]

I found a Navy powerpoint by Googling navy flight surgery gmo billet that gives me the belief that GMO tours are actually being phased out and Flight Surgeon billets are given to those with primary care specialties. I have heard already on SDN about the battlion surgeons getting replaced by a Family Medicine residency trained doctor and a PA, so I guess in 2018 (the projected time that I will apply for a flight surgery billet) there is a strong indication that FS billets (and probably the DMO billet and Battlion Surgeon billet) will be out of existence.

http://www.slideshare.net/dentistryinfo/health-professions-scholarship-program-hpsp

Take a look at slide 32

 

[teacherman84]

Since when did FS have to go to SERE training????? Did 2 operational Navy FS tours and never required to go. Is this new? Seems like a waste!

This is AF flight Med. I am told in the past flight docs went to a toned down SERE, but last I heard all flight crew in the AF do the same SERE.

I found a Navy powerpoint by Googling navy flight surgery gmo billet that gives me the belief that GMO tours are actually being phased out and Flight Surgeon billets are given to those with primary care specialties. I have heard already on SDN about the battlion surgeons getting replaced by a Family Medicine residency trained doctor and a PA, so I guess in 2018 (the projected time that I will apply for a flight surgery billet) there is a strong indication that FS billets (and probably the DMO billet and Battlion Surgeon billet) will be out of existence.

http://www.slideshare.net/dentistryinfo/health-professions-scholarship-program-hpsp

Take a look at slide 32

I don't have any first hand experience, but I've heard several navy attendings say this talk has been happening for years but its not very realistic to think GMOs are going anywhere or that they will ever have enough board certified primary care docs to fill these billets.

 

[Osteo4life]

It seems like in the Air National Guard and Reserve you get to choose the squadron, I guess if you are willing to move to the location of that squadron. So if someone is a practicing physician they can move to that state to practice medicine as well as serve as a flight surgeon after doing AMP.

 

[Wineinger]

Since when did FS have to go to SERE training????? Did 2 operational Navy FS tours and never required to go. Is this new? Seems like a waste!

Hahaha, I wish FS didn't have to go to SERE. Current AF requires full SERE. I agree it seems like a waste, but maybe it's just because I don't want to go!

 

[Osteo4life]

So what would be the easiest and surest way for a doctor to get flight time and second seat time?

From what I have gathered I think these could potentially be my options:

HPSP in the Navy then becoming a flight surgeon as a GMO.

Navy reserve look like they only let people who were once active FS to be in the Navy reserve as FS.

The AF HPSP and then FS through AMP, but the training they receive is not as flight time orientated the Navy and incurs more administration work.

The AF reserve and/or Air National Guard after completing residency on one's own time and money. I have heard you can become a FS and basically choose the wing or squadron that you want to work with as long as you are willing to move there? But I guess they would want you to be a specialty doctor unless in the contract they specify only FS.

 

[PCC108050]

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[PCC108050]

Have there been any changes to the AF NG/reserve flight surgeon pipeline lately? My understanding is: RCOT/COT followed by AMP (dived into two phases 201/201) and than SERE-C. I wasn't sure what the time line was to complete the above schools or If I was missing any schools? Thanks

 

[John1513]

FS = half day clinics and the rest “squadron time” where only you know where they are

 

[PCC108050]

Heard the Air Force FS pipeline has been revamped.