How does support for army doctors differ from that in the NHS during training and upon qualification?

Hi Oliver,

If you're hoping to join after graduation I presume you are in the process of applying for a bursary? If you are not, I would recommend starting your application soon to make the most of the financial benefits while you are still at medical school. If you decide not to apply for a bursary while at medical school, then the other option would be joining as a direct entrant, this means you will not join until after FY2.

I joined as a direct entrant, so my experience of being a trainee has been as a GP trainee rather than a foundation trainee, but I think there are probably lots of similarities.

We all train at JHGs, so you will start your career with a group of military doctors that you will probably go on to spend the rest of your career working with, medicine is a small world, but military medicine is even smaller!

In terms of support from the deanery, I have found defence deanery to be far more interested and involved in my training than my foundation deanery was when I worked for the NHS. I suspect this is for two reasons, we are a relatively small cohort so it's easier to keep track of us all, and we aren't likely to leave and go and work elsewhere. So the more support they give us, and the better our training is, the better doctors they have working for them at the end of it.

Then there are all the associated benefits of working for the military - pay, leave, accommodation, funding for courses and exams etc..

I hope that answers your question, let me know if you need any clarification on the above or have anything else you would like to ask.