I'm a Navy physician-actually a composite32.63 years old, married with 1.87 children. Like you, I invested a lot of time and money in my education, and after the shouting had died down, I faced the same decisions about my future that you may be facing now.

I'm sure you know the kind of decisions I'm talking about. Options like joining some associates in a group practice, starting your own practice, or looking for an association with an older doctor. And maybe, as was the case with me, none of them really presented the right kind of challenge.

My own interest in the Navy started at a medical meeting. I got into a conversation with the physician in charge of the Navy exhibit, which caught my eye during a coffee break. It was just "doctor-to-doctor" talk but what came out of it was another option I had never even considered.

So I decided to look into the Navy as a way

of furthering my medical career. I read all the available
literature, visited a Navy hospital, talked it over with
some people whose opinion I respect, really checked it
out. And when I'd gotten it all together, I decided
on the Navy.

Like most doctors, I never thought of myself as a military type but I soon discovered a feeling of dedication to the Navy that complemented my dedication to medicine. As a Navy physician you also develop a sense of pride in being an officer with all its prestige and privileges. In the time I've been in the Navy, I've learned enough to convince myself that I made the right choice and I'd like to tell you why.

It's a style of life I think you should know about.

Getting It Together.

5

There are certain factors that are vital if you're just beginning your medical career.

In the Navy, you earn pay and receive allowances from the first day of active duty. Furthermore, you won't need to make investments in long-term leases on office space, equipment, or sometimes even a home. That makes getting started a lot smoother. And there are further tangible and intangible benefits.

It may interest you to know that your family's health care and your own will all be taken care of. And then there are the benefits offered by available commissaries, Navy Exchange, Officers Club and recreational facilities, which can be translated into dollar-and-cents savings. Let's also not forget the Navy retirement system. You can receive a monthly income and security for life if you decide on a Navy career. There are probably some other facts that may surprise you. Why not read on and see what you think?