Detailing
Specialty Leader vs Detailer – What’s the Difference?
Many Medical Corps officers don’t understand the difference between their Specialty Leader and their Detailer. After you read this post, this won’t be a problem.
DIFFERENCE #1 – WHO THEY WORK FOR
A Specialty Leader works for Navy Medicine (BUMED), the Surgeon General, and the Medical Corps Chief while a Detailer works for Navy Personnel Command (NPC or PERS). NPC/PERS is a line command, while BUMED is obviously medical. This difference is probably not of significance to the average Naval physician, but it can make a difference at times because these two commands (and people) will look at things from a different perspective.
For example, lets say you are one of two subspecialists at NH Camp Lejeune and you have a fairly light clinical load. You decide you want to leave early to get to your next command, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP), because they are actually down one provider in your specialty due to the illness of another member of your community. Your Specialty Leader will probably endorse this early move because it makes sense. You are underemployed at Lejeune and there is a need at NMCP.
Your Detailer, however, will look at it differently. First, you haven’t served your full tour, so moving you early will require a waiver that may be denied by PERS. This largely has to do with money and PCS rules and has nothing to do with your specialty or the needs of the Navy. I’m not saying that Detailers don’t care about the needs of the Navy because they do, but they are constrained by the rules of PERS while a Specialty Leader is not.
DIFFERENCE #2 – WHAT THEY DO
A Specialty Leader serves as a liaison between you, BUMED, and your specialty as a whole. He or she also coordinates deployments, although the control they have over this was lessened by the return to platform-based deployments (deployments determined by what billet you are in or what unit/platform you are assigned to rather than whose turn it is to deploy). They also serve as a consultant both to you and your Detailer when it comes to career management and PCS moves.
A Detailer is your advocate to help you advance in your career, prepare for promotion boards by improving your officer service record, and negotiate orders for your next PCS. They will often speak with both you and your Specialty Leader while trying to balance your needs with the needs of the Navy. They also are the final approval authority for extension requests and actually write your PCS orders.
DIFFERENCE #3 – WHAT THEY DON’T DO
Specialty Leaders do not write orders. Many physicians think that the Specialty Leader is the one who decides what orders they get and where they PCS, but the reality is that Specialty Leaders can’t write orders. Only Detailers can, therefore it is the Detailer who makes the final decision in nearly all cases. If there is a good Specialty Leader-Detailer relationship, most of the time both are in agreement and there is no controversy, but about 5% of the time there is at least some level of disagreement that has to be worked out.
Detailers can write your orders to a command, but they do not influence who gets command-level leadership positions. For example, you may want to go to Jacksonville to be the Department Head of your specialty’s department. A Detailer can write you orders to Jacksonville, but which physician the command picks to be Department Head is up to them, not the Detailer (or the Specialty Leader).
Specialty Leaders will often talk to commands, but Detailers usually do not. The Detailer is SUPPOSED to talk to three people – you, the Specialty Leaders, and the Placement Officers. The Placement Officers are officers at PERS who represent the commands. You can think of them as the detailers for commands. They make sure that commands aren’t taking gapped billets, that the providers sent to the command meet the requirements of the billet they are entering, and weigh in on other issues like extension requests.
I say that a Detailer is SUPPOSED to talk to three people and USUALLY does not talk to commands, but the reality is that commands frequently call the Detailer instead of talking to their Placement Officers. This often happens because the Director at a command knows the Detailer but doesn’t know the Placement Officer. In addition, the Detailer is usually a physician (3 of 4 Medical Corps Detailers are physicians, the 4th is a MSC officer) and the Placement Officer is always a MSC officer. Physicians like talking to other physicians.
Finally, Specialty Leaders do not alter your officer service record. In fact, unless you send it to them, they can’t even see it or your FITREPs. Detailers, on the other hand, can see just about everything and can update/change some things, mostly additional qualification designators or AQDs.
WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT ANY OF THIS?
Because you must actively manage your career to get what you want. This means you should talk with both your Specialty Leader and Detailer 9-18 months ahead of your projected rotation date (PRD). You should discuss your short and long-term goals, whether you want to PCS or extend, whether you are planning a Naval career or want to resign or retire, your family situation, and your medical situation if applicable.
Most importantly, though, is to be honest with both your Detailer and Specialty Leader. Most Specialty Leaders get along well with the Detailer, so if there is any disagreement between the three of you make sure that you keep things professional and respectful at all times. It’s a small Navy and, to be honest, it will be readily apparent if you are playing one off against the other.
O6 Billet Available – Navy Reserve Forces Command Force Surgeon
This is a call for nominations for the position of FORCE SURGEON COMNAVRESFOR (US), which is an excellent opportunity in the Norfolk area!
You must be a CAPT at time of fill in Summer 2016. You also need to be at your projected rotation date (PRD) in Summer 2016, but PERS will consider people who are CONUS with at least 2 years on station. (A command endorsement of your early rotation with a potential gap will be required.)
Contact your Detailer if you are interested. The application deadline is 20 NOV 2015.
Multiple National Capital Region Program Director Positions Open for 2016
The following National Capital Region program director positions will be opening in spring/summer 2016 in Bethesda:
1. Occupational Medicine Residency
2. Pathology Residency
3. Pediatric Infectious Diseases Fellowship
4. Pain Medicine Fellowship
5. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency
6. Body Imaging Fellowship
Contact your Detailer if you are interested in applying.
Senior Defense Health Agency Position Available
If you’re interested, contact your Detailer ASAP:
DHA, Chief of the Clinical Service Section
0-6 or 0-6 (SEL), Report in Mid-MARCH 2016
One of three section chiefs in the Immunization Healthcare Branch.
The role of Clinical Services Section is to anticipate, assess, and mitigate existing and emerging vaccine preventable disease by:
–Providing expert clinical consultation and case management 24 hours/day, 365 days a year
–Providing comprehensive healthcare clinical support and patient advocacy
–Supporting management of pandemic emergencies
–Delivering best quality immunization healthcare information, educational resources, and training services on-line and on-site
–Monitoring and evaluating the safety of vaccines
–Contributing to the body of knowledge in immunization healthcare through public health investigations, surveillance, and clinical studies
Responsible for leading and managing the 37 Civil Service employees in grades GS-11 to GP-15 assigned to the Clinical Operations Office and the Education and Training Office. My staff works in seven locations scattered
across the United States.
Preferred speciality in Aerospace Medicine/Occupational Medicine/Preventive Medicine.
The focus of what we do in the Immunization Healthcare Branch is population health, not direct patient care.
How to Manage Your PRD and Not Get Stuck with a Hotfill
(This is a re-post of one of my first blog posts. Since it was back in the beginning when the blog didn’t get much traffic, I wanted to repost it because I think it is one of the most important posts on the site:)
There are many important dates in your Navy career. One of the most important and neglected dates, though, is your projected rotation date or PRD. Your PRD is the month and year that your current orders will expire and you are scheduled to rotate to a new command. If you don’t manage your PRD and pay close attention to it, you can find yourself with few career options and in a situation you never thought you’d be in. With that in mind, here are my tips for managing your PRD.
First, know when it is because many physicians don’t know their PRD. If you are in this crowd, the easiest way to find your PRD is to login to BUPERS On-Line and look at block 14 of your Officer Data Card:
The other way to find your PRD is to contact your detailer because they can look it up in the detailing system. Many physicians don’t know their detailer, so here is a link to a page with “Contact Us” in the middle. That link will take you to your detailer’s contact info, but note that it is CAC protected:
http://www.npc.navy.mil/bupers-npc/officer/Detailing/rlstaffcorps/medical/Pages/default.aspx
Once you know your PRD, the easiest way to manage it is with whatever calendar you use (an app, web calendar like Google Calendar, Outlook, a date book, etc.). Place reminders in your calendar to correspond with these time frames:
13-18 MONTHS BEFORE YOUR PRD – This is when you should start thinking about your next career move. Although the normal time period to request an extension (find a template here) at your current command is 9-12 months before your PRD, many physicians request an extension during this time period if they are sure they want to extend. This is also a great time to talk to the operational detailer about operational billets you might have interest in or the senior detailer about what I’ll call “alternative billets” like those at DHA/BUMED, BUPERS, global health engagement billets, NAVMEDWEST, NAVMEDEAST, etc. If you act on your PRD in this timeframe, you’ll be well ahead of the game.
9-12 MONTHS BEFORE YOUR PRD – This is the traditional detailing window where you contact your detailer and specialty leader to negotiate your next career move. This is when physicians normally submit an extension request as well as explore potential billets for their next set of orders. The one caveat is that the availability of billets is often contingent on the results of the Graduate Medical Education Selection Board or GMESB. Since these results are not finalized until January, people with summer PRDs will find that they may have to wait beyond this time period to find out what billets are available and get orders.
6-8 MONTHS BEFORE YOUR PRD – This is when the list of billets that are actually available will solidify and most physicians will get orders. If you want to extend at your current command and you haven’t submitted an extension request yet, you should do that ASAP.
1-5 MONTHS BEFORE YOUR PRD – Many physicians will get into this period without orders. If it is because you were waiting on the results of the GMESB, you are probably fine. If you are in this period for another reason, you should get nervous. The truth is that unanticipated things always happen. Commanding Officers don’t endorse extension requests. Unanticipated openings cause a detailer and specialty leader to have a “hotfill” billet. When things like this happen, a detailer goes looking for officers close to their PRD to fill the need. If you are in this window without orders, you are low lying fruit for filling these needs. And just so you know, most of these “hotfills” are not in Rota or San Diego.
AT YOUR PRD OR BEYOND – Physicians let their PRDs pass all the time. Sometimes it is because they submit an extension request that never gets approved because it gets lost somewhere in the process. Other times they don’t know when their PRD is. Realistically, there is often no consequence if your PRD “expires,” although some commands will pick up on this fact and get your attention by threatening to take away your computer access. The biggest threat, though, is the aforementioned “hotfills” that inevitably show up. If your PRD is expired, you are going to rise to the top of the list when the detailer goes looking for people to fill that need. Have fun wherever that “hotfill” is.
THE BOTTOM LINE – Know when your PRD is and manage it according to the above timeline. This will give you the maximum chance of getting what you want and reduce the chance that you are selected for a “hotfill” you don’t want.
Senior O6 Positions in DC Area Available
Here are 2 senior (O6 or O6 select) positions available. If you are interested, contact your Detailer:
- Deputy M2 – M2 Deputy Position Description
- Chief of the Clinical Service Section, Immunization Healthcare Branch, Defense Health Agency
One of three section chiefs in the Immunization Healthcare Branch.
The role of Clinical Services Section is to anticipate, assess, and mitigate existing and emerging vaccine preventable disease by:
–Providing expert clinical consultation and case management 24 hours/day, 365 days a year
–Providing comprehensive healthcare clinical support and patient advocacy
–Supporting management of pandemic emergencies
–Delivering best quality immunization healthcare information, educational resources, and training services on-line and on-site
–Monitoring and evaluating the safety of vaccines
–Contributing to the body of knowledge in immunization healthcare through public health investigations, surveillance, and clinical studies
Responsible for leading and managing the 37 Civil Service employees in grades GS-11 to GP-15 assigned to the Clinical Operations Office and the Education and Training Office. The staff works in seven locations scattered across the United States.
Preferred speciality in Aerospace Medicine/Occupational Medicine/Preventive Medicine. The focus of what we do in the Immunization Healthcare Branch is population health, not direct patient care.
Director of Behavioral Health Position at Ft. Belvoir – Open July 2016
Here is the information on this leadership position for O5/O6 officers as well as some information on the directorate:
FBCH Dir for BH Request 15 Sept 15
Behavioral Health Directorate Welcome Letter
If you are interested, contact your Detailer.
Senior Operational Opportunities for Summer 2016
Here are some new opportunities. If you are interested, contact your Detailer:
1. CTF 76 Surgeon – Medical representative to admiral’s staff currently located at White Beach, Okinawa. The medical staff includes a Medical Planner (O-4 Billet), a Task Force IDC (E-8 Billet) and a Medical Inspector (E-7 IDC based in Sasebo). Responsibilities include being ISIC for the ships within CTF 76. There are 9 total (1 LHD, 1 LPD, 2 LSDs, and 4 MCMs based in Sasebo and 1 LCC in Yokosuka). CTF 76 Surgeon is Medical OPCON to all amphibious ships transiting through the 7th Fleet AOR and aid in any MEDEVAC issues that develop while ships are transiting the AOR. The CTF 76 Surgeon is responsible for monitoring the ships’ Medical Readiness and acting as clinical supervisor for the SMOs, GMOs and IDCs. CTF 76 Surgeon has a significant role in the planning and execution of the medical aspects for wartime contingencies, Pacific theater exercises, and in the event of natural disaster, the planning and execution of the medical portion of HA/DR.
2. OIC FST-7 – FST 7 is a 16 member surgical team that deploys aboard USS BONHOMME RICHARD (BHR). The team consists of 1 Surgeon, 1 Nurse Anesthetist, 1 OR nurse, 1 ICU Nurse, 1 Family Practitioner, 1 MRCO (Medical Regulating Control Officer) and 9 Corpsmen. The OIC is responsible for the credentialing, evaluations, fitness reports and training of team members. When not underway on the ship, FST 7 is ADDU to USNH Okinawa in order to maintain their skills and proficiency in their areas of expertise. There is usually a Spring Patrol (~2 months), a Fall Patrol (~3 months) and every other year a Summer deployment to Australia. This year the Summer deployment will role into the Fall Patrol with a number very exciting port visits in between. FST7 provides emergent and resuscitative surgery for Surgical Emergencies (i.e. Acute Abdomen, Trauma, etc). With FST7 aboard, BHR acts as a Level 2 trauma center and provides ICU care and stabilization for medical as well as surgical cases.
3. CPR11 Surgeon – COMPHIBRON11 is the afloat Amphibious Ready Group Commander usually embarked on the BHR. The CPR11 Surgeon is the Senior Medical authority afloat for all ships OPCON to CPR11 as well as the embarked Marine Forces (usually 31st MEU). While aboard the BHR, CPR11 Surgeon attends operations and
intelligence briefs, and provides daily updates to the COMMODORE and MEU COMMANDER on the medical status within the ARG. The FST is TAD to the BHR and reports directly to the Ship’s SMO who in turn reports to the CPR 11 Surgeon. Often while underway the CPR11 Surgeon provides medical advice for the junior GMOs and IDCs aboard the ships within the ARG. The CPR11 Surgeon with the MRCO coordinates all MEDEVACs from ARG Shipping. CPR11 has a busy deployment schedule and participates in many 7th Fleet exercises to include PHIBLEX (Philippines), COBRA GOLD (Thailand) and Talisman Saber (Australia).
O5/O6 Leadership Opportunities for Summer 2016
Below are multiple opportunities for CDRs and CAPTs. The POC for anyone interested in any of these opportunities is your Detailer:
- Multiple USMC leadership opportunities are available in summer 2016. Requirements include at least 1 prior successful FMF tour (FMFWO preferred), a track record of successful leadership roles, and no recent BCA/PFA failures (currently meets USMC fitness/uniform standards). Interested officers need to be eligible to PCS in Summer 2016. Anyone interested should send their CV and military bio to their Detailer by COB September 2nd:
| USMC Medical Corps Leadership | |
| Billet | Date of Position Turnover |
| HQMC Health Services | |
| Deputy Director Health Services, HQMC | Jul 2016 |
| Director of Clinical Programs | Jul 2016 |
| Director of Public Health | Jul 2016 |
| II Marine Expeditionary Force | |
| 2d MLG Surgeon | Jul 2016 |
| 2d Marine Division Surgeon | Jul 2016 |
| I Marine Expeditionary Force | |
| I MEF Surgeon | Jul 2016 |
| 1st Mar Division Surgeon | Jul 2016 |
| 3d Marine Air Wing Surgeon | Jan 2016 |
| III Marine Expeditionary Force | |
| 3rd Marine Division Surgeon | Jul 2016 |
| 1st Marine Aircraft Wing Surgeon | Jul 2016 |
- The Director, Defense Health Agency (DHA) requests Service nominations to fill the 0-6 level position of Chief of Staff, Fort Belvoir Community Hospital (FBCH). The position resides in the National Capital Region Medical Directorate (NCR MD) and the officer reports to the Director, FBCH. The duty station is Fort Belvoir, VA. The selected officer should plan to arrive in July 2016. Selected individual is expected to serve in the position for a minimum of 2 years from date of arrival at the DHA NCR MD. Anyone interested should send their CV and military bio to their Detailer by COB September 14th.
Sailor of 2025 Talent Management Initiatives
There are some exciting and interesting initiatives underway to modernize the Navy’s personnel system. There have been many articles on this in Navy Times. Here is one article recently released by the Military Officers Association of America.
In addition, here are some slides that describe this initiative:
The changes that physicians should be aware of, some already finalized and others representing potential changes, are:
- Pay and bonus changes that would reward individual talent rather than treat everyone the same.
- A removal of promotion zones. No longer would records be stamped as below-zone, in-zone, or above-zone during promotion boards. This would switch to a system that rewards talent and milestones rather than longevity. It would allow those that progress faster to promote faster and no longer have to “wait their turn” as well as remove the stigma that some feel is associated with being above-zone.
- Expansion of opportunities to diversify your career. Examples include an expansion of the career intermission program and fellowships providing officers with the opportunity to spend some time in civilian industry so that they can bring best practices back to the Navy.
- An information technology (IT) investment in a new, more transparent personnel management system. Ideas I have heard mentioned include eliminating all of the various computer systems that exist and consolidating them into one so that you don’t have to update your record in 20 different ways. An assignments system has also been mentioned that would allow officers to see all the billets available and apply for the ones that they want, giving commands the ability to pick which officers they want.
- Improved co-location policy. I have no details on this one, and right now I feel the detailers do a pretty good job co-locating dual active duty couples, but others may disagree.
- Changes to the physical fitness assessment/body composition assessment (PFA/BCA), which were detailed in this NAVADMIN. This includes expanded fitness center hours.
- Changes to the maternity leave policy, detailed in this NAVADMIN, and expanded child development center hours.
Keep in mind that while some of these changes have been released already, like the PFA/BCA and maternity leave policies, the rest are works in progress. I think it is interesting, though, to see that the DoD and Navy leadership are interesting in modernizing our personnel system and management. As a detailer who writes orders on a DOS-based system, I can assure you that modernization is sorely needed.
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