Health care personnel delivery system: another doctor draft?

It appears that a general draft is not likely to occur. A physician draft is the most likely conscription into the military in the near future. Physicians inducted out of private practice with large practice expense overheads may suffer significant financial hardship. The only specific long-term deferment available to physicians is that of Essentiality of Occupation. Reserve component forces have been used extensively over the last few years to augment the active duty military. Medical units and personnel are no exceptions to this augmentation. After the most recent mobilization of reserve forces, many physicians may be leaving the National Guard and reserves because of the financial losses they suffered while mobilized. With the depletion of these supplemental physicians, who will the military use for future contingencies? A physician draft may be the only way to assure the health of our men and women in the military. Although this is not addressed in the HCPDS legislation, it is conceivable that physicians could be drafted into reserve medical units. There may be changes to the HCPDS over the next few years, such as a quicker response time for induction of health care personnel. The alternative service requirement for physician conscientious objectors has yet to be determined. Also, a reengineering effort was announced by the SSS in March 2003 to focus on the "special skills" mission. Currently this mission is only for health care personnel, but in the future it is foreseeable it may include linguists, environmental engineers, computer specialists, and other professionals.