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  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry everyone; I see in another post that people seem to be put off by me not openly advertising what I was looking for. Lots of people ended up PMing me and I just asked questions like that.

 

What I was really looking for was whether or not I would feel "trapped" if I went MOTP, due to the mandatory family med residency. What I learned was helpful for me; but not new or exciting news. Yes, you have to do family med; No, you don't have much say in where you end up. Yes, you will have to do at least one tour. Yes, there are opportunities in the military which are not like opportunities civvy side; Yes there are some drawbacks and it's a matter of choosing what works for you.

 

I am currently a reservist so I know what it is like to be in the military. I work in a MIR (hospital clinic) and yes, it's mostly males aged 17-40 and MSK complaints. Yet who knows what you will be doing on tour.

 

The most important piece of advice I received was that MOTP is really what you make of it. That seems obvious but helped to put things in perspective. If you go in with a positive attitude, you will likely have a positive experience.

 

The only people who have told me NOT to go MOTP are people who have money; everyone else is supportive. I want to go on tour, so that's not an issue. Four years is not the end of the world; I am only 22 now. Many people who get into medical school are 4 years older than me when they start. As a reservist, I have an idea of the red tape/lifestyle/commitment etc of military life. So I have decided to go MOTP, I have some interviews/MPRR?PERS file reviews next Monday, in Hamilton. Hopefully everything goes smoothly, I can let everyone know the process if they are interested.

 

MedGoal

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  • 3 weeks later...

hey did you end up getting accepted into MOTP this year?

I'm also an applicant for the MOTP and Capt Anne Johnston said that there are 30 med students applying for only 10 spots...She never told me if people would get accepted on a rolling basis or if they'll notify everyone in one big chunk

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Is there some sort of a deadline for applying? I'm still looking into the option and am strongly considering it. but it may take me a while to decide. can you sign up in the middle of the school year. i'll be entering med sch this fall...and to me, it makes sense to sign up earlier rather than later so that my summers in med sch could be used to get the required training, learn french,etc. how long does the whole motp application process take?

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haha...I think there are probably only 1 or 2 BGs throughout CF Health services. I'm pretty sure there is a limit as to how high you can go as a doctor. To really become a 4 star general you probably need some frontline experience...thought I've heard of American generals with just logistics experience. Major seems pretty attainable though....and that sounds cool enough to me! I get the feeling that the Canadian military is not as valued by Canadians as the American military is by Americans though. Each time I tell someone I'm considering this option...they look at me with the classic "What's wrong with you dude?"

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hey guys,

 

When I spoke to Capt Johnston she said that only people who have their canadian forces registration completed by july 4th will be considered for this years MOTP entrance. Because there were so many applicants this year, they will only accept people before September rolls around and not any time during the school year.

 

If you're still unsure, it would probably be best to go into the recruitment office and speak with some of the officers, but your time is running out!

If you don't apply this year, there is always next year.

 

Hope this helps :)

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haha...I think there are probably only 1 or 2 BGs throughout CF Health services. I'm pretty sure there is a limit as to how high you can go as a doctor. To really become a 4 star general you probably need some frontline experience...thought I've heard of American generals with just logistics experience. Major seems pretty attainable though....and that sounds cool enough to me! I get the feeling that the Canadian military is not as valued by Canadians as the American military is by Americans though. Each time I tell someone I'm considering this option...they look at me with the classic "What's wrong with you dude?"

 

I spoke to my mentor who is the head of cell transplantation at Princess Margaret Hospital about this option and he replied:

 

Not an unreasonable approach Jeff. Two of my classmates did just that and they seemed happy with the experience- one in fact continued in the Forces.

The only caveat is that if you get really turned on by a specialty you may not be able to pursue it until you have completed your commitment with the Forces .

If it is important for you to obtain funding during med school and you are happy to give something back to the country then the plan seems laudable to me.

I guess you need to be satisfied with being a family doc for a few years. Bob Bell, a friend of mine, was a family doc for several years then went into orthopedics and now is the president of UHN.

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Hey guys,

 

I also applied this year for the MOTP. I always planned on doing family medicine but my main worry is that when I am in med school I will really enjoy something else and will not be able to pursue it (even though I know I could go back and specialize). Is anyone else is this boat? What are somethings that are pushing you towards the progarm and what is making you hesitant?

 

Also, how many hours a week does a family doc in the army will typically work? I have not been able to find this info anywhere.

 

Thanks for the help!

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Really? From what I have heard (I have a lot of friends at RMC), that they are more desperate for doctors nowadays (surgeons, internists, etc), but they are officers not really part of the MOTP program and all they pick up is heresay.

 

See Post No. 15 above where it is reported that in the current year there are 30 applicants for 10 positions. MOTP used to be desperate for physicians to fill the family posts on bases in the recent past but no more.

 

And I would suppose that they are not merely looking to fill slots with the best candidates but that they have an eye to the future regarding retention of candidates at time of renewal.

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From my experience the military doctors on the bases I have worked tend to work 8-3/4ish....Life is good because the med techs do the screening, and it's not like you have piles of paperwork to take home to finish every night. You spend more time with each patient, and see overall less patients per day than you would civvy side. The army is also working with CFHIS now; an EMR of army personnel which is handy for new patients from other places....

 

I think everyone worries to some degree about whether or not they'll fall in lvoe with some specialty which they couldn't pursue if they were chosen. However, it's a big decision and for me it came down to age and opportunities; I am only 22 and by the time I am done I'll only be 32 and if I want to specialize after that there's still time. Lots of people don't get into medical school until they are older.

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Holy merciful crap. That is pretty competitive considering all of them are already med students.

 

Hmm, now that I think about it maybe my friends were referring to already certified doctors joining the military, since it costs a lot to train an officer and they may just not have the capacity to take in so many candidates.

 

Yes, you are referring to other potential candidates for a different purpose, e.g., surgeons, etc., whereas MOTP is just Famil Medicine.

 

To fill suirgery positions in Afghanistan for example, the military will engage civilian surgeons on short term contracts as there won't be a sufficient pool of talent from within their own ranks.

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