LTC Pete Cuenca
Student, Command and General Staff School
US Army Combined Arms Center
Fort Belvoir, VA

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the US Government.

Why should an emergency medicine physician (62A) stay in the Army? Many junior officers I mentor ask me this question searching for the magic answer that makes their decision to stay on active duty easy. Unfortunately, I tell them that this decision is a personal one and no mentor should ever tell his/her mentee what to do or what to think. Instead, I counsel them on why I choose to serve my country as an officer in the Army. The personal and professional rewards a career in military medicine provides an individual far supersedes any monetary or professional benefit civilian medicine can offer. Serving our country as an officer in the Army is the greatest and most professionally rewarding experience physicians can have.
Those who choose not to remain in the Army cite better financial compensation as an important factor for leaving the Army. It is true that civilian emergency medicine physicians earn two to three times the salary of Army 62As. However, the Army allows its 62As to conduct off duty-employment which can help to reduce this financial disparity. In addition, the 62A retention bonuses are worth up to $40,000.00 a year for a four year contract. Though, the difference in pay exists between those that serve and those that do not, this delta is negligible considering all the other benefits the Army provides its 62As. Emergency medicine physicians in the Army earn enough money to provide a lifestyle for their families that only the top third of Americans enjoy.

Arguments against continued service as a 62A also purport the idea that no longer having to deploy is a reason to quit military service. Deployments do take time away from family and loved ones that can never be replaced. On the other hand, the increased number of hours that civilian emergency physicians must work to earn their salaries, over time and their careers, exceeds the time spent away from home on deployments. Time spent deployed is easier to tolerate because you are serving your fellow soldiers and their families. In addition, your loved ones have the support of the Army community while you are deployed. Working in the civilian medical community, you are beholden to the almighty dollar. The civilian organization you work for cares only that you cover your shifts. It does not care that a family member is sick or that you need to attend a family event. This is not the case in the Army.

The patient population we care for in the Army makes service to country an easy choice as a 62A. Young men and women on active duty volunteer to go in harm’s way to serve our country. Caring for their injuries and illnesses is a personal and professional privilege very few physicians experience. Providing healthcare to the dependent family members who sacrifice so much for this country is an honor. Treating retirees and disabled veterans who have made physical and emotional sacrifices for this country is a sacred responsibility that this country must bear and it is an honor to do it. All of those the military cares for are educated and respectful persons who deserve the best treatment possible and are always grateful for it. The thankfulness that patients in the Army give to a physician can be so great at times that the physician sometimes feel shame for it. This feeling rarely occurs in the civilian sector.

Fellow emergency medicine physicians in the Army look out for one another. The professional respect and camaraderie shared among 62A is something that cannot be found in the civilian community. The bond shared between men and women who have deployed and cared for horrendously wounded soldiers together is something that does not exist in the civilian community. It is this admiration that we share for one another that makes working together a joy. The support fellow officers provide one another is not out of respect for money or status, but out of admiration for the shared knowledge that we are making difference that few physicians get the opportunity to do.

All physicians in the Army, not just 62As, are called upon to be leaders and mentors to soldiers. Responsibility and privilege of leadership are unique to the military. The leadership experience share by all 62As develops character, honor, discipline, and humility. This is not something that cannot be gained by “simply showing up to work and doing your shift.” It involves a personal investment of time and energy that is not required if you simply are working for an hourly wage in the community. 62As become better persons for having the opportunity to lead and be led in the Army. It is this opportunity that makes the profession of arms an easy choice for officers.

In conclusion, service to our country as an emergency medicine physician in the Army is demanding and requires sacrifice from both the officer and his/her loved ones. However, the benefits reaped from a career in the Army more than make up for this. Outstanding patients and their appreciation of care, the professional fellowship of 62As, and the lessons of leadership offered by service to our country make deciding on a career in military medicine an easy decision for those who want to make a difference in the world and for their country.