USNA best path to Navy Doc?

NavyNOLA said:
Perhaps NROTC grads that went to a community and earned their warfare pin, then applied. However, I can assure you that in the past two years, no NROTC midshipmen have been selected to go to medical school immediately following graduation and commissioning. We used to be in that business somewhat, but we are most definitely out at this point. Yes, THEORETICALLY a student could get selected, as there are still a few slots kept available for NROTC, but it hasn't happened in the last two years, and I wouldn't bet on it happening for the foreseeable future. Bottom line- NROTC doesn't want kids that want to be doctors. We make URL officers and that's it. That's straight from the mouth of Directior, Officer Development.
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I believe you, but I'm going to have to go look through my records to prove it to myself. It's possible they were all Lat transfers but I would like to think I would have picked up on that trend.

And just personal opinion, but if true that NROTC isn't going to send people to medical corps then that is a disservice to the medical corps and indirectly the Line. Yes, ROTC/USNA aren't there to make medical officers, but those coming out of those programs very much help those coming from direct accession be better officers early in the career. They also have significantly longer commitments and therefore stick around longer than direct accessions. Even if it's just a handful a year it can have a big impact as there are only ~7 training hospitals and one per class can truly make a difference. We talk a lot about diversity, that policy is making us less diverse.
 
She qualifies for several full tuition merit scholarships, so if she didn't need ROTC to pay for UG but wants to join to serve and also to eventually pay for med school, would her military tuition benefits cover civilian med school if she joined now or is that only if she joins after UG? You guys are far more knowledgeable than the recruiters we've talked to, I really appreciate your time.
 
Navy Doc Mom 2B said:
She qualifies for several full tuition merit scholarships, so if she didn't need ROTC to pay for UG but wants to join to serve and also to eventually pay for med school, would her military tuition benefits cover civilian med school if she joined now or is that only if she joins after UG? You guys are far more knowledgeable than the recruiters we've talked to, I really appreciate your time.
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No, won't pay for future med school.

The options to get med school paid for in the Navy:

-Uniformed Services University (military's med school)

-Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP)

-HSCP (I forget what it stands for right now, but gist is go to civilian medical school on active duty as an E-6, but they don't actually pay for the school)

-Financial Aid Program: go to med school on own dime and have it retroactively paid for after joining

All of these programs require being at the "I'm entering med school" stage.

Going really into the weeds one can also use the post-911 GI Bill for it as well; however, that's only an option for those who have completed service.
 
HSCP

Navy Health Services Collegiate Program

http://www.navy.com/joining/college-options/hscp.html

This one kicks in while at medical school. I am glad it was mentioned above. I have met a few docs who did this. It's always a bit confusing to me with the "collegiate" in the name but it applies while in medical school.

And there is another path at the far end of the spectrum: complete college and medical school completely on own, even internship and residency, and apply for a commission. The needs of the Navy are always in play, and depending on experience, will take docs in direct accession and commission them at a rank commensurate with experience. That's how you can run into a Lieutenant Commander, a mid-grade officer, with only a year of active duty.
 
She has her heart set on joining and starting her service and 20 years (currently sees being Navy Doc as career not finance package and doesn't want to do it as civilian) after high school, but it really seems like after college is the best choice for her goals. Would serving in the reserves now and then HSCP be any kind of intelligent option?
 
Navy Doc Mom 2B said:
She has her heart set on joining and starting her service and 20 years (currently sees being Navy Doc as career not finance package and doesn't want to do it as civilian) after high school, but it really seems like after college is the best choice for her goals. Would serving in the reserves now and then HSCP be any kind of intelligent option?
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No, not really. If she doesn't mind potentially being a surface warfare officer for 5 years before starting med school then sure signing up now will give her a few extra, unnecessary for the vast majority, brownie points for being selected in the future.

The best thing she can do right now is go be a big fish in a small pond and stand out academically and in extracurriculars with leadership positions. Do research, shadow physicians and volunteer some time to a cause she likes.
 
Some additional USNA information for you to absorb. http://www.usna.edu/ChemDept/ChemMajor/pre-medical-options.php Read through the links towards the bottom of the page.

USNA premed advising program is administered by the Chemistry department and most will major in Chemistry. They provide a lot of useful information. As stated earlier, a maximum of 15 graduates may attend Med or Dental school and specifically from the premed directive "Candidates motivated solely for a career in medicine or dentistry should be strongly advised against entering the Naval Academy."
 
My mid is a chemistry major and has shared that most of his fellow chem majors are hoping to get a coveted medical school selection. There are a very limited and variable number of slots available so naturally, it's pretty competitive. I know for my mid, med school is not in his immediate sights, as he is eager to join the fleet post-commissioning. He should be eligible to start grad school in his firstie year and is considering that option at UofMD but I don't know how that alters his commitment.
 
If your DD's dream is to be a Navy Doc immediately upon graduation, there are better alternatives than USNA -- as noted above. However, a decent number of USNA grads do their 5+ years and then apply to med school, either via USUHS or another program described in this thread. Those 5 yrs are time well spent and many med students now enter after some time in the "real world." It's another alternative.
 
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