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Civilian PA + ANG pararescue career?


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Hey folks,

Long time lurker and first time poster here.  

I want to solicit some feedback about a plan of mine.  Is it possible to work as a civilian PA while serving in the Air National guard as an enlisted airman- specifically pursuing a career in pararescue.

 

My dream would be to work with the 212th rescue squadron in AK while practicing emergency medicine in Anchorage as a civilian.  

 

I am currently in PA school and will graduate in about 20 months.  In my prior career I was a medic for a wildland fire "Hotshot" crew.  I miss being in the action and the camaraderie.  I miss the SAR work and the physicality of the job.  I am excited for the mental challenge of being a PA and the opportunities it provides, but I would like to keep a foot in the field.  

 

I am also looking at a time window closing as I get older to do something like this.  I have always wanted to work in this field but never felt brave enough to take the leap. Feeling that pressure I feel like it would be worth going for because of the whole YOLO thing.

 

My questions:

1. According to the needs of the Air Force would I be forced into serving as a PA?

2. Would it be better to go in as a PA on a shorter contract and request a transfer as part of a reenlistment contract?

3. With the long PJ training pipeline and deployments would I be able to keep up my CME?

4. What would be a good first step in this process (traditional recruiter vs contacting the 176th wing directly)?

5.What is your honest opinion of this plan? ( foolish, bold, shortsighted etc.)

 

Thanks for the time

-E

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Wildmed,

 

I was in pararescue training and injured, first thing you have to realize is that 90-95% of the people that go and try to do that career will not actually make it.  There's just too much you have no control over and the rest just end up quitting.  Pararescue is also a highly technical career field and even if you are Guard, there is a ton of training time per month required especially up there due to the amount of rescue work they do.  It would definitely be a huge challenge to keep up both and you'd probably be stretched at being a part time PA as well.  Not saying not doable, but as someone else in PA school who would love to go back and try for PJ again I think you have to focus on what's most important at this point.  I recently had a phone interview for the Air Force scholarship and he said PA's are now getting attached to PJ/SOF units as well.  If you are truly set on being a PJ, it is a career choice on its own, as is being a PA.  I would not join first as a PA, if you wanted to transfer you'd have to tryout for CRO, which is even more hardcore than PJ indoc.  Think graduation standards in a week session of pain.  Then you don't even get to practice the "field medicine" you seem to be interested in but act as more of a supervisor.  I would contact the 176th wing directly, first of all you'd have to pop your head in around there and see if you fit in before they'd even consider sending you to the pipeline.  

 

I think if you are truly set on it, and can stay in the physical condition during PA school (challenging but I do it) then anything is possible.  I would just think between part time of both you would have little time for anything else in your life.  

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  • 2 months later...

I think this an unrealistic goal.  I am unsure of the signing requirements for Air Force, but I would assume they would prefer you to enlist as a officer and be a PA.  The training required to be a PJ is pretty intense and a lot of people do not make it.  To be a PJ I assume you would have to contract as an "enlisted" and not an "officer".  If you washout you will be assigned to a lesser specialty and then you are doing some lame assigned job.  

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Absolutely can do it.

 

Plenty of SF PAs out there do it.

 

I would talk to the unit and see if they have any PAs doing the exact thing--- likely they do.

 

You dont have to work as a PA if you enlist--- but it gets a little tricky if you are going to commission; recruiter for the unit will have those answers (typically there are specific recruiters that recruit for those units, at least that was the case 10 yr ago).

 

It is a long pipeline, but I'm sure its possible.

 

Good luck!

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Pretty sure it is unrealistic.  The reserve PJ slots are pretty much all active reserve status, meaning it is a full time job.  Just meeting the annual qualification requirements is almost a full time job in itself. 

 

If you want to be a PJ...be a PJ.  Qualify for INDOC and go.  If you make it through, great...now you have to be unbreakable. If you make it...be a PJ. Be a PJ until you are sure you would like to do something else.  It is a full time gig, even in the reserves.

 

Edit...misread , you are already in PA school

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Interesting question.  I was doing some of that (closely related) kind of thing a number of years ago.  

I think if you talk to most of those guys, they will tell you that the PJ job comes first and they have suborned the rest of their situation to it, such as their main job (if they have one).  If I recall correctly, a lot of them were woodland and/or volunteer firefighters (pay per call) or had some sort of PRN hospital tech job; something they could leave for an extended period at a moment's notice.  That's PJ (and SOF) life and it was awesome when I was young and stupid (as opposed to old and dumb).  

 

Bottom line...you're already in and invested in PA school.  Finish that up; that will take everything you have for a while.  Stay in shape and graduate.  Then look at going and doing something else.  I get that you are high speed / low drag but take the next 2 years out to get it done.  Pass the PANCE and then take that to the Air Force and see what they have for you.  You may find an active slot just short of legit PJ that you may enjoy more.

 

Personally, I just see PJ and PA as two different things, and sort of their own paths. 

 

1.  No

2.  Well, enlisted corps has PALACE CHASE into the Guard/Reserves, ("buys" your remaining active time), very tough to get approved even during a drawdown; but as a PA you would be a commissioned type...not sure how that works.  

3.  I don't see why not, but it might not be super graceful looking like us cake-eating civilians

4.  Finish PA school then track down a recruiter...but the right one.  I'm assuming SOF Med has their own system, as we did.  Ask.

5.  Admirable, and I get it.  But as has been pointed out, the chances are just too slim to go headlong into it.  Do PA-C first, get that stuff in hand and go shopping.  There are crap tons of wilderness and similar PA jobs out there for crazy ass dudes like yourself. 

 

Having said all of that, talking to the unit can't hurt anything.  Call up there and see if someone can spare a few minutes to give you the rundown.  Good luck, man.

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So you would essentially graduate and become a PA-C to then enlist in the ANG to go to through the pipeline...  The guys I know or heard about who were PA or MD and SOF were the latter before becoming the former.  I don't know any PJs. So going back into it wasn't a huge deal because they already went through the pipeline.  You would give up being a PA while in the pipeline...then there's life after the pipeline.  That doesn't pose that much of a redflag to me since others have done it.  Where I'm thinking is that if you came to my unit with this my question to you is "what happens if you don't make it through INDOC or the pipeline?"  You're now an enlisted guy who is a PA-C in real life.  Does the unit have a need for another enlisted person or more for a PA?

With the Reserves and Guard these positions go to those who they have a confidence will make it.  Many Army Reserve and Guard units have their own versions of INDOC or Hell Week in order to weed people out.  I say if you have a strong desire then go for it.  It's your life.  Is it realistic?  That all depends on what you expect life to be when you get to the other side.  Meet with some PJs and see what they think.  I would advise you be on point when you do.  In other words you could physically go through the rigors of training right now.  Understand your desires may not be met with much enthusiasm and probably a bit of disdain by the unit.

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I applaud you for wanting to do it, but I think it is unrealistic.  I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS, people in the reserves and guard will be/are judged and discriminated against.  I was already in the Army guard when I graduated PA school.  My first job I was asked very nicely what my plans were in regards to the Guard.  I truly believe if I had said that I planned to stay in and deploy again I would of not gotten the job.  I truly believe if I said I was going to stay in and not deploy I was not going to get the job.  I told them I was getting out and they hired me with a smile.  The guy who asked me all of this was 20 year retired Airforce, don't expect sympathy from veterans.

 

As a new grad you should probably work and build your skill as a PA.  Instead you are going to graduate, find a job (maybe, might be hard) then work for a few months and do a 2 year (?) pipeline program for PJ.  If you make it through PJ training you are now a super high speed PJ who needs to build his PJ skills.  Maybe schools, training, drill... how often do you leave for them?  Who hires you for a PA job, who trains you as you leave for longer drills and schools?  Remember most places only have a few PAs and one leaving could be 1/4 of their PA work force.  You want the other 2,3,4 PAs to cover for you and still like you when you are back?   They may have to hold your position, but the working environment may suck.

 

If you get a VA job you might be ok.  I think you are screwed in private practice and specialties.  Not to mention you are now 2 plus years out of  PA school and have  little to no experience.  You might (might) have problems being credentialed too.   If it is important then do it, but remember you are going to get enlisted pay at active duty rates.  Can you cover your bills and loans at that pay?  

 

I have heard the same things about guys being SF and PAs...etc.  Most, if not all were SF first. 

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PJ and PA are two totally different career fields that each deserve your undivided attention.

 

Wanna be a PJ? Then BE a PJ. Train hard at that. You'll need some basic medical training, but any advanced medicine will be lost there.

 

Wanna be a PA? Then BE a PA. You'll need some physical stamina, but any advanced PT will be lost there.

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There is currently a PJ in AK with me that is also a PA. It is doable but hard. Typically need to by a PJ first to make it feasible. You will be gone for almost 3 years and be away from medicine. Remember, medicine is like 1/20th of their required skill set. To be honest, they arent that great of medics because they have so much additional skill identifies (static line airborne, freefall, SCUBA, mountaineering, air force flight crew, SAR, combat operations, NASA operations and the list keeps going) that their time is spent equally among all maintaining proficiency. You only have so much time, especially in the NG...

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