Abstract
Doctors in the Danish Armed Forces are either placed in the Operational and Tactical Commands or in the Defence Health Service.
The medical advice to the Operational or Tactical units can be influenced by the Armed Forces structure and culture in the different units that the doctors support. The doctor’s identity as a medical professional can be challenged by the military operational and tactical culture that exists in the military commands. The doctor’s professional identity is shaped by the civilian health care system and this professional identity can be challenged by operational and tactical considerations.
This study shows that the challenge to the doctor’s professional identity depends on which unit the doctor is serving. The challenge in the Operational and Tactical Commands is greater than in the Defence Health Service.
Last, the study is analyzes the influence of this challenge on the doctor’s professional advises to the units the doctor support. The study shows that the advices can be under influence of operational and tactical considerations, but the study does not evaluate the quality of the advices in relation to the challenged professional identity.