If one wanted to attend medical school after going to the Naval Academy, how would that work? Would you do your 5 years of service and then enroll when you return (are you still in the reserves at that time)? Or would you go straight through and then do your active duty as a physician?
Any information would be helpful. Thanks!
Although the academy is permitted to send more than 10, it seems in the past few years they have limited the number of Medical Corps selectees to 10. (One year it was 9 and another it was 11). West Point and USAFA send many more into the Medical Corps than USNA.
There is no point in applying to any medical school until you are selected for Medical Corps. Those who are selected are usually the first to know of their service selection because of their need to get going with the medical school application process. It is quite involved. Usually the selectees find out shortly after they return in the Fall for their 1/C year. For example, for the class of 2014, those selected for Medical Corps already know.
Once selected, they apply for both military medical scholarships, USUHS (Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences) and HPSP (Health Professions Scholarship Program). Acceptance is pretty much automatic for a service academy student.
USUHS is the military's medical school located in Bethesda. While attending, they will receive the pay and benefits of an Ensign for the entire 4 years. They skip LTJG and are promoted to Lieutenant upon graduation.
HPSP is at a civilian medical school. While attending, they are in the Individual Ready Reserves. Basically, they're civilians. They are released from all military obligations upon graduation from USNA. They get no pay or benefits although they receive a $20,000 bonus (USUHS does not get the bonus). Their tuition, books and equipment are 100% covered by the military (as it is at USUHS). In addition, they get a $2200/month stipend. Upon medical school graduation, like their USUHS peers, they are automatically promoted to Lieutenant.
The service obligations differ, however.
Whether they go USUHS or HPSP, they will owe the Navy 5 yrs for their Naval Academy education.
However, the USUHS (military) medical students accrue an additional
seven years of service whereas the HPSP (civilian) medical students only accrue an additional
four years.
So, the total commitment is 12 yrs for USUHS and 9 yrs for HPSP. The clock does not start ticking until after after they've finished their
residency, however. It does not begin after medical school graduation.
Also, the HPSP (civilian) students do 6 weeks of active duty each year. During that brief period, they have the same pay and benefits as the USUHS students.
* * *
The USNA Medical Corps selectees can have their service selection revoked if they fail to get accepted into any medical school. I do not think that has ever happened, however.
The selectees are on their own as far as getting accepted into medical school is concerned. They have to compete for a spot just like all the others throughout the nation trying to get into a medical school. My sons missed a lot of classes, flying around the nation, interviewing. The academy was very accommodating about that, by the way. My sons would simply put in a chit (request) to miss classes for medical school interview and it was always immediately approved. Typically, they would miss 3 days of class since medical school interviews are never conducted on weekends.
To get accepted into the Medical Corps, I would say the following items are the most important:
In order ...
1) MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) score.
2) GPA in technical courses (Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biology, etc.)
3) USNA Medical Selection Board interview (can be confrontational!)
4) Professor recommendations.
5) Medical resume (research, shadowing doctors, community service, etc)
6) Overall class standing
And, of course, you can't have any "black marks" on your record like major conduct offenses, poor military aptitude rankings, or honor violations.
It was stressful because you have to
really want it. And, the
more you want it, the
less you want anything else. It's difficult to be ambivalent about wanting to be a Navy doctor or a pilot ... or SWO ... or Marine ... or just about
anything else.