Memphis9489
15-Year Member
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2008
- Messages
- 1,389
If you have never seen these "Fulfill Your Destiny" promotionals by the Naval Academy? You should watch them:
http://www.usna.edu/fyd/index.php
The second one from the bottom is the one that really gets me; the one with Midshipman Nanda Ramchandar. He is going into the Medical Corps to become a doctor. A naive candidate may watch that video and think that the Naval Academy encourages its graduates to become doctors.
Well ... uh ... no ... not exactly. The recent graduating Class of 2010 had a grand total of ten go into the Medical Corps. That represents less than 1% of the class.
What they don't tell you is this: Going into the Medical Corps is not much encouraged as a service selection. You have to get permission from the Naval Academy to even pursue that service selection. And you're on your own getting accepted into a medical school.
But, after watching this video, you'd think that, "Hey! What a great idea! I could go to the Naval Academy and become a doctor!"
Yeah, well don't tell that to your Blue & Gold Officer at your interview.
It's hard to imagine that they dedicated an entire video promotional on a service selection that represents less than 1% of the class. To me, it comes very close to deceptive advertising.
If you want to be a military doctor - go to West Point - not Annapolis. Better yet, get an ROTC scholarship and apply to the Medical Corps from there.
The Naval Academy seems to change their policy on the Medical Corps every year. At one point, they said they were going to expand the quota to 25. Now they seem to be limiting it to 10. That's a pretty big difference.
It carries a hefty extended service obligation, by the way. Basically, it's making the Navy a career the day you graduate; something else that isn't mentioned in the video.
I'm wondering if these were the recruiting videos that got Superintendent Fowler into so much hot water.
http://www.usna.edu/fyd/index.php
The second one from the bottom is the one that really gets me; the one with Midshipman Nanda Ramchandar. He is going into the Medical Corps to become a doctor. A naive candidate may watch that video and think that the Naval Academy encourages its graduates to become doctors.
Well ... uh ... no ... not exactly. The recent graduating Class of 2010 had a grand total of ten go into the Medical Corps. That represents less than 1% of the class.
What they don't tell you is this: Going into the Medical Corps is not much encouraged as a service selection. You have to get permission from the Naval Academy to even pursue that service selection. And you're on your own getting accepted into a medical school.
But, after watching this video, you'd think that, "Hey! What a great idea! I could go to the Naval Academy and become a doctor!"
Yeah, well don't tell that to your Blue & Gold Officer at your interview.
It's hard to imagine that they dedicated an entire video promotional on a service selection that represents less than 1% of the class. To me, it comes very close to deceptive advertising.
If you want to be a military doctor - go to West Point - not Annapolis. Better yet, get an ROTC scholarship and apply to the Medical Corps from there.
The Naval Academy seems to change their policy on the Medical Corps every year. At one point, they said they were going to expand the quota to 25. Now they seem to be limiting it to 10. That's a pretty big difference.
It carries a hefty extended service obligation, by the way. Basically, it's making the Navy a career the day you graduate; something else that isn't mentioned in the video.
I'm wondering if these were the recruiting videos that got Superintendent Fowler into so much hot water.