For Col. Ian Wedmore, M.D., every day of his 21 years in the U.S. Army has been an adventure. He attended medical school through the Army’s Health Professions Scholarship Program, originally planning to stay in the service only for the 4 years he owed after residency. But the “fun and challenging jobs” the Army offered held his interest, and today he serves as emergency medicine consultant to the U.S. Army Surgeon General and Program Director for the U.S. Army Austere and Wilderness Medicine Fellowship.

ACEP Council Speaker Dr. Marco Coppola’s military career took a different route. After completing his residency in the Army, including becoming Chief Resident and Residency Director, he went into the Texas Army National Guard. He led a prison emergency department in Iraq, also serving as deputy commander. He then went on to head the Texas Medical Command for 4 years. Today, he’s still a “weekend warrior,” volunteering as Deputy Brigade Surgeon for the Texas Medical Brigade, Texas State Guard, while also holding a full-time job as a practicing emergency physician and academic vice chair for the department of emergency medicine at the John Peter Smith Health Network in Fort Worth, Tex.

Whether you are just beginning medical school, have been a practicing emergency physician for years, or your emergency medicine career falls somewhere in between, the U.S. Army may have a place for you – assuming you can meet the required physical standards and are not over the age of 60.

“We have a critical need for emergency physicians in the U.S. Army,” said Col. Scott Dingle, Commander of the U.S. Army’s Medical Recruiting Brigade. “These physicians are the tip of the sword who provide emergency medicine to what we call our benefit population. That’s not just our soldiers, but [also] our family members, their dependents, and our retirees.”

An Experience Unlike Any Other

Any emergency physician who has served in the Army will likely tell you the same thing: “It’s the most incredible training you’ll ever get and the most incredible experience you’ll ever have,” said Dr. Coppola. “When I was in Iraq, I felt every second deeply. What I did in the emergency department there was the most rewarding experience of my career.”

While Dr. Coppola is careful to stress that he doesn’t want to discount the accomplishments of non-Army emergency physicians, he says that he feels “almost an instant brotherhood” when he meets another Army emergency physician.

“I know their experience, the type of individual they are, and what they bring to the table,” he said. “And I know they’ve had their feet held to the fire.”

According to Col. Wedmore, there is no greater opportunity for adventure than being an emergency physician in the U.S. Army – particularly because the opportunity to serve as a physician for U.S. Army Special Forces doesn’t exist on the civilian side.

“Emergency physicians may also provide trauma care in an unparalleled setting while serving overseas,” he said. “Over and over again those returning relate how that time was one of the best experiences of their lives.”

Emergency medicine students and emergency physicians enter the U.S. Army for a variety of reasons, from financial to a deeply felt desire to serve one’s country. As a recipient of the Army’s Health Professions Scholarship, Col. Wedmore’s medical school was completely funded and his book expenses covered. He also received a monthly living stipend.

“As a graduate of this program, I came out of medical school with no debt – as opposed to the several hundred thousand dollars many of my classmates owed,” said Col. Wedmore. The Army also offers an Active Duty Health Professions Loan Repayment Program for those who have already graduated medical school but still owe on their loan when they enter the Army.

The quality of the education the U.S. Army offers is another draw. “The Army’s residency programs are almost always in the top 10 nationally for in-service scores, and our board certification pass rates meet or exceed most programs,” said Col. Wedmore.

ACEP President-Elect Dr. Andrew Sama experienced the Army’s educational offerings firsthand when he and Dean Wilkerson, ACEP’s executive director, recently visited San Antonio Military Medical Center (previously Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio), the University of Texas Health Science Center, and a Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences teaching hospital, which also contains the Army Burn Center.

At the U.S. Army’s invitation, Dr. Sama and Mr. Wilkerson spent several days touring the facilities. Both came away with a newfound respect for Army medicine.

“The training programs, research, and patient care are just superior,” said Dr. Sama. “In my mind it’s probably underappreciated just how valuable that relationship with the U.S. Army can be for a medical student or postgraduate trainee in terms of receiving the training and support they need for their education. It’s a terrific opportunity with great educational programs in a very supportive environment that has great long-term value.”

Mr. Wilkerson was impressed with the opportunities Army emergency physicians are given to lead so early in their careers. “Normally, as a resident and even as a young attending, you will see patients, but in terms of managing other physicians or the department, there are limits to what you can do. It may be 5 or 10 years before you work your way up to having leadership responsibilities,” he said. “But during this visit, it was clear to me that young physicians are put in charge of teams and field hospitals.

“Some of these emergency physicians come out of the Army having managed 20 people, including perhaps 4 physicians and 10 nurses – all at an age where you would never have had that opportunity at a typical hospital,” Mr. Wilkerson continued. “The significance of the work and the responsibility, combined with the diversity of the experience and potential travel – it’s a wonderful opportunity if you’re willing to commit yourself to the Army for a certain period of time.”

Many emergency physicians who enter the Army do so because of a desire to serve their country, and by virtue of their character, they are already leaders. Such emergency physicians may choose to enter the Army’s “command track,” where they are given the opportunity to lead a section or department.

“The leadership mantle is automatically placed in their hands, and it’s a phenomenal experience to not only lead a hospital but also to maintain your clinical skills,” said Col. Dingle.

And even if it’s a relatively short tour of 5 years, that emergency physician will return to the civilian community leader-developed and ready to contribute to his or her hospital back home. “The leadership skills they’ve gained from being officers in the Army make emergency physicians very marketable when they return home,” said Col. Dingle.

Leadership Skills Not Required

What if you’re not a born leader or the ultimate adventure seeker, but you are an emergency physician who thrives on research and academics? You too have an open invitation to consider what the U.S. Army has to offer.

“The leadership track isn’t for everybody, and it’s not a necessary requirement for a health care provider to succeed in the U.S. Army,” said Col. Dingle. “First and foremost, we bring in health care providers with the mission to conserve the fighting strength, so they’re here to save lives and provide care to the beneficiary population. To say that your personality type has to fit a certain mold is not true.”

There is no leadership track requirement, and emergency physician personalities currently serving vary across the board, according to Col. Dingle. “We’re a big amalgamation of many different types of characters and personalities, and there is room for everyone.”

For some, there really is only one motivation to join the U.S. Army: They want to serve their country by providing emergency care to those who need it most. This is particularly true for emergency physicians who are already board-certified but long to do more for their country, said Col. Wedmore.

“There is no better feeling than doing all you can to help soldiers who are giving their all for their country. I’ve deployed overseas numerous times and have had the opportunity to care for some of the best soldiers in the world on those trips, and every deployment has been an outstanding and rewarding experience – and I wouldn’t trade the friends I’ve made or the experiences I’ve had in the Army for anything.”