NavalAcademyCandidate
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2010
- Messages
- 43
My goal is to attend the USNA and then to attend medical school. Is this at all possible and if so how difficult? Thanks to all and any help.
10 out of x number of ppl in each class
i was told there will be around 30 chem major(this varies by year)-10 of those will be selected for medical school
This is incorrect. The correct percentage is 2% of each graduating class is allowed. You don't have to be a chem major, there are other options.
Is that in the admissions catalog? I don't think I've ever seen that in writing anywhere. One year, the admissions catalog actually quoted a specific number - 25. Subsequent catalogs have not committed to that number.
From what I understand, there are more slots available than those who are even striving for that assignment -or- are even qualified for that assignment. For instance, the Class of 2010 had ten go Medical Corps, yet they graduated more than 1,000.
Plus, I also understand that the academy has to APPROVE a midshipman's effort to get accepted into Medical School. If that's true - when does that "approval" occur? In other words, you have to be pre-approved to even START going down that path.
However, as others have noted, it's a somewhat complex process in that -- as I understand it -- USNA must decide in the fall that, in their view, you're competitive enough to apply to med school. So, in the end, it's not entirely up to you.
Which Fall does USNA decide on those desiring to pursue the Medical Corps? The Fall of their Youngster or 2/C year?
. Some do the math on how many years they will owe in obligated service (kp2001, speak up, Doc!) and determine, well, maybe not.
12yrs minimum after graduation if you go to USUHS (in reality it's a minimum of 15, but by statute it's 12....5 for USNA + 7 for USUHS). The disparity is that time in training doesn't count, so for even the shortest of training paths you will have 3yrs in there somewhere that don't count towards payback giving you the 15.
9yrs minimum after graduation if you go to a civilian school (realistic minimum is 12.....5 for USNA + 4 for med school (HPSP) )
Ouch, is all I can say, if you go USNA then med school plan on a 20yr career at a minimum, which in reality is 24yrs because you don't get retirement credit while in medical school as an Ensign.
Do non-USNA grads, who get involved in one of these military-paid medical school programs, get the identical obligation as the USNA grads for the same program? I understand the USNA grads have the 5yrs to serve for their USNA education ... I'm just talking about the additional portion for medical school.
In other words, let's say a University of Michigan undergrad student (non-ROTC) applies and gets accepted to a civilian medical school and has the Navy pay for it (HPSP). You've said that program has a four year obligation attached to it - and the years in medical school, obviously, do not count toward that obligation. So, we're talking approximately 7yrs after his graduation from the University of Michigan, he/she could be out practicing privately as a civilian with zero medical school debt? Or, at least, out doing a civilian residency.
It's hard to imagine that the Navy is getting its money's worth on that deal.
Further, do those in the medical field get any kind of "incentive pay" (or, whatever it's called) over-and-above their normal military pay?
I would think the Navy would get considerable bang for their buck putting Naval Academy graduates into the medical field.