Command Surgeon at National Defense University – O5/O6
BLUF: Command Surgeon wanted for National Defense University (NDU) in Washington, DC. During the 2nd year you attend the senior service school.
Qualifications requested include:
- O5/O6
- Have confirmation from the Detailer that they could PCS and start in June 2019.
- Interested docs should be candidates for executive medicine in the future.
- They also should expect to do a utilization tour after attending NDU.
Here is the Memorandum of Agreement that provides some details.
All applications need to be submitted to CDR Melissa Austin at BUMED NLT than 22 FEB. Her e-mail is in the global.
Navy Updates Medical Waiver Process
The decision to update this policy came about as a result of Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent’s leadership and continued persistence to ensure the best processes are in place for the Navy. Her sacrifice and service to the Navy and our nation will never be forgotten.
This new policy, which was named in her honor, establishes a standardized waiver process that affords a pathway to appeal medical waiver recommendations. A mechanism is now in place for the service representatives to pursue a second medical waiver review on otherwise qualified applicants.
When a second medical waiver review is requested, a Navy medical professional with delegated authority will evaluate the applicant’s capability to enlist or commission despite the fact that a disqualifying condition may exist. Disqualifying medical conditions are defined in Department of Defense Instruction 6130.03, “Medical Standards for Appointment, Enlistment, or Induction into the Military Services.”
This change standardizes the initial review process, ensuring all reviewers have access to the same information and are provided standardized training. This will result in decreased variability among medical reviewers and more robust reviews of all details associated with a case in pursuit of the most favorable determination.
Perhaps most importantly, the policy memo firmly states the surgeon general’s strong expectation, shared by all Navy leaders that the highest consideration should be afforded to those applicants currently serving in a deployable status.
Navy Medicine is a global health care network of 63,000 personnel which provides health care support to the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, their families, and veterans in high operational-tempo environments, at expeditionary medical facilities, medical treatment facilities, hospitals, clinics, hospital ships and research units around the world.
Get more information about the Navy from US Navy facebook or twitter.
For more news from Navy Medicine, visit www.navy.mil/local/mednews/.
My White Coat Investor (@WCInvestor) Guest Podcast and Finance Friday Articles
Here’s a link to my guest spot on the White Coat Investor site and podcast:
Being a Military Doctor – Podcast #92
Here are this week’s articles:
4 Simple Ways to Include a Pension in your FI Plan
4 Ways to Accelerate the Power of Compound Interest
10 Things More Productive Than Whining About Job Satisfaction (and the doctors who did them)
Emergency Fund: How Much Should I Save?
How To Overcome The 5 Barriers To Financial Success For High-Income Professionals
I am a Doctor and I Hate My Job: The Cure for Burnout
I am Burned Out Now What? Causes and Solutions
Putting All Your Eggs In One Basket
Stop Thinking Like a Dog, It’s Killing Your Future!
The case for global equity investing (and a happy marriage)
US News & World Report: Pentagon Plans Massive Reorganization of Military Medicine
Here’s a link to this recent and controversial article:
Updated Fitrep Prep Document
Yesterday I updated my Fitrep Prep document, which is available on this page. It walks you through how to write your fitrep block by block, and if you are not using it to write your fitreps you are probably missing out. (I could be a tad biased though.)
Transformation Underway Across the Military Health System
This is a really good article by the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs that summarizes all the changes we are experiencing. If you feel like you could benefit from a good summary of what is going on, read this article:
FY20 Staff Corps O6 Convening Order and Promotion Opportunities
The FY20 Staff Corps O6 Promotion Board Convening Order was released today. On page 2, you can see the following promotion opportunities:
- Medical Corps – 81%
- Dental Corps – 89%
- Medical Service Corps – 60%
- Nurse Corps – 50%
Promotion board math was reviewed last year and can be confusing, but what it means is this…
Pretend there were 100 physicians in zone for O6. The board could select 81 for O6, but that 81 comes from all of those eligible. In other words, anyone picked from below, in, or above zone counts toward the 81. This means your chances of being selected in zone are much less than the promotion opportunity of 81% because of all the above and below zone eligibles.
Just to give some Medical Corps perspective, here is the historical promotion opportunity as far back as I have it:
| FY13 | FY14 | FY15 | FY16 | FY17 | FY18 | FY19 | FY20 | |
| LCDR | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | |
| CDR | 80% | 80% | 70% | 70% | 65% | 75% | 85% | |
| CAPT | 60% | 60% | 60% | 50% | 70% | 80% | 90% | 81% |
Free Personal Finance Book, Changes to the TSP L Funds, and Finance Friday Articles
The Physician Philosopher is offering his new book, The Physician Philosopher’s Guide to Personal Finance, for free if you sign up for his e-mail list. I haven’t read the book yet, but his blog posts are quality which portends well for the book.
Here is the Jan – Feb 2019 edition of the TSP Highlights newsletter. It mentions the changes to the Lifecycle funds that started last month and will give them a more aggressive asset allocation. They include:
Effective in January 2019, we will increase exposure to international stocks (the I Fund) from 30% to 35% of the overall stock allocation in all L Funds. The L Income Fund stock allocation (C, S, and I Funds combined) will increase from 20% to 30% over a period of up to 10 years. The L 2030, L 2040, and L 2050 overall stock allocations will hold steady for a period of years before resuming their transitions from stocks to bonds. In addition to improving investment outcomes, this pause will align the L 2030, L 2040, and L 2050 Funds with the L 2060 Fund, which will be introduced in 2020 with an initial stock allocation of 99%.
Here are this week’s personal finance articles:
7 Risks of Investing in Real Estate
Military tax tips: New tax law is (mostly) good news
Should You Invest in Real Estate Over a 401(k)?
Stocks Got You Down? How to Stop Worrying
Stop Whining About Job Satisfaction
Student Loan Management When Both Spouses Work
The Reality of Real Estate Investing: It’s Not as Easy as It Seems
Why the Future of Life Insurance May Depend on Your Online Presence
Medical Flag Officer Promotions
The Congressional site just revealed who our latest flag officer promotions are. Congratulations to:
Medical Corps – RDML(s) James L. Hancock
Medical Service Corps – RDML(s) Timothy H. Weber
Dental Corps – RADM(s) Gayle D. Shaffer
How to Be Considered for Promotion if You’ve Been on Active Duty for Less Than 1 Year
The FY20 promotion board NAVADMIN was released in December. If you are in-zone or above-zone for an upcoming promotion board but you’ve been on active duty for less than 1 year, you should read #5 from the NAVADMIN, which says:
5. In-zone and above-zone eligible officers in the grades of lieutenant,
lieutenant commander and commander, whose placement on the Active -Duty List
is within one year of the convening dates of these boards, are automatically
deferred unless they specifically request to be considered. The officer may
waive this deferment and request consideration for promotion, in writing,
emailed to NPC_Officer_SELBD_Elig_Waivers.fct(AT)navy.mil or mailed
to:Commander, Navy Personnel Command (PERS-802)
5720 Integrity Drive
Millington, TN 38055-0000The request must be received by PERS-80 not later than 30 days prior to the
convening date of the board. All officers are reminded it is their
responsibility to ensure their personnel records are substantially accurate
and complete.
What does this mean and why would it apply to you? Maybe you had prior service, you went to medical school, and now you’re a senior LT who is in-zone for LCDR right away. Maybe you did a civilian NADDS residency and you are in-zone right away for LCDR. There might be other situations that would put you in this position, like getting time-in-grade credit for a PhD.
If you believe you are in this position, here is what I’d do:
- Confirm you are in-zone or above-zone. How can you do this? The easiest way is to either read the Promo Prep or get the FY20 lineal list. Or you can use this document from PERS.
- If you wish to be considered for promotion to LCDR, CDR, or CAPT, so what it says above. Send the letter simply requesting this. It can probably be a very short letter. There is no need to be verbose.
- Finally, contact PERS-802: Selection Board Eligibility Branch because I know people who did only #2 (sent a letter) and were not considered. Here’s what their website says:
If you have questions concerning promotion boards, eligibility for promotion boards, please contact the MyNavy Career Center at (833) 330-MNCC or askmncc@navy.mil.
PERS-802, Branch Head, (901) 874-4537
Officer Active and Reserve Eligibility Section
Section Supervisor (901) 874-3324
Also, here is a great article on this topic from the August 2018 Medical Corps Newsletter:
Joel Schofer's Career Planning Blog 