Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 10/12/2010

Question
Hi my military history is as follows,West Point: 1999-2003,Officer Basic Course: summer 2003,Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS): 2003-2008
Repeated the second year
Pediatric Internship at Walter Reed: 2008-2009
Switched residency programs to Preventive Medicine/Occupational Medicine: 2009-present. Last week, I spoke with the head of Graduate Medical Education in the National Capital Area, revealing to her that neither my residency program nor being in the military is for me.  She questioned me regarding other branches within the military to which I reiterated that the military is not for me.  She also recognized the depression I have as a result of continuing to attempt to make the military a fit for me over many years and suggested that people have been able to get out of the military for severe depression.  She additionally recommended that I take a leave of absence which could be 2 weeks, 3 weeks, or even a month.  After talking with her, I spoke with the residency director and co-director of Preventive Medicine, telling them about my desire to withdraw from the program as well as my lack of desire to be a physician.  I did not mention my unhappiness with being in the military.  The residency director told me that in order to resign from the program I must submit a resignation memo to him which must include the exact phrase of “I understand that I am now eligible for worldwide deployment.”  He then signs and approves the memo in order to move everything forward.  He also told me that I would become a GMO in the Army but later suggested that “other positions” might be available but that he was in no position to offer them.   Additionally, he was reluctant to grant me a leave of absence and stated after talking to the head of Graduate Medical Education that I could only take up to two weeks of leave.  He asked me to meet with the person in charge of assignments for preventive medicine physicians as well as the person in charge of assignments for occupational medicine physicians during this time and have a final answer about resignation when I return.
Please give me some guidance in what to do in regards to the above metioned situation I am in.

Thank you.  

Answer
Vincent,
I'm not going to question why you dislike military service, or try to convince you otherwise.  Frankly. the military just isn't for everybody.  My brother did 4 years and hated every minute of it.  I've done 30 years and love every minute of it.  Everybody's different.

So far what everyone has told you is correct.  It's not what you want to hear, but it's correct.

I don't blame you for not wanting to be a General Medical Officer.  A GMO job is consistently at the top of the annual "Commissioned Military Officer Stress List."

So consulted with several of my military physician friends and they seem to agree you're stuck because of what you initially signed upon entering school.  I assume you want to see what we think and haven't yet met with the person in charge of assignments for preventive medicine physicians as well as the person in charge of assignments for occupational medicine physicians.  We can't imagine they're going to be much help with your situation and that they'll try to offer you "good" assignments in an effort to talk you out of quitting.

About all you can do is talk with them and report back to the head of GME with a final answer that you wish to resign.

Meanwhile, I sincerely hope you seek treatment for the depression you mentioned.
Best of luck,
Colonel H