NROTC/ go to Med School?

[Crazyreader]

I've become very interested in the NROTC however I'm becoming concerned with what I've been hearing about students interested in Pre-Med. How difficult is it to take this route? Is there a rare chance for students to be allowed on to Med School? Finances are tight and I really hope this is an available opportunity.

 

[kp2001]

NROTC to medical school is a viable option. I had many classmates at USUHS who were former ROTC. I'm not as familiar with the process as I am for the Academies; however, sometime during your later years in college you would apply for the medical corps with the blessing of your Commander and then your package would be routed up the chain for approval. I think those in ROTC have a higher percentage of people allowed to go Medical than USNA; however, don't quote me on that.

As an aside, even if you are interested in going to medical school DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT, major Pre-med. Find something that you are interested in to major and add on whatever pre-requisites for medical school are not in the major you chose. Being a pre-med will give you no leg up in medical school and the admissions committees don't care what your major is and get tired of seeing the same ole Biology, Chemistry, Pre-med majors. If biology or chemistry interest you then do it, otherwise go with something else. Even if it's not a science major you are still fine.

Don't forget you don't have to go ROTC to do the HPSP program or USUHS which are both ways to get medical school paid for.

 

[Crazyreader]

career path

Thank you for your reply!

Currently I'm investigating Microbiology to use as a foundation- while investigating this I saw that one of the special requirements the navy lists is a masters or higher degree... if the Navy doesn't allow me to go to med school what would they do with me? My grades and scores are good and I hope to be accepted into a top 50 school.

I haven't had the chance to talk to a recruiter yet- is there a certain kind of recruiter to ask for? Right now I'm an incoming Senior- am I too late in this process?

 

[Zaphod]

As an aside, even if you are interested in going to medical school DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT, major Pre-med. Find something that you are interested in to major and add on whatever pre-requisites for medical school are not in the major you chose. Being a pre-med will give you no leg up in medical school and the admissions committees don't care what your major is and get tired of seeing the same ole Biology, Chemistry, Pre-med majors. If biology or chemistry interest you then do it, otherwise go with something else. Even if it's not a science major you are still fine.

No kiddin'?

Damn. I know I would have fallen for that one....

 

[kp2001]

Thank you for your reply!

Currently I'm investigating Microbiology to use as a foundation- while investigating this I saw that one of the special requirements the navy lists is a masters or higher degree... if the Navy doesn't allow me to go to med school what would they do with me? My grades and scores are good and I hope to be accepted into a top 50 school.

I haven't had the chance to talk to a recruiter yet- is there a certain kind of recruiter to ask for? Right now I'm an incoming Senior- am I too late in this process?

I'm assuming incoming high school senior??? If so, then no you are not too late; however, you need to get on the ball soon. There is no special recruiter for medical school at this point that you need to be in contact with. If you want to do ROTC (remember, no guarantee for medical school) then you need to get in contact with the ROTC recruiter. Once you are a junior in college would be the time to contact more people regarding medical school.

If microbiology interests you then go for it, you couldn't pay me enough to study it any more than I have.

If the Navy didn't let you go to medical school you would simply do what every other ROTC graduate does.....go into the "regular" Navy. You could also look into medical service corps possibly, but I don't know much about that route.

No kiddin'?

Damn. I know I would have fallen for that one....

It's not so much that they look down on those majors as more of it doesn't make you stand out to the admissions committee. That and pre-med is a boring major for most people. My Marine Transportation major gave my interviewers something different to talk about and they seemed to enjoy it.