Suggestion Creating a Veterans - Entitlement Forum

[BC_89]

I’ll start by stating that I’ve recieved a lot of feedback through the military medicine forum concerning Veteran Benefits (such as Chapter 31 / 33 / pleading cases based on VA disability ratings etc etc).

This made me curious, could a specific forum exist away from military medicine in the form and discussion base for Veterans and specific benefits? We have a lot of great feedback cramed into one or two hidden threads under military medicine geared toward this topic but why not create a specific topic forum for veterans as well as use of veteran entitlements when it comes to healthcare professions?

I appreciate the help SDN has given me thus far along with some of its members

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[gutonc]

I personally feel that this would invite a fair amount of medical advice type threads without adding much to the various healthcare providers that SDN is here to serve.

That said, our founder @Lee is active duty and we have a ton of active duty, guard/reserve and mil retired mods and active members (none of which I am), so will defer to their expertise on this issue.

 

[SDN]

I’ll start by stating that I’ve recieved a lot of feedback through the military medicine forum concerning Veteran Benefits (such as Chapter 31 / 33 / pleading cases based on VA disability ratings etc etc).

This made me curious, could a specific forum exist away from military medicine in the form and discussion base for Veterans and specific benefits? We have a lot of great feedback cramed into one or two hidden threads under military medicine geared toward this topic but why not create a specific topic forum for veterans as well as use of veteran entitlements when it comes to healthcare professions?

I appreciate the help SDN has given me thus far along with some of its members

It's a good suggestion - veteran benefits can be confusing due to their complexity. Creating a subforum for this topic could be very useful. Would you suggest putting it as a subforum within the mil med forum?

 

[MusicDOc124]

I personally feel that this would invite a fair amount of medical advice type threads without adding much to the various healthcare providers that SDN is here to serve.

I disagree with the above comment. Being a veteran doesn't inherently mean we are medical providers in the military or looking for any sort of medical advice. Most veterans are not healthcare providers and most did not utilize HPSP, so I'm otherwise unsure what you mean by medical advice and whatnot.

Unless you're referring to VA disability? Even disability in some cases is directly related to some VA education benefits, and it not own allows some of us to use a particular program, but can also preclude others. The VA is difficult to navigate, and there are a lot of misconceptions about what various programs from the VA offer. There are a few threads covering some, but not all that's out there, not to mention everything is ever-changing.

I vote for a veteran thread to differentiate from "military medicine" - for those of us who are veterans outside of the medical fields and are now, and will be, civilians throughout school, residency/fellowship, and practice.

 

[BC_89]

It's a good suggestion - veteran benefits can be confusing due to their complexity. Creating a subforum for this topic could be very useful. Would you suggest putting it as a subforum within the mil med forum?

Although I believe differentiating a forum outside of military medicine would be better for this topic ( I will not be in the uniform services nor returning when utilizing these benefits is my argument), nonetheless at the very least I’d support the idea of the veteran benefits to be placed as a sub forum in military med. Anything that allows the user the ability to find a listing for Post 9-11, Montgomery, and Voc Rehab as well as how to maximize the full benefits of more than one.

With the “Forever” GI Bill constantly changing along with VA minimal rating thresholds, having a forum with a high number of users in the uniform services (past and current) would cultivate a smooth transition of up to date information. I would arguably say we have enough users with experience to keep up and maintain with the changes of the entitlements.

@gutonc I appreciate your response and can see a point your coming from. With the complexity of VA benefits however, I am building my case on the purpose of SDN catering towards student veterans who’s goal is to reach a healthcare professional status with proper advice. Finding the best way for veterans to use VA entitlements for the purpose of a healthcare program (such as myself for pharmacy and @MusicDOc124 for medical school) is so confusing and constantly changing that many school liaisons can’t keep up. Here I hope that the vets on SDN can work together to help resolve these confusions.

 

[esob]

I agree that having the subforum outside of the mil medicine would be better. I think having it as a subforum of the non-trad forum might be more appropriate. All current and prior service definitely fit into the classification of non traditional, but I've always felt like the mil med forum was for those actively serving or with plans to actively serve in the future and/or those who have already completed or are currently completing medical school. As a premed and prior service, I never check the mil med forums and am actively using veterans benefits for my schooling.

 

[762513]

There is a specific order in which education benefits should be used. It could be a good use for a new forum.

 

[wholeheartedly]

We have lots and lots of vets in non-trad. These types of questions definitely get brought up there. I'd be fine with it in non-trad. We could do a redirect from mil med, too.

 

[SDN]

I’ll start by stating that I’ve recieved a lot of feedback through the military medicine forum concerning Veteran Benefits (such as Chapter 31 / 33 / pleading cases based on VA disability ratings etc etc).

This made me curious, could a specific forum exist away from military medicine in the form and discussion base for Veterans and specific benefits? We have a lot of great feedback cramed into one or two hidden threads under military medicine geared toward this topic but why not create a specific topic forum for veterans as well as use of veteran entitlements when it comes to healthcare professions?

I appreciate the help SDN has given me thus far along with some of its members

I disagree with the above comment. Being a veteran doesn't inherently mean we are medical providers in the military or looking for any sort of medical advice. Most veterans are not healthcare providers and most did not utilize HPSP, so I'm otherwise unsure what you mean by medical advice and whatnot.

Unless you're referring to VA disability? Even disability in some cases is directly related to some VA education benefits, and it not own allows some of us to use a particular program, but can also preclude others. The VA is difficult to navigate, and there are a lot of misconceptions about what various programs from the VA offer. There are a few threads covering some, but not all that's out there, not to mention everything is ever-changing.

I vote for a veteran thread to differentiate from "military medicine" - for those of us who are veterans outside of the medical fields and are now, and will be, civilians throughout school, residency/fellowship, and practice.

I agree that having the subforum outside of the mil medicine would be better. I think having it as a subforum of the non-trad forum might be more appropriate. All current and prior service definitely fit into the classification of non traditional, but I've always felt like the mil med forum was for those actively serving or with plans to actively serve in the future and/or those who have already completed or are currently completing medical school. As a premed and prior service, I never check the mil med forums and am actively using veterans benefits for my schooling.

There is a specific order in which education benefits should be used. It could be a good use for a new forum.

See forum: Veterans' Benefits

This location is temporary, if you have a suggestion for another location in the forums, please let me know!

If you'd like to volunteer to moderate, please send me a PM!

 

[BC_89]

See forum: Veterans' Benefits

This location is temporary, if you have a suggestion for another location in the forums, please let me know!

If you'd like to volunteer to moderate, please send me a PM!

Dr Lee much appreciated. If the location is temporary, why not move it within the Nontraditional Students forum. Anyone who qualifies would have the title as a Non-trad and seems to be an easy accessible location with already high volume Veterans within the forum.

 

[Gastrapathy]

I’d recommend placing in the nontrad forum with a link redirecting from the stickies in the mil med forum