Pros
There are three primary pros for working as a Medical Service Corp Officer in the U.S. Navy: Upward mobility/career progression, pay/benefits, and wide scope of responsibility. The Navy gives large amounts of responsibility to its Junior Officers which offers new graduates a real chance to manage between 30 and 70 staff members right away. The pay and tax advantages are generous considering the limited experience many Junior Officers hold. In addition to base pay, Junior Officers receive tax-free allowances: Basic Housing Allowance and a Basic Food Allowance. Lastly, Junior Officers earn extra pay when deployed on top of earning all pay tax-free.
Cons
Cons as a MSC Officer are: Moving every three years, lack of creativity at the command level, and working with unionized government employees. Being in the military you are required to change duty stations every three years unless there are unusual circumstances. Second, because the US Navy employs 350,000 people and operates in every corner of the world, policy is often handed down from Washington DC with little concern for local circumstances. Institutional changes are excruciatingly painful and often require years of effort. Finally, the number one problem facing Military hospitals are sub-par government employees. While 60 to 70 percent of employees are hard-working and competent, the remainder desperately need dismissal due to performance. Unfortunately, removing a unionized federal employee requires years of air-tight documentation, counseling, co-operation with HR, help from superiors and assistance from staff members. Most Officers know that they will be moved to another hospital or department before a bad employee is ever fired so many officers don't be bother trying.