Joining the RAF

So I'm due to finish my medical degree in a few months and am strongly considering joining the RAF as a doc when I graduate for many reasons.

1. I'm an adrenaline junky and would love to do trauma frontline stuff on a battlefield instead of go to a hospital or a gp practice for the rest of my life.
2. The NHS sucks these days and those who lick gooch get far
3. The number of clubs/activities that the RAF offer is unreal. Paragliding, parachuting, flying lessons,skiiing all for free or subsidised.
4. I hate felllow medics and medical students cos they're all lame. I get 'wtf are you thinking?' type looks whenever I ride my SV into hospital ffs. Id rather be around normal type people.

Ive researched as much as possible on the net, but its hard to know what to trust etc. I think this is the best thing for me, and besides, weapons trainingand aviation medicine, would be a great career I think. It's what my heart is telling me anyway.

So I was just wondering, I know there are a few armed forces people on here. Do you guys know any of the docs that work with you? How do they find it and what's it like for them in the forces?

every doc i worked with loved it (med regt) uk stuff is gp work and boring but on tour it will have you bouncing, if youve got the mentality do it, but be aware the raf docs dont do half the army ones do

Originally Posted by davepreston

but be aware the raf docs dont do half the army ones do

I've heard that armed forces docs are all interchangeable, ie id be an RAF doc first and foremost but can potentially serve army and navy too.

RAF hands down for me though, ive always loved planes.

if you love planes work for bae systems, you will bearly see one in the raf as a doc
docs are interchangeable in rear eshelon areas , army docs go as far a 2nd line, far closer to the **** (or in some cases in the middle of it as i found out) think front line,2-3miles then battle truama center, then 30 miles back rear eshelon, raf and navy will only go to R.E bases

Originally Posted by davepreston

if you love planes work for bae systems, you will bearly see one in the raf as a doc

Really? Ok maybe not planes but choppers (ie anything that flies). Lots of troops need med attention getting transported from warzones back home, and only the raf medics know aviation medicine.

And whilst you're training, potentially domestic hospital chopper type missions. Navy and ships never did it for me, and RAF attracts me much more than army.

My dads brother was an airline pilot and my mums brother was a fighter pilot, I think its in my genes!

yep them jobs are there ,say 50 of them and 1000 doc's ,i say do it but dont think your going to be on a heli evac any time soon, just dont look thru rose tinted glasses is what im saying

[tinpants]

Sounds to me like you need to get on a M.E.R.T. Pop out to Afghan, I'm sure there will be someone that will gladly come home while you take their place! I'm not having a pop so please don't flame me, in fact, good on you for wanting to help out, the Forces in general could do with more people like you. Its just a shame that the jobs aren't there (way-to-go Mr Cameron!).

A word of advice from one (amongst many on here) that has been in need of a Forces Dr in the past - be careful what you wish for. You might just get it.

Well I gave the RAF medics office a call a couple of months ago and asked them if they were looking for any docs that wanna join as trauma surgeons? They said yes they were looking for them but when I said I was still a student they told me to call back after I graduate. I think (or hope) the opportunities are there, and well if you know the NHS then you'll know in comparison it's much better.

And who cares, I'd rather be a RAF GP (worst case RAF doc scenario) than a standard GP. Still get the same RAF perks, and still get to go out to the warzone countries 3months in every year!

[tinpants]

Originally Posted by thulfi

Well I gave the RAF medics office a call a couple of months ago and asked them if they were looking for any docs that wanna join as trauma surgeons? They said yes they were looking for them but when I said I was still a student they told me to call back after I graduate. I think (or hope) the opportunities are there, and well if you know the NHS then you'll know in comparison it's much better.

And who cares, I'd rather be a RAF GP (worst case RAF doc scenario) than a standard GP. Still get the same RAF perks, and still get to go out to the warzone countries 3months in every year!

I know the NHS very well. I was an EMT for 9 years. Its gone to rat5hit over the last few years. Its all top heavy with management and admin staff, leaving nowhere near enough money for front line ( sorry about the pun) services. Go for the RAF if you must ( facepalm!) but like Dave said, you're more likely to see some "shooting" service with the Army.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by tinpants

I know the NHS very well. I was an EMT for 9 years. Its gone to rat5hit over the last few years. Its all top heavy with management and admin staff, leaving nowhere near enough money for front line ( sorry about the pun) services. Go for the RAF if you must ( facepalm!) but like Dave said, you're more likely to see some "shooting" service with the Army.

Good luck.

Ok what I basically mean is..

to get the surgical training post part 1 as a surgeon in the NHS is about 40-50 people per one place.

After that you do two years (of doing surgical membership exams etc) whilst training and then have to apply for the surgical training post part 2 which is now 33 people to one place. If you don't get lucky at this point having spent 5 more years of your life post uni, you have to go back and try to be a GP which is 3 more years wasted.

My point is, even if I become a GP in the RAF it don't matter. Ideally it would be great to be on the frontline, but if not, the worst is better than NHS has to offer.

And helping the armed forces really feels like youd make a difference I hope. Looking after the pawns in a chess game.