Whether you join after residency or as a licensed professional, you will enter active duty or Reserve service soon after your training. Your specific job will depend on your specialty and the Army’s needs at that time, but if you are in the Army, your medical license allows you to practice anywhere. Some of the most ask questions revolve around deployment and service requirements.
Regardless of what you do, you will accumulate experience that will serve you well whether you stay in the Army after your service commitment or transfer to the civilian world. In general, you can expect to participate in any of the following three missions: deployment, serving at military medical centers or humanitarian missions.
Deployment
Deployment is a temporary assignment which occurs as a part of a military operation or exercise. During deployment, all your military, medical and leadership training comes into play. The frequency of your deployments will depend on your specialty and the needs of the nation. The length of deployments can range from three to 12 months. Keep in mind that a deployment is different from being stationed in a specific location, such as a military medical center, for a longer term.
The frequency of your deployments will depend on your specialty and the needs of the nation.
As for those in the Reserve component, you are expected to drill one weekend a month and two full weeks during the year, but you may also be called up to assist in missions at home and abroad. All Reserve deployments depend on whether or not your skill is needed at a given time. In that case, you will deploy alongside the active-duty military, and the length of your deployment will be the same.
The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) protects members of the Reserve and helps ensure that you return to your civilian job after a period of deployment.
If you are a medical student participating in the Health Professions Scholarship Program or attending the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, or if you are a resident in the Financial Assistance Program, you will not deploy until you are finished with your medical training.
Serving at Army Medical Centers
If you are not deployed, you may serve at a base hospital or clinic, caring for service members and their families. Or, if you have a background in primary care, you may become a General Medical Officer attached to a specific unit. Either way, you will provide wellness for service members, making sure they are fit enough to carry out their duties, while also keeping their families healthy. The longer you stay in the Military, the more there is a chance that you may choose an administrative, research or academic track.
Where You Might Serve: Military Medical Facilities Map
Humanitarian Work
Army physicians may be deployed to provide relief after natural disasters. For example, Navy physicians have traveled on the USNS Comfort to provide aid to earthquake victims. They may also provide relief to civilians in war zones.
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If you don’t want to wait, just call or text (702) 303-5757 to speak with Staff Sgt. Sahara Celeste. She will be happy to answer any questions you have.