Posted on Oct 24, 2022
How can I pass the "Med Board(?)" as a military recruit and still work in civilian?
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So I am a 26 year old dentist and to make my story short, I was originally planning on joining the military HPSP and sticking with the military as a medical doctor. However, unexpectedly, my mother has end stage renal disease and is in need of a kidney, and I am now currently in an exchange program where I can donate my kidney to a family in exchange for their donor to give their matching kidney to my mother so she can live without dialysis. By the end of it, I will be missing a kidney and my mother will have the one she needs.
I don't know when this will happen, it may be sometime next year, or the year after, I am not sure. I don't need the military to pay for my mom's surgery, I will pay for it all on my own. I don't even need the be payed or receive any benefits for being with the military, the only thing I need is to pass that Medical Board, so I can already be in the military when the surgery happens, and then I can go before another board where they can determine if I can stay or not (and I hope they will let me stay because of my unique/niche skills of both Dent and Medical)
What I need, is to join the military before this surgery, because from what I understand, missing a kidney is grounds for denial, even if you are the donor with the healthy kidney.
What my obstacle is, is the fact that I am already bound to a scholarship with the IHS, another federal program. I am a practicing dentist and I am in the middle of my scholarship time commitment which cannot be broken and lasts 2 more years, it functions as a civilian job but it is a job that I am not allowed to quit.
So the summary is, I need a way to get into the military, pass medical inspection, but still be allowed to work my civilian job, for at least 2 more years until I can apply and be accepted into Medical school and then HPSP into Military Doctor. Right now, I am currently trying to get information for the possible path of signing up as a reservist, but I don't know if this is right. I am sorry if this format is too long or the question is weird for this forum, I was originally planning on doing this the normal way in 2 years time, so I am inexperienced with everything and I am desperate.
What I have done so far is try to get information from my local recruiting office but its always closed before I can get off work, and I can't get in contact with my old HPSP contacts.
I don't know when this will happen, it may be sometime next year, or the year after, I am not sure. I don't need the military to pay for my mom's surgery, I will pay for it all on my own. I don't even need the be payed or receive any benefits for being with the military, the only thing I need is to pass that Medical Board, so I can already be in the military when the surgery happens, and then I can go before another board where they can determine if I can stay or not (and I hope they will let me stay because of my unique/niche skills of both Dent and Medical)
What I need, is to join the military before this surgery, because from what I understand, missing a kidney is grounds for denial, even if you are the donor with the healthy kidney.
What my obstacle is, is the fact that I am already bound to a scholarship with the IHS, another federal program. I am a practicing dentist and I am in the middle of my scholarship time commitment which cannot be broken and lasts 2 more years, it functions as a civilian job but it is a job that I am not allowed to quit.
So the summary is, I need a way to get into the military, pass medical inspection, but still be allowed to work my civilian job, for at least 2 more years until I can apply and be accepted into Medical school and then HPSP into Military Doctor. Right now, I am currently trying to get information for the possible path of signing up as a reservist, but I don't know if this is right. I am sorry if this format is too long or the question is weird for this forum, I was originally planning on doing this the normal way in 2 years time, so I am inexperienced with everything and I am desperate.
What I have done so far is try to get information from my local recruiting office but its always closed before I can get off work, and I can't get in contact with my old HPSP contacts.
Recruiting
Medical
Health
Medical Student
Civilian Career
Posted 2 y ago
Responses: 8
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What you're asking is pretty simple. Every single branch of the military has a Reserve Corps. As a Doctor or as a Dentist you can take your pick of any branch, plus some you probably haven't even heard of. The Commissioned Corps of Public Health Service has a Ready Reserve Component as well. They serve with all the branches which means you may be working at an Air Force base one tour and three years later be on a Navy ship.
There is no medical board for joining the military, it's just a physical. Once you lose your kidney you will be considered disabled, or medically not qualified for retention. However, a board will determine if you are capable of remaining in the military. A large part of that decision is based on whether or not you are deployable in the future. While the medical standards to join the military are pretty high, the medical standards to remain are pretty low as long as you can do your job and deploy.
There is no medical board for joining the military, it's just a physical. Once you lose your kidney you will be considered disabled, or medically not qualified for retention. However, a board will determine if you are capable of remaining in the military. A large part of that decision is based on whether or not you are deployable in the future. While the medical standards to join the military are pretty high, the medical standards to remain are pretty low as long as you can do your job and deploy.
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What you are wanting will not happen. If you get in, you work for the military. But that's if you go Active Duty. If you go Reserve or Guard, then you could do it. BUT. You lose a kidney, you will no longer be allowed to serve in the military. If the kidney is donated BEFORE you can join, you will not be allowed to join.
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SFC Kelly Fuerhoff
You are correct if it happens before they join they have no chance to join with one kidney.
But if they get in on active duty and then donate, they could still stay in. It's recipients who get medboarded. Donors can stay in but they have to have permission from their service branch and that has to be done after all the testing/evaluations have been done.
But if they get in on active duty and then donate, they could still stay in. It's recipients who get medboarded. Donors can stay in but they have to have permission from their service branch and that has to be done after all the testing/evaluations have been done.
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I admire your desire to serve but you have a major conflict when it comes to what you want to do, what you are currently committed to and what you are obligated to in the future.
Being committed to IHS for the next two years would be enough to block you from service considering the kidney procedure you mentioned seems to be a year out.
But diving into this you have some things to consider.
The Military has some hardline rules when it comes to certain things and loss of a major organ is one of those things. As others have said it would result in you leaving the service or if it happened before you joined up it will bar you from service. For your current situation going reserves seems to be the most logical approach but if you are 100% committed to donating a kidney this would directly conflict with that. In this instance I don't see you being able to do both.
But with that said there are tons of ways for you to serve that isn't in the Military. Looking at USAJobs right now there are 67 Dentist jobs needing to be filled. worked at a Naval Hospital and I served with plenty of Civilian doctors who supported the Military. They worked the same job but instead of being in uniform they were a Civilian. You could also join the Foreign Service and support the Dept of State. Or join the Peace Corps.
You can also become a reserve law enforcement officer if you have a desire to be in Uniform serving. Being in the Military is not your only option to serve.
Being committed to IHS for the next two years would be enough to block you from service considering the kidney procedure you mentioned seems to be a year out.
But diving into this you have some things to consider.
The Military has some hardline rules when it comes to certain things and loss of a major organ is one of those things. As others have said it would result in you leaving the service or if it happened before you joined up it will bar you from service. For your current situation going reserves seems to be the most logical approach but if you are 100% committed to donating a kidney this would directly conflict with that. In this instance I don't see you being able to do both.
But with that said there are tons of ways for you to serve that isn't in the Military. Looking at USAJobs right now there are 67 Dentist jobs needing to be filled. worked at a Naval Hospital and I served with plenty of Civilian doctors who supported the Military. They worked the same job but instead of being in uniform they were a Civilian. You could also join the Foreign Service and support the Dept of State. Or join the Peace Corps.
You can also become a reserve law enforcement officer if you have a desire to be in Uniform serving. Being in the Military is not your only option to serve.
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