Joel Schofer's Career Planning Blog

MCCareer.org – The Book

Posted on February 26, 2019 Updated on February 26, 2019

The Navy does an okay job helping physicians plan their careers, but in my opinion this preparation can be a lot better. This is why I created Joel Schofer’s Promo Prep and subsequently MCCareer.org. By the time you progress in your Naval career and learn everything you need to know, it is often too late. Therefore it is the responsibility of those who are senior and have already learned this information to teach it to the next generation of Naval physicians before it is too late.

The modern adult learner has more educational methods at his/her disposal than ever before. Whether you like social media, such as Twitter or Facebook, prefer to listen to podcasts in your car while you are driving, or like traditional methods of learning, such as reading articles, you can find one of these sources to learn about almost any topic you can imagine. Yet even though traditional books seem to have fallen out of favor during the rise of social media, there is still something reassuring about reading a book. Putting information in a book validates it and provides some degree of credibility. So, despite the fact that blogs have partially replaced books and the MCCareer.org blog has taken off, I think a book that discusses Navy Medical Corps career planning will still be well received and a valuable resource, which is why I’m creating one. I hope you enjoy it, benefit from it, and, frankly, help me create it. Here’s how I see this going down…

Take a look at the chapter list below. If there is something on it that you feel particularly qualified to write, let me know. Just in case I get a lot of interest, make sure to tell me what makes you qualified. Together we’ll use anything that is already on this site and we’ll turn it into a chapter, posting it on the site so others can read and use it.

If you think there is something we’re missing, let me know.

No one will make any money on this. It’ll just be a useful resource for anyone who wants to use it, and we’ll have it available on the blog as well as downloadable in PDF format. Maybe once it is all done we’ll create a real book in print or e-book, but for now I’m planning just putting it on the blog for free.

Chapter List

1. Introduction
2. I Wish I Had Known
3. Pathways to Becoming a Naval Physician
4. Career Paths & Progression
5. Women in Navy Medicine
6. Minorities in Navy Medicine
7. Naval Leadership & Mentorship
8. Pay & Reimbursable Expenses
9. Personal Financial Planning
10. Moonlighting
11. Graduate Medical Education
12. Other Educational Opportunities
13. GI Bill
14. Leadership Opportunities
15. Preparing for Important Interviews
16. Fitness Reports
17. Personal Awards
18. Officer Service Records
19. Promotion Boards
20. Geographic Career Progression, PCS Orders, and the Rules of Detailing
21. Operational Assignments & Deployments
22. A Rank Appropriate Guide to “Alternative” Billets & Career Paths
23. The Career Intermission Program
24. Executive Medicine
25. Change in the Military Health System
26. Retirement and Resignation
27. Transitioning to the Naval Reserves
28. Transition to Civilian Employment
29. Specialty Specific Information
    1. Aerospace Medicine
    2. Allergy/Immunology
    3. Anesthesiology
    4. Cardiology
    5. Cardiothoracic Surgery
    6. Dermatology
    7. Developmental Pediatrics
    8. Diagnostic Radiology
    9. Emergency Medicine
    10. Endocrinology
    11. Family Medicine
    12. Fleet Marine Force
    13. Fleet Medicine
    14. Flight Surgery
    15. Gastroenterology
    16. General Surgery
    17. Global Health
    18. Hematology/Oncology
    19. Infectious Disease
    20. Internal Medicine
    21. Neonatology
    22. Nephrology
    23. Neurology
    24. Neurosurgery
    25. Obstetrics/Gynecology
    26. Occupational Medicine
    27. Ophthalmology
    28. Orthopedics
    29. Otolaryngology
    30. Pain Medicine
    31. Pathology
    32. Pediatrics
    33. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
    34. Plastic Surgery
    35. Preventive Medicine
    36. Psychiatry
    37. Pulmonary/Critical Care
    38. Radiation Oncology
    39. Rheumatology
    40. Sports Medicine
    41. Undersea Medicine
    42. Urology