Slots for Medical Grad school

Hello again everyone, I am an aspiring doctor that has been accepted to the AFA. I'm curious how competitive the slots are for Medical and Dental grad school. I would like to be in the surgical forces of the Air Force, but I am two years away from going to medical school on my own dime from Brigham Young University. This is a big decision right now, and everywhere I look online they say that 3% of the class is reserved for medical school, and .5% is reserved for dental school. I know the AFA would be better than any other service academy, because so many pilot and navigator slots are available. In other words, is it nearly impossible to be a medical practitioner through the AFA grad school slots, or is the competition pretty reasonable - I REALLY WANT THE AIR FORCE EXPERIENCE! Thank you.

Hello otterpop, I am also interested in a medical career with Air Force as an option. It seems that going to medical school after the Academy is extremely competitive but definitely not impossible if you set your mind to it. I have read stories of cadets who got accepted into Harvard Med school right after the Academy. Also, the needs of the Air Force plays a big part in attending med school after the Academy. I believe you need to maintain a 3.5 gpa and ace the MCAT to have a great shot at med school after the Academy. Nothing is impossible if you set your mind to it. Best of luck.

otterpop said:

....I'm curious how competitive the slots are for Medical and Dental grad school. I would like to be in the surgical forces of the Air Force, but I am two years away from going to medical school on my own dime from Brigham Young University..... I REALLY WANT THE AIR FORCE EXPERIENCE! Thank you.

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You say you are 2 years away from going to med school -- so I'm assuming you are a college sophomore. Do you really want to give up 2 years of college to go to USAFA? I know people do it, but there are other ways to go to med school and be in the Air Force, and, not have to pay for your schooling.

Have you considered completing your Bachelor's degree at BYU and then applying for a Health Professions Scholarship where the AF would pay for medical school and you'd be a 2nd Lt in the AF Reserves while attending med school? Under HSP you also get paid a stipend each month. You owe back 4 years after completion of your residency.
see http://www.afit.edu/cip/hpsp.cfm
and http://lukeballard.tripod.com/HPSP.html

Also there is USUHS -- uniform services university of health sciences at Bethesda - which is military medical school -- you are active duty in one of the branches while attending med school
see http://www.usuhs.mil/

I'm actually a Junior. I am a re-applicant (was in High School last year), but you make a totally valid point, is it worth it. I know the academy provides Amazing opportunities, but after tasting rejection once before by the Air Force, I don't think I could stomach a rejection to one of the academy's slots for medical school. Do you guys know by chance where to find average GPA's and MCAT and DAT statistics of AFA graduates? It seems the AFA website is purposely being vague about their medical graduate venues. I definitely have what it takes to succeed at the AFA, I just want to make sure I don't become a logistics officer when I'd rather be an Anesthesiologist, endodontist, etc... I've always wanted to be an astronaut, and I figured the AFA would be the best place to pursue that career. All in all, I'm trying to gather statistics right now so I can weigh the risks and decide once and for all what path to pursue for the rest of my life. The stress of indecision is killing me, and I can't thank you guys enough for helping young men and women like myself with these tough decisions.

otterpop said:

I just want to make sure I don't become a logistics officer when I'd rather be an Anesthesiologist, endodontist, etc... I've always wanted to be an astronaut, and I figured the AFA would be the best place to pursue that career.

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Please read this portion of your post.

Every military officer serves at the luxury of the service.

Your comment of not becoming a logistics officer, and wanting to be an astronaut leaves me with the question what if they assign you to Maintenance, or Support?

I have no problem with you saying I want this or that. I do have a problem with you statement regarding how you perceive the AFA and your career.

otterpop, I know you are just trying to figure the odds but you may never find the data you are looking for. I think the number of med school slots available go up and down just like everything else based on the need of the AF. I believe almost all of the med school slots go to chemistry majors and only those at the top.
The only guarantee you are going to get is that you will serve at least 5 years upon graduation from the academy. If med school is the only thing that is going to fulfill you you may end up unfulfilled.
I am sure I haven't told you anything you don't already know but maybe you will find something here that will help you with your decision. Good luck.

Well Pima, I'm not going to lie, it would be an absolute nightmare if I worked my rear off for 4 years to get a 3.5+ GPA in Chemistry and end up as a logistics officer. I understand that officers serve the Air Force where its needs lie - I'm just trying to find out if the Air Force's needs, and my graduate desires can co-exist together. Of course everyone has preferences, and there is nothing wrong with an uncommitted cadet trying to find out crucial information that the Air Force Academy doesn't readily provide. If I never find that information, than so be it. It still doesn't stop me from trying.

Like I stated earlier, I do not want to pass up a graduate opportunity through BYU, if there is an extremely high likelihood that I will be disappointed on graduation day in 2016. I don't want to accept an appointment and leave the academy if I find out it won't work. Over 100 cadets have dropped out of the Class of 2015, and I would have killed for one of those slots... I don't want to do that to some other candidate this year.

Here is a simple hypothetical question: if you could choose to be a doctor or an AF officer (not both), which would you choose?

If you chose doctor, go find an AF/DoD medical scholarship program.
If you chose AF officer, keep on the USAFA path.

I love being from the academy, but if your heart is in being a doctor, it is a lower percentage chance of success than your other options.

My son and I toured USAFA at the beginning of January. During a Q/A session someone asked about medical school and as I recall the admissions officer said that USAFA has X number of slots (can't remember the number) to send grads to medical school but that in the last class they had < X cadets apply for those slots.

otterpop,

Anyone telling your chances for what the AF's needs will be in 4 yrs is plain out blowing smoke up your arse. Nobody here knows, hypothetically can go with the amount historically that get this chance, but as jro stated last yr they had fewer than the historical amount.

When Bullet, Flieger and CC entered the AF back in the day dinosaurs roamed the earth, every AFB hospital had 24/7 medical care. Babies were born on base. Operations occurred on base.

Now, it has to be a very large base to have those things, such as Andrews. Go to many other bases, and there is no ER, no maternity, and now not even OB/GYN for some. Everyone is sent on the economy for these health care issues.

The point is 21 yrs ago nobody foresaw that occurring. It didn't happen slowly over 21 yrs., it happened within 4 or 5 yrs. The AF is now contracting docs. The dentist at SJAFB, is not AF, they are contracted. If assigned to the Pentagon, you go too Prince William Family Center. It is for military only, but all of them there are contracted.

There will always be AF docs., but the amount needed today may not be what they need in 4 yrs from now. Telling you just pull a 3.8 cgpa and you should be good to go, is a lie.

As Raimius stated, ask yourself which path you want. Yes, your career field goal is being a doc, but you know what they will call you in the AF? Not Doctor otterpop, it will be Lt. Otterpop.

You'll need to maintain a minimum 3.25 GPA in order for the AFA just to consider you for a medical slot. Those typically chosen are WAY above that. Fall below a 3.25 and you can kiss the consideration for a medical slot goodbye.

medical graduate degree

I have a 2015 Cadet, who's original goal is/was also medical school. She has been told the slots for the last few years have NOT all been used. She would have to have a 3.5 and ace the MCAT, but she is really only competing against herself for a slot.

macmom said:

I have a 2015 Cadet, who's original goal is/was also medical school. She has been told the slots for the last few years have NOT all been used. She would have to have a 3.5 and ace the MCAT, but she is really only competing against herself for a slot.

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Really, it's a case of being accepted into a medical school. During my boards process, I saw people with GPAs as low as 3.0 and MCATs as low as 25 allowed to continue the process (nothing to lose without enough people to fill all the slots anyway). Those that got into an approved DO or MD program (accredited, HPSP authorized, and within the lower 48), were allowed to go. The bar is very high for med schools, so don't expect to be allowed to go without busting butt for four years. I think in my class something like 14 of the 18 available slots were used (to say nothing about the something like 10 flexible spots that were also available). Same was generally true for the dental school and nursing school applicant pools.