Aren't military surgeons free from malpractice concerns?
This is a common misperception about the military. For this question, there are 2 answers
1. For active duty personnel and dependents, we can be sued for gross negligence and harm like any other physician. The difference is that you must sue the Navy (or whichever branch), which is very difficult. Large headaches, UCMJ, military courts. etc. I think it boils down to fewer lawyers are willing to take on a case against the gov't because the lottery mentality of the usual civilian suit doesn't apply. As a physician, you would be defended by the JAG corps, and the gov't would pay the fines so you don't have to maintain malpractice insurance. We do not, however, have a license to kill without oversight. In fact, we're looked at quite closely with periodic reviews, probably much more than civilians.
2. If you see civilians, non-DOD, than you are just like any other Doctor and need malpractice coverage. The surgeons practicing in a trauma center are being paid to see those patients, essentially they are moonlighting and are on there own. This is one of the biggest reasons I don't moonlight, I simply don't want to be chased by some hungry lawyer and a former patient.
DD