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Being a GDMO doctor in the army?
So I was just wondering if anyone had anyone could give me an insight into what its like being a GDMO in the army, im currently a 1st year med student and i feel like it might be a route that i might look into further. Ive talked to the army people at my local centre and they were really good with the details in terms of bursaries and career progression etc. But i couldn't really get a feel of what the day to day would be like. How is it different from being a normal GP? Also, if anyone has any experience, what is it like to be on an abroad deployment in the day to day? How often / where are you likely to be deployed atm (ik it is not something with a specific answer as things change but generally)? I've found nothing recent on this in the forums so hopefully someone could help me out with more info, thanks 
Anyone haha?
Hi! Hopefully this isn’t too late to be helpful!
I’m a GDMO, currently sat under a poncho in the middle of the jungle in Brunei, and it’s great!
You probably have most of the details already, but this is roughly what the journey looks like.
If you want to be a bursar and get funding for medical school, apply to the army, get through Army Officer Selection Board at Westbury, get through your interview and get money towards your tutition fees.
Finish university. (Probably as part of the OTC)
Do FY1 & FY2 - likely at a DMG (frimley park, the QE, Portsmouth etc).
Unless... You’re a direct entrant like me, in which case you apply during FY1 to start after you finish FY2.
After FY2 complete the short commissioning course at RMAS, and then go on to do Phase 2 training, this involves learning about the things you don’t at med school (battlefield trauma) and a recap on primary health care.
After this you are assigned to a medical regiment and also a medical centre (that may be far from your med regiment). When it comes to location, you submit a preference and most people get something resembling what they asked for - but not guaranteed!
A week in the UK = work in the med centre, deliver primary health care, your clinical supervisor will be a GP in that med centre who will help you out. Occasionally visit your regiment to go to meetings or help with teaching medics.
A week abroad = very variable! I don’t hear many people complain about this too much, most people like our trips away. Sometimes you will be on a large base with a GP, sometimes you will be in a remote location with a smaller group of soldiers, and a GP will be on the radio/phone if you need to ask advice. We go all over the world, sometimes very last minute, so you need to be flexible and adapt quickly!
After 2-3 years of this, you apply for specialty training and head back in to hospital to join your NHS colleagues - the army will only support certain careers and these can be competitive, so do your research!
I love it, and am very glad I made this choice, but I know some of my colleagues will leave the army this year, so it isn’t for everyone.
If you have any other questions let me know!
I’m a GDMO, currently sat under a poncho in the middle of the jungle in Brunei, and it’s great!
You probably have most of the details already, but this is roughly what the journey looks like.
If you want to be a bursar and get funding for medical school, apply to the army, get through Army Officer Selection Board at Westbury, get through your interview and get money towards your tutition fees.
Finish university. (Probably as part of the OTC)
Do FY1 & FY2 - likely at a DMG (frimley park, the QE, Portsmouth etc).
Unless... You’re a direct entrant like me, in which case you apply during FY1 to start after you finish FY2.
After FY2 complete the short commissioning course at RMAS, and then go on to do Phase 2 training, this involves learning about the things you don’t at med school (battlefield trauma) and a recap on primary health care.
After this you are assigned to a medical regiment and also a medical centre (that may be far from your med regiment). When it comes to location, you submit a preference and most people get something resembling what they asked for - but not guaranteed!
A week in the UK = work in the med centre, deliver primary health care, your clinical supervisor will be a GP in that med centre who will help you out. Occasionally visit your regiment to go to meetings or help with teaching medics.
A week abroad = very variable! I don’t hear many people complain about this too much, most people like our trips away. Sometimes you will be on a large base with a GP, sometimes you will be in a remote location with a smaller group of soldiers, and a GP will be on the radio/phone if you need to ask advice. We go all over the world, sometimes very last minute, so you need to be flexible and adapt quickly!
After 2-3 years of this, you apply for specialty training and head back in to hospital to join your NHS colleagues - the army will only support certain careers and these can be competitive, so do your research!
I love it, and am very glad I made this choice, but I know some of my colleagues will leave the army this year, so it isn’t for everyone.
If you have any other questions let me know!
aah this is so useful thank youu. im actually mid way through the bursure application forms so perfect timing.
just some more questions if you dont mind 😅
so if during foundation years or gmdo time you decide you want to do a speciality not supported by the army, can you exit after you complete your gd years and do specialist training as a civilian doctor? ( I think ive been told I can but juust checking if you happen to know)
also, how interesting are you finding the gp work in the UK? are you always based in the same practice/ county? Has it been particularly difficult balancing your social life and hobbies with work? is it a 9-5 kind of thing with predictable hours? How flexable are holidays? do you get much time off?
Wow Brunei, that sounds so interesting. How was that? what did you do? did you get much time to explore the area or was there no time because of work?
sorry for all the questions haha, just wanna know as much as I can before heading into this thankss
just some more questions if you dont mind 😅
so if during foundation years or gmdo time you decide you want to do a speciality not supported by the army, can you exit after you complete your gd years and do specialist training as a civilian doctor? ( I think ive been told I can but juust checking if you happen to know)
also, how interesting are you finding the gp work in the UK? are you always based in the same practice/ county? Has it been particularly difficult balancing your social life and hobbies with work? is it a 9-5 kind of thing with predictable hours? How flexable are holidays? do you get much time off?
Wow Brunei, that sounds so interesting. How was that? what did you do? did you get much time to explore the area or was there no time because of work?
sorry for all the questions haha, just wanna know as much as I can before heading into this thankss
Generally speaking yes, if they don’t offer a specialty you want to do, or it’s competitve and they can’t offer to train you in that specialty, then they support you leaving to train as a civi. If you are a bursar, because you wil have a return of service and they have invested money in you, they are likely to ask that you do a couple of years in the reserves - the terms of service for most people are being updated, but bottom line is they won’t force anyone to stay to train in a career they don’t want to do!
I love the GP work, much better than the NHS so far!! (Obviously likely to vary between practices, but my friends have no complaints so far!)
You tend to work 0800-1630, I rarely stay late, and I always have time for lunch. No weekends or out of hours. Social life is a doddle! Very rarely will you work a Friday afternoon, so it’s like a long weekend every week!
You do tend to get placed in one practice for the whole 2 and a bit years, people do move, usually because their clinical supervisor goes on maternity leave or moves elsewhere, but it’s not unheard of for people to move if they request it (eg if you get sent somewhere you had specifically asked not to go - rare occurrence but is possible - and ask to be moved the next year)
Depends on your hobbies, I get loads of time for mine and I’ll often do them with the army as well... team sports can be trickier as you might end up being away for half the season and missing out, but if you play for an army team they are obviously very understanding!
You get loads of leave, I usually struggle to take all mine, but you can carry 15 days over each year. Holidays are generally pretty flexible, unless they send you away last minute.... I’ve just landed from Oman having worked Christmas, but only 2 of the 15 of us were away for Christmas from my regiment.
Brunei was great, I was providing med support for a course in the jungle, so at weekends I could travel (went to Miri, Mulu and KL). If you’re on an exercise then you won’t get weekends, but often you get R&R and they will organise adventure training trips as well.
Happy to answer any more questions if you think of anything else!
I love the GP work, much better than the NHS so far!! (Obviously likely to vary between practices, but my friends have no complaints so far!)
You tend to work 0800-1630, I rarely stay late, and I always have time for lunch. No weekends or out of hours. Social life is a doddle! Very rarely will you work a Friday afternoon, so it’s like a long weekend every week!
You do tend to get placed in one practice for the whole 2 and a bit years, people do move, usually because their clinical supervisor goes on maternity leave or moves elsewhere, but it’s not unheard of for people to move if they request it (eg if you get sent somewhere you had specifically asked not to go - rare occurrence but is possible - and ask to be moved the next year)
Depends on your hobbies, I get loads of time for mine and I’ll often do them with the army as well... team sports can be trickier as you might end up being away for half the season and missing out, but if you play for an army team they are obviously very understanding!
You get loads of leave, I usually struggle to take all mine, but you can carry 15 days over each year. Holidays are generally pretty flexible, unless they send you away last minute.... I’ve just landed from Oman having worked Christmas, but only 2 of the 15 of us were away for Christmas from my regiment.
Brunei was great, I was providing med support for a course in the jungle, so at weekends I could travel (went to Miri, Mulu and KL). If you’re on an exercise then you won’t get weekends, but often you get R&R and they will organise adventure training trips as well.
Happy to answer any more questions if you think of anything else!
Hey, you were really good at answering my questions about being a GDMO a while back and I was wondering if you could give me some more advice?
So ive been told that ill soon have various interviews and fitness tests for being an army medical burser soon. I was wondering how you prepared for the interviews and what sorts of things I should expect? Is there anything I should be reading up on in terms of military info etc. and if so, do you know any good sites or sources? also for the fitness test, how did you prepare? because the main issue I have is the 1.5mile run which im just trying to get my time down for so should be okay in a few months but also the sit ups are worrying me because i'm quite top heavy and though I have the strength to do the sit ups easily, I need my feet held down, is that allowed in the actual test? also is everything done very consecutively in the fitness test or is there breaks? thanks so much in advance
So ive been told that ill soon have various interviews and fitness tests for being an army medical burser soon. I was wondering how you prepared for the interviews and what sorts of things I should expect? Is there anything I should be reading up on in terms of military info etc. and if so, do you know any good sites or sources? also for the fitness test, how did you prepare? because the main issue I have is the 1.5mile run which im just trying to get my time down for so should be okay in a few months but also the sit ups are worrying me because i'm quite top heavy and though I have the strength to do the sit ups easily, I need my feet held down, is that allowed in the actual test? also is everything done very consecutively in the fitness test or is there breaks? thanks so much in advance
Hi!
So it’s been a few years since I did the entry assessments, so it might have changed, but from what I remember...
You do normal officer selection, but have an interview with a member of the AMS.
There is a military knowledge test, fairly sure I failed that bit, so don’t have any recommendations on how to revise!!
There was also various other computer tests and a planning exercise. Practice speed distance time calculations, a lot! You will find it really helpful if you can do them really quickly. Just google speed distance time practice and there is a good website.
The fitness bit is really important, that’s what most docs got picked up on. They usually do a bleep test and not the 1.5 mile run during the selection process. You get a break between sit ups and press ups as you count your partners. You can have someone’s hands on your feet but not their knees - if you struggle it might be because you’re using your thighs and not your core, practice without someone holding your feet, you don’t want tired legs going in to the run!! (And if you get paired with a smaller person, hands on your feet might not make much difference!)
There is usually an assault course type thing, and you need to be able to hurdle to complete it, that catches people out as if you knock them down you have to start again (or get marked down).
Be really up up to date on current affairs, recommend listening to radio 4 and reading ‘The week’.
Once you pass officer selection you go for another interview, again, current affairs knowledge is important. I think most of it was questions about my CV and what I wanted to do etc...
As as I said, it might have changed since I did it, but hopefully the above is helpful!
So it’s been a few years since I did the entry assessments, so it might have changed, but from what I remember...
You do normal officer selection, but have an interview with a member of the AMS.
There is a military knowledge test, fairly sure I failed that bit, so don’t have any recommendations on how to revise!!
There was also various other computer tests and a planning exercise. Practice speed distance time calculations, a lot! You will find it really helpful if you can do them really quickly. Just google speed distance time practice and there is a good website.
The fitness bit is really important, that’s what most docs got picked up on. They usually do a bleep test and not the 1.5 mile run during the selection process. You get a break between sit ups and press ups as you count your partners. You can have someone’s hands on your feet but not their knees - if you struggle it might be because you’re using your thighs and not your core, practice without someone holding your feet, you don’t want tired legs going in to the run!! (And if you get paired with a smaller person, hands on your feet might not make much difference!)
There is usually an assault course type thing, and you need to be able to hurdle to complete it, that catches people out as if you knock them down you have to start again (or get marked down).
Be really up up to date on current affairs, recommend listening to radio 4 and reading ‘The week’.
Once you pass officer selection you go for another interview, again, current affairs knowledge is important. I think most of it was questions about my CV and what I wanted to do etc...
As as I said, it might have changed since I did it, but hopefully the above is helpful!
Thanks so much 😁. Could you tell me about the AMS interview? Is there any medical content or what do I need to do to prepare?
Original post by Tcam9
Hi!
So it’s been a few years since I did the entry assessments, so it might have changed, but from what I remember...
You do normal officer selection, but have an interview with a member of the AMS.
There is a military knowledge test, fairly sure I failed that bit, so don’t have any recommendations on how to revise!!
There was also various other computer tests and a planning exercise. Practice speed distance time calculations, a lot! You will find it really helpful if you can do them really quickly. Just google speed distance time practice and there is a good website.
The fitness bit is really important, that’s what most docs got picked up on. They usually do a bleep test and not the 1.5 mile run during the selection process. You get a break between sit ups and press ups as you count your partners. You can have someone’s hands on your feet but not their knees - if you struggle it might be because you’re using your thighs and not your core, practice without someone holding your feet, you don’t want tired legs going in to the run!! (And if you get paired with a smaller person, hands on your feet might not make much difference!)
There is usually an assault course type thing, and you need to be able to hurdle to complete it, that catches people out as if you knock them down you have to start again (or get marked down).
Be really up up to date on current affairs, recommend listening to radio 4 and reading ‘The week’.
Once you pass officer selection you go for another interview, again, current affairs knowledge is important. I think most of it was questions about my CV and what I wanted to do etc...
As as I said, it might have changed since I did it, but hopefully the above is helpful!
So it’s been a few years since I did the entry assessments, so it might have changed, but from what I remember...
You do normal officer selection, but have an interview with a member of the AMS.
There is a military knowledge test, fairly sure I failed that bit, so don’t have any recommendations on how to revise!!
There was also various other computer tests and a planning exercise. Practice speed distance time calculations, a lot! You will find it really helpful if you can do them really quickly. Just google speed distance time practice and there is a good website.
The fitness bit is really important, that’s what most docs got picked up on. They usually do a bleep test and not the 1.5 mile run during the selection process. You get a break between sit ups and press ups as you count your partners. You can have someone’s hands on your feet but not their knees - if you struggle it might be because you’re using your thighs and not your core, practice without someone holding your feet, you don’t want tired legs going in to the run!! (And if you get paired with a smaller person, hands on your feet might not make much difference!)
There is usually an assault course type thing, and you need to be able to hurdle to complete it, that catches people out as if you knock them down you have to start again (or get marked down).
Be really up up to date on current affairs, recommend listening to radio 4 and reading ‘The week’.
Once you pass officer selection you go for another interview, again, current affairs knowledge is important. I think most of it was questions about my CV and what I wanted to do etc...
As as I said, it might have changed since I did it, but hopefully the above is helpful!
As far as I remember there wasn’t any medical knowledge questions. It was more based on my CV, current affairs and situational judgement. It’s a little bit daunting, if they still do it the same way, there is a panel who all sit behind a large table and they take it in turns to ask you questions.
I remember finding it relatively straightforward, I I was asked about what I thought of women joining the infantry which was very topical at the time, so you shouldn’t get anything too obscure.
Fairly sure there were questions on extra curricular activities and future career aspirations as well. It might be worth looking at the army values and standards and thinking of an example where you have demonstrated each of those, I think I was asked to an example of where I had demonstrated leadership or integrity, but I could be thinking of something else!
Hope that helps, sorry I can’t be more accurate, it was a few years ago now!
I remember finding it relatively straightforward, I I was asked about what I thought of women joining the infantry which was very topical at the time, so you shouldn’t get anything too obscure.
Fairly sure there were questions on extra curricular activities and future career aspirations as well. It might be worth looking at the army values and standards and thinking of an example where you have demonstrated each of those, I think I was asked to an example of where I had demonstrated leadership or integrity, but I could be thinking of something else!
Hope that helps, sorry I can’t be more accurate, it was a few years ago now!
Original post by Giraffetrainer98
Thanks so much 😁. Could you tell me about the AMS interview? Is there any medical content or what do I need to do to prepare?
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