USMA Med School?

[MK80]

Hello,

I am currently a sophomore in high school. I have been interested in going to West Point for years now and I am sure I am heading in the right direction for acceptance.

Anyway, my question regards the medical school program offered at West Point.

Question 1: I have heard the med program referred to as premed school and as med school. Is the medical school program a fully accredited program or will I have to go to another medical school after my compulsory service is finished?

Question 2: I have also heard that upon being accepted into the med program, you incur 7 more years of obligatory service, which would be a total of 12 years of mandatory service. With that said, would that mean I would be in college and in the military for 16 years? (12 years of service plus 4 years of education would be the 16 years.)

Question 3: Do I have to become a medical officer in the U.S Army after graduation from West Point and the med program? I hope to become an intelligence officer but I would like to be a surgeonafter I leave the service. I realize that it would be recommended to be a med officer after graduation, but that is besides the point.


Thank you in advance for answering my questions.

 

[Art.Perea]

First let me say that only 2% of the class is allowed to go onto med school, meaning less than 20 people per class, so you need to be in the very top of your class to even get the slot.

1. West Point offers a 4 year bachelor of science degree, nothing else. Correct if I am wrong, but the premed major is called life sciences. From there, if you got one of the 20 slots, you will go to med school.

2. Yes it does include more service, I do not know the exact number of years however. You will be in the military at the same time, but your job will be to go to college. You will get paid to go to college in lamest terms. So you had better get good grades or the Army will pull you out.

3. Yes, you have to be a doctor for the Army if they pay for your med school.

Other options would be to do some service then apply for med school after a few years of service with the Army. Or you could finish your 5 year obligation with the Army and then apply to med school independently, less bureaucracy this way.

Bottom line, it is extremely difficult to go to med school directly from West Point

 

[mom3boys]

Several of my son's friends chose the med school route. They are pretty much identified and "tracked" early in their WP career. During the summer, instead of some of the more typical cadet training, they shadow doctors. Being in this program is not a guarantee; they must independently seek and gain admission to medical school. Once accepted, as the above poster mentions, the Army pays the tuition and pays salary (and living expenses).