Education
Tips to Get Selected for GME
The Graduate Medical Education Selection Board (GMESB) results were released last month with a 30 DEC deadline to accept or decline any spots you were offered. Undoubtedly there were some people who didn’t get what they want. I’ve participated in the last three GMESBs and would like to offer tips for people looking to match for GME in the future. We’ll cover general tips and those specific for internship and residency/fellowship:
General Tips
- Money is getting tight for permanent change of station (PCS) moves at BUPERS. I think you can increase your chances of matching in GME by being local, or at least on the same coast, as the GME program where you want to train. Keep this in mind when you are picking your Flight Surgery (FS), Undersea Medical Officer (UMO), General Medical Officer (GMO), or post-residency assignments.
- You can increase your score at the GMESB by having publications. If you want to give yourself the best chance of maximizing your score, you need at least two peer-reviewed publications. Any publications or scholarly activity have the chance to get you points, but having two peer-reviewed publications is the goal you should be trying to reach.
- Be realistic about your chances of matching. If you are applying to a competitive specialty and you’ve failed a board exam or had to repeat a year in medical school, you are probably not going to match in that specialty. There are some specialties where you can overcome a major blight on your record, but there are some where you can’t. If this is applicable to you, the residency director or specialty leader should be able to give you some idea of your chances. Will they be honest and direct with you? I’m not sure, but it can’t hurt to ask.
- If you are having trouble matching in the Navy for GME, you may have a better chance as a civilian. By the time you pay back your commitment to the Navy, you are a wiser, more mature applicant that some civilian residency programs might prefer over an inexperienced medical student. You’ll also find some fairly patriotic residency programs, usually with faculty who are prior military, that may take you despite your academic struggles.
Tips for Medical Students Applying for Internship
- Do everything you can to do a rotation with the GME program you want to match at. You want them to know who you are.
- When you are applying for internship, make sure your 2nd choice is not a popular internship (Emergency Medicine, Orthopedics, etc.). If you don’t match in your 1st choice and your 2nd choice is a popular internship, then it will likely have filled during the initial match. This means you get put in the “intern scramble” and you’ll likely wind up in an internship you didn’t even list on your application.
- Your backup plan if you don’t match should be an alternative program at the same site where you eventually want to match for residency. For example, in my specialty (Emergency Medicine or EM) we only have residencies at NMCP and NMCSD. If someone doesn’t match for an EM internship at NMCP or NMCSD, they will have a better chance of eventually matching for EM residency if they do an internship locally, like a transitional internship. Internships at Walter Reed or any other hospital without an EM program are quality programs, but it is much easier to pledge the fraternity if you are physically present and can get to know people, attending conferences and journal clubs when you can.
- You need to think about what you will do in your worst-case scenario, a 1-year civilian deferment for internship. Many of the medical students I interviewed did not have a plan if they got a 1-year deferment. I think every medical student needs to do one of two things. Either they should pick 10-15 civilian transitional year internships (or whatever internship they want) and apply to those just in case they get a 1-year deferment, or they should just plan to apply to internships late or scramble if this unlikely event happens to you. Most medical students do not grasp the concept that this could happen to them and have no plan to deal with it if it does. It is an unlikely event, especially if you are a strong applicant, and you can always just scramble at the last minute, but this is an issue that every medical student should think through. If you are going to just scramble at the last minute, that is fine, but it should be an informed choice.
Tips for Officers Applying for Residency or Fellowship
- You should show up whenever you can for conferences and journal clubs. Again, you want them to know who you are and by attending these events when you can you demonstrate your commitment to the specialty and their program.
- Always get a warfare device (if one is available) during your FS, UMO, or GMO tour. Not having it is a red flag.
New Online Application Process for USUHS Faculty Appointments
The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) has a new process for applications for faculty appointments, summarized in this Powerpoint:
USUHS Faculty Appointment PPT Go-By
Here are some forms you’ll need:
Program Director & Command Endorsement Template Letter for USU Faculty Appointment
NAVADMIN – Applications for 2018 Navy Legislative Fellowship – O3-O5
NAVADMIN 265/16
SUBJ/2018 NAVY LEGISLATIVE FELLOWSHIP CALL FOR APPLICATIONS//
REF/A/DOC/BUPERS/12NOV10//
AMPN/REF A IS BUPERSINST 1560.21E, LEGISLATIVE FELLOWS PROGRAM.//
RMKS/1. This NAVADMIN solicits applications for the 2018 Navy Legislative
Fellows Program. The Legislative Fellows Program allows naval officers,
senior enlisted and Department of the Navy civilians to broaden their
understanding of the legislative process and the operation of the U.S.
Congress through a year-long full-time assignment to the office of a member
of the House of Representatives or the Senate. The Legislative Fellows
Program also enhances the ability of the Navy to fulfill its role in the
national policy development process.
2. This is a highly competitive program. Records must reflect sustained
superior performance and potential for future assignments in critical
billets. Upon completion of the program, officers earn an additional
legislative qualification designator. Additionally, there is an opportunity
to earn a legislative studies certificate through a sponsoring agency.
3. Military Applicants. Participation is open to all active-duty and Full-
Time Support unrestricted line officers, restricted line officers, and staff
corps officers in the permanent grades of O-3 through O-5. Enlisted
participation is open to all Navy occupational specialty codes in the
permanent grades of E-7 through E-9. The selection process will focus on
individual performance, promotion potential, academic and subspecialty
qualifications, needs of the Navy, and availability for follow-on assignment.
Officers with permanent change of station orders already issued will not be
considered.
a. Applications must be available for permanent change of station
assignment to Washington, DC, from November 2017 through December 2018.
During the fellowship, officers and senior enlisted Sailors will be assigned
to the Office of Legislative Affairs for administrative purposes. Upon
execution of orders, fellows agree to serve for three years following
completion or termination of the fellowship. A follow-on utilization tour in
legislative affairs is preferred (making career timing an important
consideration), but depends on community-specific billet requirements, needed
officer progression, and availability of legislative assignments. All
officer applicants must contact their detailers for counseling on the career
impact of participation in the Legislative Fellowship Program.
b. Submit applications via e-mail to the Office of Legislative Affairs
point of contact no later than 31 March 2017. Program information and
submission guidance are available on the Navy Legislative Affairs website at
http://www.navy.mil/local/ola/legislative_fellowship1.asp.
c. Points of contact are LCDR Nicole Williams, Navy Fellows Program
Manager at (703) 697-2885/DSN 227 or via e-mail at
nicole.williams3(at)navy.mil and LCDR Ian Lopez, Graduate Education
Placement, PERS-440, at (901) 874-4056/DSN 882 or via e-mail at
ian.lopez(at)navy.mil.
Director for Education, Training, and Research at Walter Reed – O5/O6 Position
All the info is in this PDF:
The qualified officer should be in the grade of O5/O6, have senior leadership experience, and be able to serve a minimum of 2 years. If you are interested, contact your Specialty Leader or Detailer.
FY17 Navy Medicine Leadership Course Catalog & AMDOC Information
Here is the FY17 Navy Medicine Leadership Course Catalog:
FY17 Navy Medicine Leadership Course Catalog
AMDOC remains the most requested course, and it is challenging to get into. For example, the next AMDOC course had 77 Medical Corps applicants for 12 spots. BUMED prioritizes for those who are about to come into zone for promotion to allow greatest selection opportunity. When you apply to AMDOC be sure to include where you are in the promotion cycle in your application. You may have to apply numerous times before you are selected.
USU’s Health Professions Education Degree Program Seeks Providers
(Re-posted from this link.)
The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences is seeking military health care professionals who would like to gain expertise in leadership, research and theories in one of the university’s new innovative and dynamic graduate programs.
Last year, USU’s F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine launched the Master of Health Professions Education and the Doctor of Philosophy in Health Professions Education as it became clear there was a need for leaders with academic skills within all military services. Many senior-ranking physician educators and program leaders had retired, separated from the military, or had changed their career path. These new degree programs offer a chance for military providers to fulfill that need in the military health system, and become educational leaders and scholars.
“Those who complete these programs will be very well prepared to serve as academic leaders, such as program directors, clerkship directors, service chiefs, chairs, or educational deans,” explained Dr. Steven Durning, director of graduate programs in HPE. “They’ll also contribute to the continuous advancement of health professions education and research in the MHS as well as in the civilian community.”
The programs are geared toward active duty military personnel who are health professionals, including physicians, nurses, dentists, as well as Defense Department civilian health professionals working in the MHS or the Public Health Service. The programs can be completed on a part- or full-time basis, and blend face-to-face coursework and practicum opportunities with a robust online learning community. The programs focus on a number of competencies, including leadership, scholarship and research, teaching, learning and assessment, and communication.
“Our HPE programs are staff by a world-class faculty who have published more than 500 peer-reviewed journal articles and have won more than $30 million in grant funding for educational research,” said Dr. Louis Pangaro, chair of USU’s department of medicine, which oversees the degree program.
Military health care professionals are “highly regarded, exceptional leaders who are committed to intellectual development and professional growth,” Durning said.
Advanced degrees in health professions education are also increasingly emphasized as a requirement for academic leadership positions throughout the nation’s medical educational system, he added, and so these programs are expected to have a lasting impact on both the MHS and the civilian community.
Improving Educational Methods
The first student to enroll in the PhD program, Dr. Matthew D’Angelo, agreed with those sentiments. He is an assistant professor and Interim Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing, and has been teaching graduate level nursing for the last decade.
“The HPE program has offered countless experiences where I’m given the opportunity to reflect on how I, and the programs within the GSN, deliver curriculum and how it is evaluated,” D’Angelo said.
The program has helped him conceptualize and develop online teaching materials for austere anesthesia, he said. In turn, he has created a new faculty orientation seminar, covering a variety of topics in education.
What he most enjoys about the program is learning the basis of “why” he teaches the way he teaches.
“I think good teaching is often intuitive, but the administration of education is far more complex … I (now) think differently about how I teach and how we instruct our advanced practice nursing students.”
He added that the workload has been challenging, requiring a breadth of understanding in a range of topics, but the faculty have been supportive.
“Modern education is far more complex that it was 20 years ago,” he said. “As we, as a society, move to competency-based education, faculty will need to be versed in rigorous assessment techniques and have a solid foundation in curriculum design … The HPE program, by far, will be an asset to the university and the future of military health care education.”
Interested health professionals can apply here.
Two USUHS Chair Positions Available – Military/Emergency Medicine and Prev Med/Biostatistics
The details are in these documents. Nominations are through Specialty Leaders, so contact your Specialty Leader ASAP if you are interested in either position:
Intern Specialty Leader Position Available – O4-O6
Navy Medicine Intern Specialty Leader
Remember that “Specialty Leader” has historically led to a promotion to CAPT…
Intern Specialty Leader Position Description
POSITION VACANCY. The Navy Medicine Intern Specialty Leader (SL) is responsible for the administrative coordination of all Navy Medicine post-graduate year 1 (PGY-1) trainees and reports to the Navy Surgeon General via the Corps Chief’s office. Intern SL is a collateral duty; provider administrative discounts are negotiated at the command level.
LOCATION. Eligible candidates must be assigned or have orders to a CONUS MTF with PGY-1 trainees.
POSITION DESCRIPTION. Roles and responsibilities of the Intern Specialty Leader include but are not limited to:
- Provide advice and counsel to Navy Medicine leadership on matters concerning scoring, placement, and training of PGY-1 Graduate Medical Education trainees.
- Provide expertise for effective policy decisions to support and ensure graduating PGY-1’s are ready to assume the responsibility of serving as a General Medical Officer, Flight Surgeon, or Undersea Medical Officer or enter residency training at the conclusion of PGY-1 training.
- Collaborate with Specialty Leaders, Navy Graduate Medical Education, BUPERS, Medical Corps Accessions, USU and GME leaders at respective training facilities to ensure a successful PGY-1 Graduate Medical Education Selection Board process.
- Attend Medical Education Policy Council meetings either in person or via video-teleconference.
- Mentor medical students and PGY-1’s regarding career opportunities and challenges.
- As SL, serve as panel chair at Joint Graduate Medical Education Selection Board for Navy Transitional Interns.
KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS REQUIRED BY POSITION
- Board-certified physician with a strong clinical and medical education background. Fleet/operational experience is preferred but not required.
- Expertise gained through diverse management/leadership positions such as a Division Officer, Department Head, Program Director or Command Intern Advisor.
- A strong interest in providing advocacy for all Navy PGY-1 programs across Navy Medicine.
- A working knowledge of Graduate Medical Education administration and a solid understanding of professional development, education and training.
- A track record of superior performance in previous positions.
- Excellent military bearing. No recent PFA failures.
Applications are open to qualified Navy Medical Corps (O-4/O-6). The length of assignment is 36 months with projected selection Dec 2016. Target interview dates late November, with a decision by December 2016.
Submission packets will include:
(1) Bio
(2) Letter of intent
(3) Curriculum vitae or resume
(4) Performance Summary Record
(5) Officer Summary Record
(4) Letter(s) of Recommendation (optional)
Submit completed package via email to Mr. Rogers Fluellen NLT 07 NOV 2016.
Interested candidates are encouraged to contact CAPT Carl Petersen if they have questions about the position.
Associate Dean of Clinical Sciences Position at USUHS – CAPT/CAPT(s) Only
If you are interested in this position, contact your Specialty Leader or Detailer. The announcement is here. It would need to be filled in early to mid-2017:
Directly supervises 360 junior officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Public Health Service. Coordinates the School of Medicine’s curriculum and educational programs in the third and fourth years, monitors academic performance in the third- and fourth-year students, and assists fourth-year students in their preparation for Graduate Medical Education applications and selection. Responsible for the School of Medicine’s academic standard in the clinical sciences, as well as personal and professional growth and development of individual students throughout their third and fourth years. Serves on standing committees that directly affect students, to include the Curriculum Committee, Student Promotions Committee, and Board on Review for Interservice Transfers.
Enlisted to Medical Degree Prep Program
If you work with any enlisted members (they don’t have to be medical) who you think would make an excellent physician, make sure they know about this program. The deadline for applicants is 1 NOV 2016:
Joel Schofer's Career Planning Blog 