Med School Path After USAFA?

Goshawk

Goshawk

New Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2019
Messages
2
Hello, I am a freshman in high school, and I am considering going to USAFA for a Biochemistry premed track, in hopes of becoming a doctor. I understand that after I graduate I could apply to USUHS, but I was wondering if I can apply for a HPSP to maybe go to a civilian medical school and then do my service requirement afterwards? What does the HPSP actually entail? I would like to serve, but I don’t know whether to do OTS, ROTC, or USAFA? Which path would be the best option for a medical student? I understand that I’m asking a lot in one thread. Thank you for your time.
 
My DD will be attending medical school this fall after graduating from USAFA. She is still deciding which medical school she will attend as she has a few acceptances. The way I understand it to work is USAFA has 18 "slots" for medical school and if you are awarded one of these you can go to any medical school you choose. The biggest difference is the length of time you have to serve after graduating from the medical school. Good luck!
 
Goshawk said:
Hello, I am a freshman in high school, and I am considering going to USAFA for a Biochemistry premed track, in hopes of becoming a doctor. I understand that after I graduate I could apply to USUHS, but I was wondering if I can apply for a HPSP to maybe go to a civilian medical school and then do my service requirement afterwards? What does the HPSP actually entail? I would like to serve, but I don’t know whether to do OTS, ROTC, or USAFA? Which path would be the best option for a medical student? I understand that I’m asking a lot in one thread. Thank you for your time.
Click to expand...


Yes, you can go to a civilian medical school and use the HPSP scholarship to pay for it if selected. A 4-year scholarship will add an active duty commitment of 4 years.

If you go to USUHS, then then adds an active duty commitment of 7 years.

You will pay back your USAFA active duty commitment once you're done with your medical training. Active duty commitments incurred from the USAFA and HPSP/USUHS are served consecutively, not concurrently.

As stated by @jets737, the number of USAFA grads who can go to medical school each year is capped. If the USAF says they will allow only 18 cadets to go to medical school in a particular year and you're #20 on the OML, then you're not going to medical school even though you have an acceptance in hand. Kids who want to go to medical school after attending a SA need to be happy with doing something else in that service in the event they aren't selected to attend.

Going AFROTC, there is a theoretical cap (I don't know what it is), but it's not as low as that of the USAFA. I've never met anyone who went AFROTC, got accepted to medical school, and wasn't allowed by the USAF to attend.
 
Some of the best advise I heard about picking a college is to attend a school you'll be happy with if the profession that drew you there doesn't work out. It happens more than you may think. If you can't become a doctor, (for whatever reason) will you be happy at a SA? In the military?
 
Wishful said:
Some of the best advise I heard about picking a college is to attend a school you'll be happy with if the profession that drew you there doesn't work out. It happens more than you may think. If you can't become a doctor, (for whatever reason) will you be happy at a SA? In the military?
Click to expand...
My DD is going though this thought process right now. She has dreamed of going into medicine since elementary school and has not waivered from that goal since. Although she would love to go to USAFA (sister just received appt to c/o 2023) she would not be happy with any slot but Med school. Once she graduates HS, she’ll have enough credits to start college as a sophomore. Reducing the undergraduate time is very palatable to her since she’ll be spending so much time in school. Right now, she’s leaning toward the ROTC option.
 
Everyone thank you so much for the answers. This has been very helpful, clearly this is much more complex than I thought it was before. I will have to think hard about this before I make a decision. Thank you again
 
Life changes often and with no rhyme or reason. A classmate of mine wanted to be a lawyer...nope, not selected to go from USAFA to law school, so he ended up a pilot.

Fast forward...30 years later he retires a colonel.

Today?

He's a practicing attorney!!

He said it was a tad different being twice (or more) as old as his classmates.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
We know a young lady who graduated from the class of 2016 and is an intelligence officer. She said every cadet that put in for medical or dental school, as far as she knew, got in. So I would assume they never fill all those slots? The physician rout is a long road!
 
My DD at a civilian school has wanted to go to med school since 4th grade. She volunteered at the hospital in HS, she took pre-med classes in college...and just now, as a Senior, she has decided she does not want to apply to Medical School. She realizes the stress she had doing Org Chem and Biology during the same semester would continue for 4+ years in med school and she has decided she didn't want that at this point. She will have finished all thepre-med pre-req courses when she graduates in May. She would have sworn she would never give up either...until she did.
 
Strange, I know quite a few doctors who are USNA grads, I served at sea with one from the class in front of mine where he was the Ship's Doctor. I also have a number of classmates who went to med school after serving as a line officer in the Navy/Marine Corps. Somehow, their GPAs did not hold them back.
.
FWIW, I have a daughter (civilian college grad) heading to Med School in a couple of months and I am well aware of the competitive nature of the selection process.

To echo a thought from up above, I know literally dozens of USNA grads who became lawyers after serving as a Pilot or other warfare specialty in the Navy. One classmate ran for Attorney General of the State of NY a couple of years ago and I served with him in the Reserves where he was a highly regarded pilot and Commanding Officer for 30 yrs. Two grads from my own company at USNA are currently practicing law as are a couple of my teammates.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top