Medical Corps

usnaclassof15

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Oct 6, 2011
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I really want to go med corps in the Navy and, recently, I've been wondering...which has the best chance of achieving this: from NROTC, HPSP after civilian school, or USNA? From what I know, it's fairly difficult to go from the Academy...
 
There are several threads discussing this topic. You can go to medical school directly from USNA but it's not easy. You can't go nurse corps or medical service corps directly from USNA.

If your true desire is to be a Navy doctor, there are better/easier accession programs than USNA.
 
There are several threads discussing this topic. You can go to medical school directly from USNA but it's not easy. You can't go nurse corps or medical service corps directly from USNA.

If your true desire is to be a Navy doctor, there are better/easier accession programs than USNA.

The academy is going to send some graduates to medical school. That can't be said about any other institution you attend - even if that institution is "easier."

If you go to a civilian college with the intent on applying to either USUHS or HPSP, there is no guarantee that the Navy will select anybody from that college for either of those programs. You are competing for those scholarships against EVERYBODY in the nation.

That's not the case at the Naval Academy. They have spots set aside for Naval Academy graduates and all you have to do is successfully compete for those slots. And, quite frankly, there are not that many people competing for those slots.

It is hard. You have to do much more than just get good grades. Most people find it too daunting from the get-go and don't even try.

Some find the post-graduation commitment associated with attending medical school a deal breaker. You have to serve your academy obligation successively to the additionally accrued obligations - and medical school doesn't count for ANY of it.

It's basically a career decision.

As a percentage, more midshipmen desiring to got SEALS or EOD do not make the cut.
 
What Memphis says is correct -- USNA does send about 10 graduates to medical school each year. However, it is NOT guaranteed. You have to do well in preparing and the USN must be willing for you to go. And, as Memphis states, your service commitment is signficant.

If your number one desire in life is to be a doctor, you need to think that through and whether USNA is the best way to make that happen. Also, some USNA grads go unrestricted line (pilot, SWO, subs, etc.) and then decide to go to medical school either through the Navy or on their own.

The bottom line is that, if you decide to attend USNA, be fully prepared to serve for 5+ yrs in a area other than medicine, in case the med school plan doesn't work out for any number of reasons.
 
The bottom line is that, if you decide to attend USNA, be fully prepared to serve for 5+ yrs in a area other than medicine, in case the med school plan doesn't work out for any number of reasons.

Well, also ...

If you decide to attend USNA to fly, be prepared to not fly.

If you decide to attend USNA to be in a submarine, be prepared to be on a surface ship.

If you decide to attend USNA to be in the Marine Corps, be prepared to not be in the Marine Corps.

That's why they call it service assignment - not service selection.

There are no guarantees.

You have to be wrap your mind around the fact that you're going to have to find satisfaction in just serving your country - as the Navy sees best.

The best thing you can do to control your own destiny is to excel and doggedly pursue whatever your goal may be.
 
Candidates need to heed USNA1985's and Memphis' advice.

The military prides itself on the ability to plan for many different courses of action and contingencies. Ask yourself..."what if?"

What if....I don't get my primary service assignment?
What if....I don't get my primary major assignment?

I am a little biased on this issue because I have had time to adapt to this concept and realize most candidates are not....but, you should think of backups. Ironically, I had a candidate who was set on Medical Corps and my question was...it is a selective process....what if you aren't selected, what other community would interest you....there was no response. It isn't like you need to have your mind made up...but a response like....I would consider ships or subs (or insert your choices) is appropriate.
 
Not to continue the dogpile re. service assignment vs. selection, some of my classmates got called in by the Colonel the past couple weeks and told flat-out "You did not get Marine Corps."
Some of them were guys and girls who'd wanted USMC since long before coming to USNA, and many of them had fulfilled all of the physical and aptitude requirements to go USMC. Didn't matter. Time for them to get SWOtivated...
 
One additional, vitally important clarification. It's been implied that 10 spots ... 10 med school appointments. The vagaries of that have been duly explained but one ...

Now for the obvious that I don't believe has been noted. Mid med school service select applicants are only considered ... once they've been admitted to an acceptable med school. Last year there were 9 and 1 dental school assigned. In other words, med school admission is necessary and USNA assignment is sufficient.

Also, I believe this has changed in the past year or so, but traditionally all med school applicants had to be chem majors or double majors. Perhaps others can edify and/or correct the issue of major.

If it's not been made sufficiently clear, while obviously not impossible, it is unlikely.
 
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Now for the obvious that I don't believe has been noted. Mid med school service select applicants are only considered ... once they've been admitted to an acceptable med school. Last year there were 9 and 1 dental school assigned. In other words, med school admission is necessary and USNA assignment is sufficient.

True. You have to get yourself accepted to a medical school. And just getting good grades is not good enough. You have to do well on the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), you have to have extracurricular activities
, and shadowing a doctor or some kind of medical experience is also something they like to see.

However, attending the United States Naval Academy is a big plus in the medical school admission process. You would not need as high of a GPA or as high of an MCAT score than your civilian school counterpart competing for the same medical school slot. So, in that regard, attending the Naval Academy is an advantage.

Also, I believe this has changed in the past year or so, but traditionally all med school applicants had to be chem majors or double majors. Perhaps others can edify and/or correct the issue of major.

The academy is not concerned with your major. Non-chemistry majors have been accepted into medical school in the past from the academy. As long as a midshipman can get in the required courses it really doesn't matter what his major is. He's going to have to take chemistry - but EVERYBODY takes chemistry, even the English majors. You'll need Physics but, again, EVERYBODY takes that. You also have to take Organic Chemistry and Biology. Those are the ones that may not be in your major if you are non-chemistry major. But that is very doable if you validated a few things, which most of those considering Medical Corps have done.

It does make it easier if for a chemistry major, though.

If it's not been made sufficiently clear, while obviously not impossible, it is unlikely.

The reason it becomes "unlikely" is because the Naval Academy has a way of making 2.5 GPA students out of 3.5 GPA students. If you are one of the ones who does not buckle under the pressures of the rigorous academy curriculum - then it becomes very doable.

The problem is that after the first semester of Plebe chemistry, most of those who might have been thinking about going Med Corps are usually eliminated.
 
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I believe Memphis edifies and clarifies much of this ... but for one point that might appear to be quibbling unless you or yours is the Mid trying for meds.

"...then it becomes very doable." This one is not "very doable." It is very difficult. Allow no dillusion on this one.
 
Another thing on this subject. The Naval Academy is not going to hold your hand and walk you through "what it takes" to get accepted into the Medical Corps.

Sure, they'll have meetings for "those interested" in the Medical Corps on rare occasions, but from what I've heard those meetings mostly serve to discourage any of those contemplating pursuing this route. The meetings are seldom encouraging.

At one meeting they told the midshipmen that it couldn't even be guaranteed that any slots would be available at the time they are up for service assignment. They made a big point that the allotments come from "above" and that the Naval Academy had no control over it. They used to give out 15-20 slots. Recent history has it pretty much stabilized at 10. That's a pretty big reduction.

It's a restricted line assignment and that is not what the Naval Academy is all about, historically speaking.

There's not a lot of information out there nor is there many "on campus" resources to figure it out. This may be by design. They place the burden on the midshipmen to "figure it out." You pretty much have to hit the ground running ... and never stumble.
 
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