Orthopedic Surgery and Flight Surgery: Income Differences Between the Navy Health Professions Scholarship Program and Civilian Orthopedic Surgery

Abstract Introduction The purpose of this study to analyze the financial impact of choosing a civilian or military orthopedic surgery career. It will examine the most common scenarios to become an orthopedic surgeon in the Navy Health Professions Scholarship Program to include becoming a flight surgeon. To the authors’ knowledge, there is no peer-reviewed literature that financially analyzes the most common scenarios for a Navy Health Professions Scholarship Program scholarship recipient to become an orthopedic surgeon. Materials and Methods Salaries for Navy orthopedic surgeons, residents, and flight surgeons were recorded using the 2020 Defense Finance and Accounting Service pay tables and Navy Fiscal Year 2019 Medical Corps Special Pay Guidance. The median income of civilian orthopedic surgeons was recorded using Salary.com. The present value (PV) and future value (FV) were calculated using the Consumer Price Index-U and average Department of Defense pay increases over the past 20 years. Six common scenarios were utilized to calculate the PV and FV of civilian