PA School after graduating with NROTC
- Thread starter SWO28
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The Navy obtains the majority of its Physicians Assistants through direct commissioning, that is, they attend undergraduate college, then PA school and apply for a commission. If they are successful, they go through some Navy Officer training and then go on to work in Navy medicine. Many take advantage of the Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP):
NROTC’s mission, Navy Option, is to produce officers to go into the unrestricted line warfare communities noted in link below. That is the price of a generous scholarship. There might be an occasional case where a NROTC grad is allowed to go to medical school, but that is a rare exception. I don’t think there is a path to PA from NROTC, though that doesn’t mean it’s never happened.
Navy warfare officers can apply for lateral transfer into other communities at certain points in their career, usually after they have become warfare qualified in their own community, and if the “needs of the Navy” has spots available in the target community, and if the officer has a stellar performance record.
Navy warfare officers can also serve long enough to earn their veterans’ Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits, separate from the Navy, use those generous benefits to apply for PA school, and then go on to a civilian PA career or apply for a commission as a PA in military service and come back in through a direct commissioning program.
You have done well to earn a NROTC Scholarship. Time to go back and read everything you can about the program and what is expected, and be fully prepared to enter one of the specified line warfare communities. That doesn’t mean you can’t ask about the possibility, but I think it would be a rare exception, especially if your warm body is needed in a line warfare community. Unlike regular college scholarships, which are gifts of financial assistance, the NROTC scholarship is a two-way deal. The Navy pays for your undergrad education as long as you meet required performance and academic criteria, and you pay them back by agreeing to give them X years of your life working in one of the allowed Y communities which they need to annually replenish with Z number of new officers.
I am not an official source. This is just my understanding of how NROTC generally works. You will want to research this at official sources. One thing I am sure about - do not take on this scholarship and obligation if you have no desire to serve in the warfare communities listed above. Of course, you can use it your first year and decide to walk away with no obligation.
Paging @GWU PNS (emeritus) one our knowledgeable posters on NROTC and former PNS at the GWU unit.
NROTC’s mission, Navy Option, is to produce officers to go into the unrestricted line warfare communities noted in link below. That is the price of a generous scholarship. There might be an occasional case where a NROTC grad is allowed to go to medical school, but that is a rare exception. I don’t think there is a path to PA from NROTC, though that doesn’t mean it’s never happened.
Navy warfare officers can apply for lateral transfer into other communities at certain points in their career, usually after they have become warfare qualified in their own community, and if the “needs of the Navy” has spots available in the target community, and if the officer has a stellar performance record.
Navy warfare officers can also serve long enough to earn their veterans’ Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits, separate from the Navy, use those generous benefits to apply for PA school, and then go on to a civilian PA career or apply for a commission as a PA in military service and come back in through a direct commissioning program.
You have done well to earn a NROTC Scholarship. Time to go back and read everything you can about the program and what is expected, and be fully prepared to enter one of the specified line warfare communities. That doesn’t mean you can’t ask about the possibility, but I think it would be a rare exception, especially if your warm body is needed in a line warfare community. Unlike regular college scholarships, which are gifts of financial assistance, the NROTC scholarship is a two-way deal. The Navy pays for your undergrad education as long as you meet required performance and academic criteria, and you pay them back by agreeing to give them X years of your life working in one of the allowed Y communities which they need to annually replenish with Z number of new officers.
I am not an official source. This is just my understanding of how NROTC generally works. You will want to research this at official sources. One thing I am sure about - do not take on this scholarship and obligation if you have no desire to serve in the warfare communities listed above. Of course, you can use it your first year and decide to walk away with no obligation.
Paging @GWU PNS (emeritus) one our knowledgeable posters on NROTC and former PNS at the GWU unit.
Ihavenoidea
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As usual, Capt MJ's information is spot on. NROTC is not your typical path for going into the medical field after college. Their mission is to prepare Navy Warfare Officers in specific communities. Your service obligation will likely take precedent over going to PA School. I'm not saying there is no path to go to PA school directly after college. There might be a very very slim chance, but understand that if you don't get that chance. You will be going into one of the other communities. Make sure you are aware of all of your options and obligations with the NROTC. You do have a year to "try it out" with no fears of payment your freshman year, but sophomore year that changes.
GWU PNS (emeritus)
George Washington University Capital Battalion
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Just to be clear, your scholarship was the standard NROTC option and not the Nurse Corps Option correct?
In your MIDN 1/C year, you will service select. Each type of service......SWO, SUBS, AVIATION, SPECWAR.......has a community manager. That manager determines what happens once you complete under grad. In very few circumstances will a community manager say......hey now that we helped sponsor a 4 year scholarship, let's spend some more money so a person leaves our community. Not trying to be unkind here, but this may not be the best first impression you want to make with your new unit.
You can finish undergrad, commission, then do your 4 year obligation. For SWO, there is a lot of flexibility on your first shore duty tour to take graduate level courses and that might be an indirect path to PA.
But I would let the dust settle a bit. You don't want to have your PNS think you applied for a scholarship without understanding what you were doing......or worse......that you never really had an intention of being in the Unrestricted Line. Give it some thought.