The following information is provided about pay and benefits for all active duty military residents and fellows regardless of service. A limited number of programs accept civilian residents. Those that do will indicate so on their individual program page and include the civilian pay and benefits information there.
Stipends
Residents and fellows who are uniformed officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force, or U.S. Public Health Service and are compensated at the level of O-3 or greater, depending on prior service. For more information: https://www.dfas.mil/militarymembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/.
Benefits
Housing
Education
Life Insurance
Retirement
Vacation
All military officers receive a total of 30 days of ordinary leave (vacation) annually. Residents and fellows may not be able to use all 30 days while in training because of more restrictive specialty training time requirements. Unused days accumulate for later use per military service policy.
Leave
Medical Leave
Periods of hospitalization, “Quarters status” for illness or injury or convalescent (sick) leave for an illness or qualifying condition (such as postpartum status) are authorized for all uniformed residents. While there no limit on the amount of illness or convalescent absences per year, those with frequent or lengthy absences may need to be extended in training to meet program requirements.
Parental Leave
Maternity Leave
Residents and fellows who give birth may receive non-chargeable maternity convalescent leave as advised by a physician.
Parental Leave
(Includes adoption) Residents/fellows may receive up to 12 weeks of non-chargeable leave (for birth-parent this is additive to convalescent leave). This leave may be taken in one week increments up to a year after the birth or adoption of a child.
Other Leaves of Absence
Periods of time away from the training program for non-medical reasons will be handled on a case-by-case basis by the GME office. Cumulative absences from the training program in excess of training time requirements may lead to an extension of training.
Professional Liability Coverage
All military medical corps officers are protected from personal liability for actions related to their official duties by federal statute. The relevant statute is the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), 28 U.S.C. §§1346(b), 2671-2680.
Disability Insurance
All military officers have disability insurance coverage. The services have longstanding, formal processes to manage disabled personnel. Restrictions range from temporary, light duty to medical retirement from active military service: https://www.va.gov/disability/.
Health Insurance Benefits
- All military members and immediate family members receive health insurance through TRICARE. This includes health care, hospitalization, and mental health.
- For more information: https://tricare.mil/Plans/New.
Dental Insurance Benefit
Obligated Service
The length of obligated service after graduation from a GME program varies. If you have questions, please contact:
- Medical Students: Your respective Service Medical Student Support Office
- PGY1+: Your respective Service GME office