Route to Medicine

Powercat92

5-Year Member
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Jan 11, 2010
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6
All right, I really feel like going into the Medical field in the Navy is what I want to do, but I want to do it as an officer. I'm currently in the process of applying to USNA, but don't know if I just get a general engineering degree and then go into med school. Would the HSCP and HSPS come into play at a regular college that has NROTC and pre-med or what? Any advice is appreciated.
 
I suggest you PM KP2001. He's a Naval Flight Surgeon and has the best info on MD accession programs in the Navy.

I can only speak to USNA opportunities. Up to 24 mids per year may apply to attend med school right after USNA. Your major isn't critical, BUT you must take the courses required for med school admission. The toughie is Organic, which is a 3-6-5 course and a killer with the heavy load all mids bear. Thus, most med school aspirants major in Chem or Oceanography, as both majors require Organic and thus you don't need to find a way to fit an "extra" 9 hours for two semesters. Or, you can go to summer school each year to pick up any needed "extra" courses.

If you want to go to med school, you apply to the school and apply to USNA/the USN to let you go. You can go USUHS (free but incurs longer obligation) or a civilian school (I THINK USN pays tuition and a stipend and you pay room/board, etc.). I think that you have the choice b/t USUHS and a civilian school but that the USN gets to select which civilian school you can choose. I.e., you get into med school at Harvard, UVA, UTexas, and USUHS, the USN will choose among the 3 civilian schools and give you that choice or USUHS. That's the way it used to be -- things may have changed.

Note that the Navy has to allow you to go to med school. Generally, if they think you are likely to be accepted, they will let you go forward with your application. However, remember that the med school program, as well as the number of mids who can participate each year, can be revoked/modified at any time.

Finally, USNA no longer "discourages" candidates from saying they want to go to med school after USNA. Instead, they want to ensure that candidates are open to other service selection options in case that, for some reason, med school ceases to be an option.
 
The toughie is Organic, which is a 3-6-5 course and a killer with the heavy load all mids bear. Thus, most med school aspirants major in Chem or Oceanography, as both majors require Organic and thus you don't need to find a way to fit an "extra" 9 hours for two semesters.

'85, please refresh my memory....

3 is the class hours, 6 is the lab hours, ........ er........ uh....... :confused:
 
'85, please refresh my memory....

3 is the class hours, 6 is the lab hours, ........ er........ uh....... :confused:

3 = Classroom hours
6 = Lab hours
5 = Credit hours

So, you get to go to class/lab for 9 hrs a week and get 5 hrs of credit toward graduation. What a great deal!:eek:
 
Would you believe I never equated that crap with how many hours per week were spent in class?

No wonder I never got Nuke School! :yllol:

Thanks for the education. :redface:


3-6-5..... YUCK! I thought TWO hours in a lab each week were bad enough! :thumbdown:
 
Just to give you an idea: They had a meeting for anybody in the Class of 2013 interested in attending medical school. 58 attended that meeting.

I'm guessing that some of them were only casually interested. Mostly just curious.

By now, some have realized that it is an academic impossibility.

Some will probably not even follow through with the medical school application process, which is extensive.

One or two will get into some kind of trouble that will preclude the academy from selecting them (i.e. honor or conduct)

Some will simply change their mind.

Some will not take the required courses to do well on the MCATs.

What am I saying?

I'm saying that it is mostly a self-selecting process. If you are persistent, do well, get accepted into a medical school - it is a real possibility. You're really not competing with fellow midshipmen. You're competing with yourself.

But, if your real goal is to go into the Medical Corps, I do not recommend the United States Naval Academy.

On the other hand, if you can handle the academic rigors of the Naval Academy and do well on your MCATs, medical schools tend to like the discipline and dedication that goes with having a Naval Academy education.

One reason I think they now allow midshipmen to pursue the Medical Corps (restricted line) is because it, essentially, creates a career doctor.

Time spent in medical school does not count toward any of your commitments. The civilian program has a 7-yr obligation and the Bethesda program has a 9-yr obligation. And you still have to serve your 5-yr commitment for your Naval Academy education which does not run concurrently. The Navy gets more bang for their buck with a Naval Academy grad than they do with a University of Whatever grad.

But if you attend the Naval Academy, or any of the service academies, you must be prepared to accept a service selection option that involves defending your country in combat.
 
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