Initial Application for Board Certification Pay and Your Proof of Certification
Here is some info from BUMED about Board Certification Pay (BCP) for those applying for it the first time:
Please make sure that the date on the proof of board certification that you submit is reflective of the true date of your certification. The Special Pays team has encountered a few packages in which the date on the letter from the respective board is later than the actual date of certification. This particularly seems to impact the Internal Medicine community. Currently, the “fix” is for the individual to reach out to the board and ask for a revised letter reflecting the actual date of certification.
For awareness, BCP is retroactively paid to the date of board certification, so any disparity could result in forfeiture of hundreds/thousands of dollars.
We in the Corps Chief’s office are working to see if we can find a less administratively intensive way of getting the dates right, but in the meantime, it is in everyone’s best interest to make sure they are getting all the pay to which they are entitled.
Any question about special pays should be directed to your command’s special pays coordinator.
Use DoD ID Number and Not Your SSN on Letters to the Board
Live and learn…
You no longer use your social security number on letters to promotion boards. The middle of this webpage at PERS says:
Also, you MUST use your FULL 10 digit DoD identification number on your cover letter and any document that does not already contain it.
Here is the updated sample letter to a board from PERS.
Personal Finance for the Military Physician: A 2019 Update
I updated my Personal Finance for the Military Physician talk for 2019 and have this week’s articles listed below:
Here are this week’s articles:
1 in 3 eligible active-duty troops signed up for DoD’s new retirement system
10 Ways To Know You Are Competent to DIY Your Investments
12 Things You Should Know About Choosing a Financial Adviser
Diversification is (Almost) Undefeated
Here’s How the Stock Market Has Historically Performed After a Down Year
Mil Money: Here’s how you can get the most out of the new military retirement system
MILTAX: FREE TAX SERVICES – THE ESSENTIALS
My Money Is Worth More Than Your Money
Nursing Dollars (a discussion on long-term care insurance)
The Gift of Life (a discussion of life expectancy and the financial implications)
Director, Primary Care and Branch Clinics/Navy Medical Readiness Training Unit Director – Naval Medical Center Portsmouth – O5/O6
All the info is in this document, with applications due by 23 JAN:
The Navy is Not Going to Let You Retire Early
There have been recent discussions about cuts in military medicine and POM20, and some people found this recently signed policy about early retirements. They put 2 and 2 together and figured that they might be able to retire early.
The message from BUMED is that this was merely the required periodic update of the existing early retirement policy. It was unfortunate timing and there are no plans to use it that they know of.
If that changes, you’ll hear it here as soon as I can get it out there.
CAC-less: The Future of Navy Mobile Applications
WASHINGTON (NNS) — The Navy released a new mobile application that allows Sailors to access a portion of their Electronic Training Jacket (ETJ) without using a Common Access Card (CAC).
NAVADMIN 008/19 announced the launch of MyNavy Portal MyRecord Mobile (Beta) App on Jan. 8, marking a new era for both the Navy and Sailors.
“The Navy is committed to transforming how it delivers human resources services – personnel, pay and training – services to our Sailors,” said Vice Adm. Robert Burke, chief of naval personnel. The launch of the MyNavy Portal MyRecord Mobile (Beta) App is our first step to providing these services without using a Common Access Card. We are committed to expanding CAC-less services with the same level of security and convenience Sailors expect from their personal banking services. In time, Sailors will be able to conduct all personnel transactions using their mobile device.”
The initial release has limited functionality by design and will display only a portion of a Sailor’s ETJ in a read-only mode. This initial release has limited functionality specifically linked to a portion of personnel and training information from the ETJ of the Sailor, in a read-only mode, as the primary function of the release is to evaluate the CAC-less access.
By rolling out the MyRecord App in a Beta format, Sailors will be able to provide feedback for the Navy to improve the application and overall Sailor experience. Reviewing a record on the MyRecord Mobile (Beta) App does not replace a Sailor’s responsibility to conduct a full record review for boards. Sailors should still conduct a full record review as they do today to ensure accuracy of their entire record.
Sailors should also keep in mind that as a Beta release, early testing indicated an occasional error resulting in the misalignment of data fields. Before submitting records for correction, first verify their status on the MyNavy Portal (MNP) desktop version of MyRecord.
“We find Sailor feedback and suggestions are critical for a successful application,” said David Driegert, program manager for the Navy’s Sea Warrior Program (PMW 240). “Our Sailors are tech savvy and when we include them in the process, the end result is always a better application. We want their candid feedback, what they like and dislike about the app and what future capabilities they desire.”
Going CAC-less is a multi-step process and requires Sailors to enable CAC-free setup in MNP. They must also download the MyRecord App and a Navy-approved third-party application, Okta Verify. Okta Verify allows Sailors to create a secure Multi-Factor Authentication account to log-into the MyRecord (Beta) App. Sailors may receive an email regarding the activation of their account, however no action is required.
The entire process should take less than five minutes and can be used on mobile devices with iOS version 10, 11, and 12 or Android version 6, 7, 8 and 9. Step-by-step instructions to go CAC-less are available in NAVADMIN 008/19.
Both mobile apps are available for free in the Apple App Store, Google Play Store and the Navy App Locker.
Burke added, “Starting with the MyRecord Mobile (Beta) App launch in January, new capabilities and functionality will be released over time. Sailors can expect continuous updates to the app that will offer more tools right at their fingertips and allow them and their spouse to accomplish things that used to require a trip to a Personnel Support Detachment. Coupled with the Customer Service and responsiveness of MNCC, you can expect continuous improvement in how personnel service are delivered in the coming months.”
Sailors can send their comments to the MyNavy Career Center (MNCC) Contact Center either by selecting the email link on the Beta release in the MyRecord App (askmncc@navy.mil) or by calling 1-833-330-MNCC (6622). Sailors should also contact MNCC if they are experiencing any difficulty with the app.
“This app allows Sailors greater flexibility on when and where they can access their personnel information, allowing them to maintain continued focus on their job and operational environment,” said Driegert.
For more information about MyNavy Portal MTP&E’s Transformation and Sailor 2025 initiatives, visit the CNP website at https://www.navy.mil/cnp/index.asp, or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/usnpeople/ or Twitter at https://twitter.com/usnpeople.
Get more information about the Navy from US Navy facebook or twitter.
For more news from Chief of Naval Personnel, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnp/.
Military.com – More Than 17,000 Uniformed Medical Jobs Eyed for Elimination
Here is an article about the cuts, also discussed in my POM20 post:
More Than 17,000 Uniformed Medical Jobs Eyed for Elimination
Finance Friday Articles
Jonathan Clements has a free, comprehensive, and continuously updated financial guide. He just announced the updates were made for 2019. It is a great resource for any financial topic, which you can find here:
This is also a great page to check out if you are looking to do a quick self-assessment of some portion of your financial life:
Here are this week’s articles:
10 Things Investors Can Expect in 2019
Celebrating Ten Years With The Backdoor Roth IRA
Student Loan Refinancing – Advice From the Trenches
Updating My Favorite Performance Chart for 2018
USU Outreach in Tropical Medicine
The Uniformed Services University (USU) Outreach in Tropical Medicine is CME approved and exploits the large amount of clinical care and public health practice relevant content of our graduate certificate in tropical medicine. It will be available this spring with remote access via Adobe Connect.
For those with interest, here is the CME activity brochure and learning objectives to help further describe the activity’s approach. Applicants who do not have .mil e-access must contact Dr. Brett-Major directly to become registered. His contact info is in the activity brochure.
Guest Post: The Fellowship-Retention Bonus “Loophole” Still Exists; Are You Eligible?
By Dustin Schuett, DO
Note: The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense or the United States Government.
The 2018 Navy Graduate Medical Education Selection Board results were released 12 DEC 2018. For a select few Navy physicians pursuing fellowship, the opportunity exists to take a Retention Bonus (RB, formerly Multi-year Specialty Pay) and pay back their fellowship obligation and the RB obligation concurrently without extending their Navy commitment.
To be eligible, the physician must meet all of the following requirements:
- Be at 8 years or more of active duty time in the Medical Corps.
- Have completed all pre-commissioning obligation time:
- All initially obligated HPSP/USUHS/HSCP time AND any ROTC or USNA obligated time
- This does not include residency obligation time
Essentially, if you went to medical school on a 4 year HPSP scholarship, have completed or will have completed 4 or more years of combined GMO and post-residency payback time BEFORE starting fellowship and have 8 total years active duty Medical Corps time, you’re likely eligible.
Here is my personal example:
4 year HPSP > 1 year internship > 2 years as a GMO > 5 years of residency > 2 years post-residency staff time (4 total including GMO time) = 4 years of total payback completing HPSP obligation, 10 years in Medical Corps
As an orthopaedic surgeon, our annual Incentive Pay (IP) is $59,000. I was able to take a 3 year RB which increases my IP to $73,000 annually plus an additional $33,000 lump sum paid annually for a total of $106,000/year, a $47,000 increase per year without increasing my obligation time.
If you have questions about special pay, please follow the current BUMED guidance:
If there are any questions please direct them to your HRD/Admin/Special Pays Coordinator, or Specialty Leader, who will forward to BUMED inquiries they are unable answer at the command level, but no individuals should be bypassing their local command admin support, since they need to be able to understand the issues, and responses, to be able to better support the command.
For more information, see the Medical Corps Special Pay Guidance that can be found on the BUMED Special Pays website.
Good Luck!
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