
Responses to this website and my book will be published here as I see fit.
The author reserves the right to edit the responses for length and language,
as well as the right to publish responses anonymously upon request. Note: official responses from governmental
and legal authorities will likely not be published
anonymously. You were warned.
"Dude,
I laughed my head off reading some of the
quotes...
My next career I am going to be a dog groomer."
"I have to sadly agree with your assessment of the reality of the state of
this organization. I have to say that I admire the strength of your personal conviction to walk away from a military
retirement at 19 years. You are the only AF Anesthesiologist that I know that retired that close to a military
retirement – I know of one or two Army MDAs who retired at 17 and 18 years respectively.
I’d long ago realized that I wasn’t about to make the Air Force a better place by just working hard and doing a
good job – doing the “right thing” is completely contrary to what is the acceptable standard practice in the AF
Medical Corps.
I’m expected to take leave to actually try to maintain my skills. To say nothing of trying to meet the financial
needs of my child’s (medical) condition.
I applaud your effort in writing this book, but accept that the system is destroyed and will never live up to what
we feel it should for our servicemen and women, their dependents, and our retirees."
"What hospital other
(than) a Military Hospital will give a 4 year old girl with a broken arm a
bottle of Codeine syrup and tell her parents to go find a civilian doc after
the three-day holiday ends. After spending five hours there I went to a
downtown ER and two hours later my little girl had a cast on that arm and no
need for the narcotics as it quit hurting once set & immobilized. I've got
a couple more, but none of them pissed me off as much as that one. After
that instance I never subjected my family to Military medicine again and
always paid out-of-pocket to use Champus."
From GratefulDoc: "MedicalCorpse, It is really great to hear from you again. I read all of your posts in the past, and I always appreciated that you took the time to express in such a detailed manner the challenges that so many others of us have witnessed and/or experienced. I thank you and salute you for your military service. You served with honor as well as courage, and it is plainly evident that you were among those who actually CARED, and who tried to make a positive difference, in the system..."
"...wow, Rob, a very scathing (and accurate) assessment of our military medical system.
Malcolm Grow is now almost exclusively an out-pt surgicenter, no ICU, no ancillary support.... they have even removed the little post office from the basement."
(response from a retired USAF Brigadier General)
"Now once again, so that people do not try to read anything into my publishing
this URL as a political onslaught, I would like to remind everyone that my
primary loyalty remains to the United States of America, to my fellow military
retirees, and not to any political party. It was for this reason, and also so I
could sleep at night in honesty with myself, that I re registered as an
Independent voter...
One other comment....
When by executive order, during the Clinton Administration and probably with
Hillary's urgings, the Medical budgets of the military services were taken from
the line and given to the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs)
we lost one of the greatest medical care delivery systems in the world. Enter
the Tricare contractors who have fast become a self generating political giant
who have one goal in mind, not medical care, but money..money...money
This is done by driving patients out of the MTFs, "downtown"....
President Bush's Administration has also exacerbated the efforts....
First class medical care is not cost effective..You get exactly what you pay
for..
Freedom is also not cost effective
Try living without it...
Happy Father's Day
V/R
chk6"
(redacted for grammar and content) I would just like to say thank you! I was laughing my a$$ off seeing the pictures of MGMC....I sadly had to (be) stationed there during (Sept.) 11 2001, and I thought that it was a prison before that.....I think it was worse that day.
Second... on "How To skin a CCATT", all the material you have posted I have seen before. I too am CCATT and have experienced the good, bad, ugly and (severely) wrong with the whole concept. As a member and eventually (a) CCATT patient I agree totally that an 0-6 or above should be in charge. When I became sick enough to be CCATT'd out of Crapistan it was a FLight Surgeon who had to make a decision NOT a CCATT doc. I don't know about you but when you are (very sick) there is something (wrong) with you. OKay, I'm done venting.
Oh yeah by the way...the emails you posted about CCATT, I actually have those....it's funny to see you can (make) out who wrote them just by their signature blocks.
"Thanks for setting up your web site. This type of expose is long overdue. I have heard multiple AF surgeons talk about setting up such a site after they retire, but they always get busy with their private practice and neglect to follow through. Congratulations to you...
Again, thanks for the great site. You are a true patriot."
"Rob,
You are a true American Hero and Patriot. You deserve a Congressional Medal Of Honor for Conspicuous Bravery, Honor and Gallantry and going "above and beyond the call of duty" in AF Anesthesiology Combat."
"Hello.
I stumbled across your website while browsing on SDN...
I got out of the Navy after a 3 year HPSP gig a couple of years ago. Successfully resigned my commission, and never looked back. I'm out in the world now, doing a plastic surgery fellowship. Reading your list of 16 reasons why military medicine sucks really brought back some memories. I recall struggling as a General Surgeon in the Navy, fighting against amorphous and invisible forces that seemed to impede my natural drive to take good care of patients. The MSCs, the RNs, the wacky civilian credentialing office, the CRNA's...it seemed a road block was thrown in my path at every turn. For me, these roadblocks were invisible, and I stumbled across them constantly, making all kinds of commotion on my way to floor. I just was not cut out for the military.
Thanks for putting your website up. I've spend many an hour ranting on SDN on the evils of military medicine. You are far more eloquent than I. I can only hope that a few young guys out there read what you've written and steer clear of the sinking ship that is military medicine."
(name withheld)