Hopefully, a new beginning

[Doc_Dave]

Greetings and good day, everyone!

My name is Dave and I'm a 33-year-old licensed doctor living in the Philippines. I won't bore you guys with my whole life's story, but to put it succinctly, I was pushed (or rather, forced) into medicine by my family and after weeks of bitter conflict and years of misery going through med school and working as possibly the last thing I wanted to become, things came to a head (no longer on good terms with the fam) and I'm finally in control of my life again.

However, to cut to the chase and get to the point, I was thinking of joining the Legion. There's nothing left for me where I am and opportunities in other fields, despite my qualifications, are pretty terrible. Currently, I'm in moderate physical shape (which I am working to improve) with a clean bill of health and no criminal record. No wife or kids to tie me down or hold me back, either. I'm willing to give it my all to get through selection and if I'm accepted, then the Legion would be the only family I have from that point forward, meaning I'd be in it for the long term. All that remains now is to get things settled at my end and book a trip to Paris or Aubagne. So with that being the case...

Should I follow through with this? And if so, what do you think my chances of being accepted are?

(Thank you all for your time, input, and consideration)

 

[Surfguy]

Interesting , are the Legion interested in academics /qualified doctors ? I suspect you may be over qualified .

 

[Doc_Dave]

Interesting , are the Legion interested in academics /qualified doctors ? I suspect you may be over qualified .

Perhaps? We could see. And I'll take that as a compliment. ^^

However, from what I understand, Legionnaires are soldiers first and everything else comes second.

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

Welcome Doc.Dave to the forum. Actually that reads Doc dot Dave -sounds like morse. . Anyway, I don't think that anyone can be over qualified in the Legion. The infirmier-major in 3e REI was a pharmacist before giving it all up and joining the Legion. All be it he stayed in the branch.
There was also the Swiss pilot from the Swiss airforce who landed his fighter jet in France and joined. The Swiss had to send a pilot to recover the plane.
Also there used to be the tableau of all the famous people who have joined in the museum.

At your age and with your qualifications, you had better come up with something that will convince the recruiters that you are willing to say.

 

[Doc_Dave]

Many thanks for the response and for the welcome! And hearing that nobody can be overqualified to join is reassuring. However, things have gone pretty far south for me on this end...

The way I see things, a career in the Legion could actually be a godsend, despite the hardships, and there'd be nothing for me to go back to if I booked a ticket and went to Paris or Aubagne. No home, no family (or at least none that would want me around). The Legion would be both to me by then.

It also wouldn't hurt that the Legion, straight off the bat, already pays multiple times what I earn as a doctor where I currently am, and that's no exaggeration. Add a retirement pension after 17.5 years of service and the deal just gets sweeter. Multiple reasons to stay with the Legion already and I could probably find more, as well.

 

[Ex-Pongo]

Go then.
Got a feeling your medical training will come in handy.
World needs doctors. If the Legion doesn't pan out, there are other organisations that will happily send you into warzones for little pay and reward to patch up broken human.
Either way, take pride in what you do. Men like you keep the world turning. Men like me don't. So be proud and forge your way.

 

[Chas]

Good luck and welcome to the forum. As Ex Pongo correctly states there are plenty of organizations that would welcome you if the FFL did not work out. So keep your options open.

Happy New Year and Carpe Diem .
Chas.

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

Actually that reads Doc dot Dave -sounds like morse. (...)

I'm sorry Dave, I didn't see it was an underscore, instead of a dot. So now it doesn't sound like morse code any more

 

[Doc_Dave]

Thank you for the input and response, everyone! I'm very much grateful.

And no worries, Mr. Cosgrove. No worries at all. ^^

If I can get everything sorted out/settled at my end, I could try making my way to Paris or Aubagne, hopefully before too long.

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

Thank you for the input and response, everyone! I'm very much grateful.

And no worries, Mr. Cosgrove. No worries at all. ^^

If I can get everything sorted out/settled at my end, I could try making my way to Paris or Aubagne, hopefully before too long.

Just Joe or Joseph will do. I'd concentrate my efforts in getting to Aubagne. Take into account the jet lag, so you'll need at least a day to get get over it.