Military Medicine

Any alumni that can comment would be great. If you could, tell us about where you went, what the Academy provided you, did you enjoy it, were you well prepared for the MCAT, etc.

Thanks!

 

Hopefully NavyDoc (a classmate and friend of mine) will log in soon (he's currently in Iraq) and answer your questions.

I would offer this, though...

If they WEREN'T well-prepared for the MCAT, they wouldn't be a doctor, now would they?

I'm really surprised at how much interest this subject has these days. In my day, you never heard of it. Everyone wanted to fly.

I'll see if I can find any info for you. In the meantime, maybe a PM to NavyDoc might be a good idea.

Hang tight!


BTW, why are you posting this in the USNA section?

Oh, and BSG ROCKS!

 

I'm putting it here to make sure some doctor folk see it! I don't know about any Air Force doctors, so I thought this would be better seen.

As far as MCAT's....i was wondering if any particular sections were more difficult, that, say, a civilian college purposely preparing one for medicine might concentrate better on.

SG SGA and BSG all are amazing! I am having my parents get a second DVR just to record the entire seasons!

 

I'm a Naval Academy Grad, after 5 years as a flight officer, I went to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor on a HPSP scolarship.
The Naval Academy helped in several ways:
1. It's a great place to be from. having it on my applications made them stand out and be noticed for at least a second read. It made for good interview materiel and admissions boards realy do enjoy the unusual.
2. I was well prepared for the MCAT for several reasons. First of all, the general academic discipline and ability to carry large course loads helps one in any academic endevour. Secondly, academics at USNA are tops and a good background in the sciences will help that MCAT score.
3. "Enjoy it"
Zack

 

What did you major in at the Academy?

 

I'm currently a med student after graduating from USMMA

I agree with what was said above, being from any of the academies gives you a slight advantage. Part of the app process to medical school is an on-site interview session and being from the academy gives them something to talk to you about rather than the usual 'why you want to be a doctor' stuff. As said above the rigorous course load at the academies prepares you well for medical school and the MCAT. The MCAT is tough no matter how smart you are, unlike the SAT which tests your knowledge the MCAT is set up to test how well you can learn in the future (not sure how that works, but it's what they say).

An another note make sure to do well at USAFA as only a certain percentage are allowed to apply to med school directly from the academy. As long as you keep your grades up it shouldn't be a problem. And don't major in biology/chemistry unless you really like those subjects. Having a weird major is actually an advantage (anyone else ever applied with a degree in Marine Transportation? it makes you different), major in something you will enjoy.

Best of luck, <---is what medical school makes you feel like

 

My USNA roommate went the USUHS route, albeit 15 yrs ago, and is currently a Navy doctor. Here's how it worked at the time (recognizing things might have changed in the intervening years).

You basically had to major in Chemistry or Oceanography at USNA. Why? Because you had to get organic (or was it inorganic?) chemistry into your schedule. It was a 3-6-5 course (3 hrs classroom, 6 hrs lab, for 5 credits). When you're already taking 18-20 hrs per semester, it's really hard to fit in another 9 hrs unless it's a required course. You might be able to do it w/another major if you validated a LOT.

First class year, you applied to the med schools of your choice. You also applied for the Navy med school program. Meanwhile, on service selection night, everyone else selected. You sat and waited. If you didn't get into med school and/or didn't get selected for the program (two distinct requirements), you got whatever service selection no one else wanted. Not sure if that's still true.

If you were selected for the program and med school, you could opt for USUHS (provided you applied and were accepted). If you opted for a civilian school, the Navy decided which one they'd send you to. Not sure how that decision was made, but I'd guess it related to cost.

If you went to USUHS, you had to pay back: 5 yrs from USNA and another 7 yrs from med school. Time in internship/residency didn't count toward payback. However, if you put in 20 yrs, those years would then be added for retirement pay purposes. Not sure how long in addition to the 5 yrs you had to serve if you went to a civilian med school -- 6 yrs comes to mind but that could be wrong.

 

HELP! I need a doctor!

I hurt myself trying to understand that!


So, NavyDoc, you did NFO for 5 and THEN went to Med School?

Damn. Wish I'd thought of that. What was your USNA major, anyway?

 

I know that if you go to civilian med school right after the academy, the service requirements will keep you there until you are 38-40 (depends on residency) and that's if you entered at the age of 18.

I'm looking to major in BioChemistry.

 

The time requirement would actually be less if you went to a civilian medical school as opposed to USUHS. The time commitment for USUHS is seven years after residency, the time for a civilian school is four years after residency. Combine that with your five year commitment from any of the academies.

 

My Major was English lit. I had to take organic chemistry and biology at night in between deployments. I wasn't even ready to apply until my last year in the squadron.
The advantage of chemistry in getting the courses you need (although the young pups inform me that it is a slight bit easier to do now), but non-traditional (for med school) majors make that application stand out if you have competitive MCAT scores. By best friend in medschool (now an ER physician in the Army working with SF) was a Latin major.

 

Kind of a loaded question, but do you like what you do? What do you enjoy in it? What do you not like doing?

 

May I ask what did you major in at USMMA? My son loves medecine but he loves the military more so he will major in engineering!

 

I am impressed...this has to be the oldest thread renewed?

 

Hornetguy better be in med school by now.

 

Zombie threads never die.

 

The PhD is a very good degree, too.

 

Newer members on this forum are often chastised for not searching past threads before asking a question that's already been answered. So give props to Faith for researching!