Thank you, Senior Chief! I've always wanted to do a vasectomy!"
Heh. You get what you pay for.
- Deborah R.
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I would guess this hints at the possible reason certain forms of surgery are available for free---a reason that isn't particularly sinister, but is business cynical.
In order to be certified to perform a procedure, a surgeon must have performed a specified number of these procedures under supervision by a certified surgeon, and have written up the cases. The case notes with outcome documentation are reviewed and the surgeon gets their certification from a professional review board. They can then practice this procedure on their own without supervision.
This certification process usually takes several years to complete for every procedure to be certified, even in a busy private practice.
If you are in military service as a physician, then you depend on the kinds of cases that arrive and that is something you can't control or cherry pick. So if you want certification in some lucrative procedure that is usually elective like a nose job, breast implant, or tummy tuck how would you get such certification as an military surgeon?
I can't see any way except to have such elective procedures offered for free. This would then be an incentive for recruiting and retaining physicians and surgeons.
The normal military surgeon case load would probably involve only non-elective emergency procedures, trauma, and restoration. Maybe a breast implant or nose job would come along with a bad wound or burn, but otherwise never show up. I can't think of a trauma or restoration need for a tummy tuck or liposuction.
On the other hand how many trauma and restoration cases come along in private practice? Traffic accidents and burns would be the only big sources. But the bread and butter of private practice must be in elective proceedures like breast implants, nose jobs, tummy tucks and liposuction. So future medical business needs would dictate a need for certification in these latter proceedures...hence the free offer...
CG