Many places you can drop a lot of your schedule and turn it into a part time job if you want.
EDIT: I agree though, I'm a junior WB FO and that plus reserves is way too much work/schedule variability.
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Dual Designate vs Re-designate vs Pilot Physician
- Thread starter vikingemand
- Start date
Many places you can drop a lot of your schedule and turn it into a part time job if you want.
EDIT: I agree though, I'm a junior WB FO and that plus reserves is way too much work/schedule variability.
It was intriguing… went to medical school and residency while on furlough, took recall after residency. Works VA 2-3 days a week and flies other 12-14 days a month as a captain. Yeah, makes a bunch of money (and qualifies for pension at VA).
Ive seen med school and residency from the passenger seat. No thanks. If I get furloughed I’ll go to work at Walmart and sell feet pics instead… better hours, less demoralizing…
I went through advanced in Meridian back in ‘77 with this flight surgeon. He went on to fly Intruders. The path he followed was likely different than today's, but his lessons learned might be valuable.
www.medicalnewstoday.com
Dr. Kenneth Koskella, MD: Orthopedic Surgeon - Poulsbo, WA - Medical News Today
Dr. Kenneth Koskella, MD is an Orthopedic Surgeon in Poulsbo, WA. Explore Dr. Koskella's background and schedule appointments with Medical News Today.
www.medicalnewstoday.com
vikingemand
New Member
Thanks all for the replies. From the answers here, as well as from the digging I've been doing on the inside, it appears AMDD will be essentially zero probability. It also sounds like its not what I want. If I did this, I'd want it for real. Not a half and half combo who doesnt really do either. I'm not all that passionate about medicine. It's just a job.
I spoke with him last week. He relayed what I paraphrased in my first reply. He was able to sell the idea because there have been no AMDD's (going either direction) in the CMV-22 platform. He is the first. There have been 3 that I know of that went physician-to-pilot AMDD since 1997, the demand just isnt there. We spitballed other options and came to the conclusion that the only way for me to be a Navy pilot is finish my HPSP committment (which is done for me JUL2027) and just do it the normal way. Go to OCS/select SNA, fully redisgnate to 1310...
In case anyone is wondering, he's on a pure fleet pilot sea tour right now, as his first out of the RAG. No medical expectations of him at all. The "you'll be the squadrons flight doc and a line pilot" idea is not reality.
Pilot_man, I really appreciate the reality check. Its not really about money at the moment, its more a question of pursue something I'm passionate about or pursue a great, lucrative career...Heres the numbers : If I complete a military residency I'll owe whats left of HPSP and then year for year for residency. So wont even be making $200k as a Navy doc (even residency trained) for the next 10 years. 4 years of residency and 6 years AD payback after. Get out after that for private practice and the numbers jump of course. But get out after 10 year aviation contract, do a short residency and go private practice and I'm not much further behind...
Thanks, I'll see if I can reach out to him or hell, meet him in person. I'm on Whidbey.
V/r,
VM
I spoke with him last week. He relayed what I paraphrased in my first reply. He was able to sell the idea because there have been no AMDD's (going either direction) in the CMV-22 platform. He is the first. There have been 3 that I know of that went physician-to-pilot AMDD since 1997, the demand just isnt there. We spitballed other options and came to the conclusion that the only way for me to be a Navy pilot is finish my HPSP committment (which is done for me JUL2027) and just do it the normal way. Go to OCS/select SNA, fully redisgnate to 1310...
In case anyone is wondering, he's on a pure fleet pilot sea tour right now, as his first out of the RAG. No medical expectations of him at all. The "you'll be the squadrons flight doc and a line pilot" idea is not reality.
Pilot_man, I really appreciate the reality check. Its not really about money at the moment, its more a question of pursue something I'm passionate about or pursue a great, lucrative career...Heres the numbers : If I complete a military residency I'll owe whats left of HPSP and then year for year for residency. So wont even be making $200k as a Navy doc (even residency trained) for the next 10 years. 4 years of residency and 6 years AD payback after. Get out after that for private practice and the numbers jump of course. But get out after 10 year aviation contract, do a short residency and go private practice and I'm not much further behind...
I went through advanced in Meridian back in ‘77 with this flight surgeon. He went on to fly Intruders. The path he followed was likely different than today's, but his lessons learned might be valuable.
Dr. Kenneth Koskella, MD: Orthopedic Surgeon - Poulsbo, WA - Medical News Today
Dr. Kenneth Koskella, MD is an Orthopedic Surgeon in Poulsbo, WA. Explore Dr. Koskella's background and schedule appointments with Medical News Today.
Thanks, I'll see if I can reach out to him or hell, meet him in person. I'm on Whidbey.
V/r,
VM
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I’m surprised no one’s suggested the OP go the Navy SEAL -> Harvard doctor -> NASA astronaut route yet.
You forgot NASA Astronaut -> Navy helicopter pilot.
Proof that dreams really can come true—even for astronauts.
In all seriousness, the doctors I know (former active duty Navy docs, and civ docs that never served, alike) all do very well for themselves. Salaries in big metro areas can go from $300-500k. If you go to a rural area with fewer doctors though, you can double that.
You could also probably start your own concierge practice specializing in pilots and flight attendants where you have 400+ patients each paying you an annual $1k or more fee (which is low… I’ve recently seen $1,500-1,700) just to be a patient of yours. And you still get normal insurance money on top of that. Recruit a couple former Navy doctors to join you, let them keep a portion of the concierge fee for new patients they bring in, and scale up your business.
You could also probably start your own concierge practice specializing in pilots and flight attendants where you have 400+ patients each paying you an annual $1k or more fee (which is low… I’ve recently seen $1,500-1,700) just to be a patient of yours. And you still get normal insurance money on top of that. Recruit a couple former Navy doctors to join you, let them keep a portion of the concierge fee for new patients they bring in, and scale up your business.
Fins Out
Well-Known Member
I highly doubt you'll find many flight attendants paying for the privilege of concierge medicine.
Probably the same on the airline pilot side. I flew with a captain who enthusiastically told me there was a gas station near the layover hotel that gave an airline crew discount for their sandwiches.
Probably the same on the airline pilot side. I flew with a captain who enthusiastically told me there was a gas station near the layover hotel that gave an airline crew discount for their sandwiches.
In all seriousness... oh never mind. Seriously dude.
Another option may be to look at transferring to the Air Force if possible, from what little I know they at least historically have had an 'active' program to send Flight Surgeons to flight school. I was deployed with a USAF FS, who had over 100 hours of back seat time in QF-4's which was pretty cool, and he had orders to flight school. From what he described it was a pretty standard thing where they had a handful of FS's a year do the program, instead of the Navy's mostly dormant program.
vikingemand
New Member
Indeed. It's the pilot physician program. Much more ingrained as a regular and expected (and funded) thing in the AF. Although from my AF contacts, it also seems to be a fluctuant thing these days with more question marks as to how many and when FS's get spots for flight training.