Curious - if a person is awarded the HPSP scholarship and is going to medical school with plans to serve as a physician/ officer in the armed services (Say Navy for giggles), are the physical rigors of getting through officer training - OCS and additional training the same demand as those who are going in for other leader roles - Marines, infantry, etc.? Just being blunt, is the bar lower for future MDs/ Dentists than those who will say lead a tank division? Is the physical demand a "light" version, or the full training? is OCS for MDs/ DDSs less rigorous for one branch vs another? All insights welcome - including somehow making this about bacon
Can't speak to Navy. No OCS for Army HPSP. For Army, professionals like DDS and MDs via HPSP attend the DCC (Direct Commissioning Course) currently at FT Sill for AMEDD then AMEDD BOLC (Basic Officer Leader Course) in Texas. BOLC can be a shortened version or full BOLC depending on timing and availability. BOLC has a field element, weapons familiarization, and land navigation both day and night but they're taught everything they need. The field exercise has officers rotate through leadership roles in a field medical setting. There is a common core for all Army BOLC based on TRADOC and federal guidelines for commissioned officers - UCMJ exposure for example.
Officers with ROTC training or specific prior service enlisted (E5 and up with BLC?) do not attend DCC, only BOLC. Prior service officers can be credited with prior BOLC.
Army BOLC is what the officer chooses to put into it. Mine saw it as a break from medical school with personal challenges to make it fun. Had limited time to study for Step1/2 in the evenings and other downtime. Ran both day and night land navigation with a prior service SOF NCO a couple years behind in medical school. When completing day land navigation very quickly the NCO Cadre thought they had given up and walked away from the course without finding all their points. No, they each found all points and they were different. To be fair, 4 years of ROTC prior to BOLC helped but anyone that is physically fit and in medical school can be successful in initial military training. AMEDD BOLC is quite diverse in participants (Nurses, MD/DO, DDS, Optometrists, Lab Officers, Medical Service, ... ) and experience (prior service E's and O's, no prior service, and O1-O5). LTC isn't common in BOLC but it does happen with experienced medical professionals that direct commission.
The HPSP facebook page has good information for Army, Navy, and AF initial medical officer training.
If your medical student is looking for a challenge they could attempt Army EFMB (Expert Field Medical Badge) even if in the Navy. Mine had at least one Navy Officer in their EFMB Qualification 'course'. EFMB was significantly more difficult than BOLC.
I never asked if bacon was on the menu or available in MRE's at BOLC. It wasn't available in MRE's when I was on AD.
