Medical School After USMA

ashwolf22101

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Joined
Jan 19, 2018
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12
I am very interested in USMA in regards to attending medical school afterwards. I am a female high school Junior. I have submitted my SLE applicantion and taken the SAT and planning to take many more.

May be thinking too ahead, but does anybody have experience or advice with the medical school option offered from USMA?
 
Lots of older threads on the medical school topic. Very few openings each year in that area. Good to remember there are no guarantees that you get your first choice of career from WP and would you be happy in some other role?
 
Honestly, if you want to be a doctor, your best bet to go to a civilian college and then medical school. You can always join the miiltary afterwards as an officer. They have some program for people who do that. My clients son just passed the bar and joined the Marines
 
Agree with @Humey. Search this forum for many threads on other paths to becoming a military physician.

If you are primarily focused on becoming a physician, , you are better off not participating in an SA or ROTC for undergrad. Once you get your BA/BS, there are such limited slots for a medical school delay. Are you willing to wait years, serving as a platoon officer before going to med school?

A better route would be to do well at a regular college and then apply to medical school upon getting your Bachelors degree. Once you are accepted to med school, you can then apply for Army HPSP (and the AF and Navy equivalents). If accepted, the Army will pay for med school PLUS pay you a stipend and then you receive a commission as an Army Surgeon upon graduation.

Here is info on the direct commissioning process for HPSP:
https://www.goarmy.com/amedd/education/hpsp.html
 
By law, upto 2% of graduating class can go directly to medical school, so it’s very competitve.
 
I attended an admissions seminar last year and in it, the West Point representative talked about the question on why you want to go to West Point. The answer he hated the most was so I can be a doctor, lawyer, or any other career. The point of a service academy is to serve your country as an officer. If the sole purpose is to simply become a doctor, then I would highly recommend a regular college/university. But if the goal is to serve than to answer your question, class rank. At USMA, starting from top of the class to bottom, they ask what branch and so usually medical school slots are filled up by the top 5% of the class.
 
That is right...you don’t want to use USMA as just something to get through in order to go to medical school...unless you want to be a Doctor for the Army, because you’ll have a commitment to serve on active duty for at LEAST 5 years if you’re not discharged for any reason.

A civvie school would be a better option for you if you want to be a doctor.
 
I disagree with the above. Strongly. The people above have no idea what they are talking about.

Yes, not many people get medical school straight out of USMA. But don’t panic.
There are many routes to medical school and often the direct route is not the best route.

Once you are a doctor that is pretty much it- you’re a doctor and that’s what you will be the rest of your life.

But you don’t have to go to medical school straight out of college. You can go the “non traditional route”. Experience life. Do something else- go a different branch. Then go to medical school. And you know what? The Army will pay for it and you will be a much better doctor for it.

This is the route my DW took. I am not able to discuss on a website all she has done- if I did so her identity would be pretty obvious and my anonymous status would be lost and she would probably slap me upside the head. She did not go to medical school until late in her career. She has no regrets. PM me if you would like more information.

My cousin also took this route prior to my DW. He was a Navy pilot, then went to medical school via the civilian route. He is now a very respected doctor.

Don’t be in such a rush. Life is for the living.
 
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I disagree with the above. Strongly. The people above have no idea what they are talking about.

Yes, not many people get medical school straight out of USMA. But don’t panic.
There are many routes to medical school and often the direct route is not the best route.

Once you are a doctor that is pretty much it- you’re a doctor and that’s what you will be the rest of your life.

But you don’t have to go to medical school straight out of college. You can go the “non traditional route”. Experience life. Do something else- go a different branch. Then go to medical school. And you know what? The Army will pay for it and you will be a much better doctor for it.

This is the route my DW took. I am not able to discuss on a website all she has done- if I did so her identity would be pretty obvious and my anonymous status would be lost and she would probably slap me upside the head. She did not go to medical school until late in her career. She has no regrets. PM me if you would like more information.

Don’t be in such a rush. Life is for the living.
Assuming you want to become an Army Doctor. I agree with UHBlackHawk. Prior military experience from my observation is superior in the civilian world. This could actually assist in the application proccess for medical school. It all depends on how quick you want to become a physician. However, only 2% of graduates from USMA are allowed to go to medical school directly, but it is possible. If I had to decide between USMA plus 5 year commitment vs. civilian school,medical, then direct appointment, I would choose USMA. It all depends on your viewpoint. To become a civilian doctor ASAP I would choose civilian though. However for me, I want to attend West Point and make the military my career. Goodluck with your application. :)
 
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Thank you everyone for your advice, let me clarify some things.

I want to serve the army as a doctor, otherwise I would consider USMA. I am willing to serve the required years, because I would love what I do and love to serve my country.

I am willing to compete for the small number allotted for medical school directly after USMA. Also, if I don’t make it the first time I would serve my time and then go to medical school.

Again, thank you everyone for the advice. Anxiously awaiting to see if I was accepted for SLE 2018! :)
 
Thank you everyone for your advice, let me clarify some things.

I want to serve the army as a doctor, otherwise I would consider USMA. I am willing to serve the required years, because I would love what I do and love to serve my country.

I am willing to compete for the small number allotted for medical school directly after USMA. Also, if I don’t make it the first time I would serve my time and then go to medical school.

Again, thank you everyone for the advice. Anxiously awaiting to see if I was accepted for SLE 2018! :)

The majority of military healthcare providers attend civilian colleges and medical/dental/nursing school. They are then direct-commissioned into the Army, Navy or Air Force. USMC and USCG do not have those career paths. Do explore the Healthcare Provider Scholarship Programs. Research USUHS Medical School, the joint military medical school in the Walter Reed NMMC campus in Bethesda, MD. The SAs’ mission is to produce warriors.

As noted, there are many, many threads on medical school across many of the forums here. Explore, learn, think about what fits your goals best.
 
The people above have no idea what they are talking about.

You have every right to disagree on this forum, but please do so in a respectful manner.

This is a primary rule of the forum.

I see it as a blunt comment and see no disrespect. Of course you as a moderator can decide what is respectful or disrespectful. It is what is so I am going to point out that moderators are not held accountable to memebers of this forum.
 
You have every right to disagree on this forum, but please do so in a respectful manner.

This is a primary rule of the forum.
My language is strong, but I was not able to go back and edit it the next day.
My irritation comes from statements such as yours that everyone applying to West Point who is not intent on being a Ranger should not apply. So a person wants to be a doctor. Thank goodness no one like you was around to tell Gen Nadja West that she she should not go to West Point if being a doctor is her dream. Or the other brilliant female West Point doctors I’ve met who went directly to medical school. Or the brilliant doctors I’ve met who did an assignment first- as an Armor officer (current football team doctor), Infantry platoon leader in the Ranger Regiment. Aviator.
Yes, only about 2% make it straight out of USMA and an applicant should understand that. But that rate is probably on par with other universities. Not everyone wants to be a doctor and many who are thinking about it want to do something else first (my DD). After all, a pilot can go to medical school, a doctor can’t go to flight school (at least in the Army).
So remember that we are talking to 16/17 year olds. Find out what their goals are before you try to stifle the next possible Nadja West because they don’t fit your cookie cutter mold of what an applicant should be.
Please.
 
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Thank you everyone for your advice, let me clarify some things.

I want to serve the army as a doctor, otherwise I would consider USMA. I am willing to serve the required years, because I would love what I do and love to serve my country.

I am willing to compete for the small number allotted for medical school directly after USMA. Also, if I don’t make it the first time I would serve my time and then go to medical school.

Again, thank you everyone for the advice. Anxiously awaiting to see if I was accepted for SLE 2018! :)

That pretty much settles it, then!

Good luck!
 
Also, while you are looking at USMA and thinking about medicine, take a little while to read about the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, which is America's Medical School. Every year cadets come through and interview at USU while applying to other schools via HPSP. Limited number of spots coming straight outta' USMA? It just gives you more time to retake the MCATs and get some leadership time (you could be a pilot, infantry, anything) and reapply...USU is a big commitment and everyone there is motivated to serve those serving in harms way. USU is med school plus leadership and military training but you get full salary and benefits of a 2LT and med school tuition is only at the cost of your hard work and desire to serve (blood, sweat, tears, late nights studying--but you will be used to that after four years at a service academy.) USU graduates grow up to be leaders in the Military Health System. Why cannot that be you?

Don't let strangers on a webpage keep you from fulfilling your dreams.
 
DS is currently at USMA, with engineering major added a few more classes to meet requirements for pre med as he plans on going to med school following his commitment but things may change as he gets into his Army career field. He wants to serve, gain leadership, and experience Army life prior to med school. Husband did same after graduating USAFA except back at that time (pre 9/11) he was able to do HPSP and start med school mid commitment and then tack on his med school HPSP commitment onto his USAFA commitment, all served after his residency despite doing a military residency so make sure to take all of this into consideration. More restrictions on doing this during wartime as per our knowledge. That being said, my husband served as an active duty doc with most of his partners who went to civilian undergrad and did HPSP for med school and serve that way. Everyone has their own path. Best of luck to you!!!
 
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