ROTC Scholarship and Med school

taylorrb

5-Year Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2011
Messages
8
I'm a high school junior and I'm planning on starting my ROTC scholarship process soon. I know if I were to receive the scholarship I'm required to serve after college and I'm fine with this. But I plan on going to college for pre med and I want to attend medical school afterwards to become an Army Surgeon. So I plan on serving either way I just want to know if I accept a ROTC scholarship can I serve after medical school and residency and interning. Or if I'm even allowed to recieve a ROTC scholarship if I want to attend graduate school. Any advice on this matter would help a lot!

-Taylor
 
From what my son has been told as long as you do very well in your undergrad and get accepted to a medical school, then usually you can receive a deferral to attend med school, and sometimes even another scholarship. There is no guarantee of this, since it depends on your grades, MCAT score and acceptance to med school, etc. Talk to the ROTC depts at the schools you are interested in attending and find out if they have any history of sending ROTC undergrads on to grad school for medicine.
 
It's called an ed delay. You can request one, and approximately 200 cadets a year are allowed to defer serving to attend grad school (med or law usually). This won't happen until senior year, and by then you may be a history major, Remember also that if you don't get picked up for ed delay you still have a couple options. One is to try to get Medical Services as a branch. You'll be a medical platoon leader, who will still be working in the field, just not as a doc. The other option is to choose to go guard or reserves when you commission and get your med degree while serving part time.
 
I just want to know if I accept a ROTC scholarship can I serve after medical school and residency and interning. Or if I'm even allowed to recieve a ROTC scholarship if I want to attend graduate school. Any advice on this matter would help a lot!

-Taylor

You certainly can do this. My DD is planning to attend either Vet School or Med School after graduation. In the fall of your senior year you pick "educational delay" during the branch selection process. About 100 cadets each year are granted these delays to attend medical, veterinary, dental, and a few other programs. The delays are granted to cadets who appear to have the credentials to get accepted to their chosen graduate program. Do what it takes to get admitted to med school and the Army will likely grant to the delay.

After you complete med school you will still owe the Army your ROTC committment. You will service this as a doctor. As mentioned by VAMOM2015 there are additional scholarship opportunities for med school, and like ROTC they require additional years of committment.
 
With all the discussion on AD v. reserves in other threads I have a question for Clarkson. If a cadet takes an education delay and later returns as a veterinarin or MD, can they opt for reserves or are they required to go AD?
 
Back
Top