Pathways to med school

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shadow18

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I would like to go to an academy, but after I would like to attend medical school. How would that work?
 
You can serve your time and go back to school after. With enough service you can get the GI bill.

You can receive a medical billet out of the academy - my understanding is there are roughly 12 per year ... have to have major that can get into medical school (like chemistry/biology) ... have to have a certain high GPA. My understanding is it is competitive.

There are several threads that discuss the options if you search. Several well qualified posters here can help - my son is looking at it right now.
 
shadow18 said:
I would like to go to an academy, but after I would like to attend medical school. How would that work?
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As was pointed out, there are numerous threads discussing this. Some key points to consider:

You say you would like to attend an academy. That is a 4-year way station enroute to obligated service as a warrior in some warfare specialty. If you attend an SA, you should be fully prepared to execute your obligated service in a warfare area, if you are unsuccessful in being selected for a med school billet.

Out of USNA, a handful (recent numbers seem to run 13-15) out of each class are approved to apply to medical school. This takes top-of-the-line performance, strong MCAT, and gaining acceptance at a US medical school, or USUHS (the joint military medical school). The years of obligated service substantially increase and don’t start ticking off until some point after training is done. You essentially commit to years of service. The Navy is paying for your training; you pay with years of your life.

You can go to USNA and then serve in a warfare specialty, and a few years down the road, if you are a top performer, you can apply to lateral transfer to the Medical Corps. That can happen if your warfare community can afford to lose you and if Navy medicine wants you. This can happen, but everything has to align perfectly.

You can attend an SA, do your required minimum 5 years of service in a warfare specialty, do the extra 36 months after that to qualify for full Post 9/11 GI Bill educational benefits, separate from service, and go to med school, subsequent training and a civilian career. You could even apply to come back in as a military doctor, even in another service.

The armed services get the majority of their healthcare providers directly from civilian colleges and professional degree schools. They then are directly commissioned into their staff corps. If in your heart your real goal is to serve in military medicine and not the warfare specialties, research the scholarship programs below:

Info_Pages - Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP)...

www.med.navy.mil www.med.navy.mil

Navy, Army and Air Force all offer some version of these, I believe. You can also apply to USUHS out of college, similar to any other med school. I believe the students are direct commissioned at the start of their med school years.

Uniformed Services University

www.usuhs.edu www.usuhs.edu
 
My comments above relate to my knowledge of Navy paths; there will be similarities to Army and AF paths. It’s worth browsing those forums to look for specifics.
 
Capt MJ said:
My comments above relate to my knowledge of Navy paths; there will be similarities to Army and AF paths. It’s worth browsing those forums to look for specifics.
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Would you suggest going the ROTC route? Would that be easier to get into medical school right after graduation from an undergraduate college?
 
ROTC may not offer that opportunity. Over to you to research with primary sources to determine if med school (“educational delay”) is available. Similar to SAs, their role is to produce officers for warfare specialties, branches or MOS. As I noted, the services get the majority of their healthcare providers from civilian colleges and professional degree programs, and direct commission them.

What are you really trying to do here - pay for college and go right to medical school? If you want that, dive into the research for military medical scholarship programs.

You will not be happy if in your heart you go SA or ROTC with only the chance of medical school ad your goal, and not really wanting to serve in a warfare specialty. That’s perfectly fine if you don’t feel called to that, just saying if you don’t get the med school path, you will grind out at least 5 years doing something your heart isn’t in, plus an additional chunk of years to earn the GI Bill educational benefit.
 
Don’t go to USMA thinking you will go to medical school anytime before 5 years after you graduate. The competition is too competitive to plan on winning one of the very few positions.
 
cptenca said:
Don’t go to USMA thinking you will go to medical school anytime before 5 years after you graduate. The competition is too competitive to plan on winning one of the very few positions.
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What are the numbers for USMA? My understanding is about 12 get it for USNA - about 75% of the ones that apply.
 
7-10 with a couple going to Harvard and other non-DOD schools. Not sure the exact stats but pretty sure the 75% doesn’t apply at USMA. Some of those close that don’t make the cut get Medevac aviation as an option.
 
There was the possibility (Class of 2023 cycle) that one could go to college, do AROTC, and possibly get a Reserve Commission. That would allow you to do your Reserve obligation during your medical schooling. Theoretically, upon licensing as a physician, dentist, or surgeon you could then Direct Commission back into AD without the resulting service obligation. They would send you to OCS like schooling to teach military customs and courtesies. But you would retain the RESERVE Commission, just serve AD I believe.

As said above, going to ANY SA with the intention of going directly into a specialty (Medical, Law, Etc) that requires graduate school is a Bad idea! There are no guarantees and most (ie: 95%) of docs and JAG's come from civilian colleges and do the Direct Commission route. A lot can happen in 4 years, and as @Capt MJ indicates you would have a ton of "obligated" service if you were able to do it.
 
I wouldn’t sweat it too much if you don’t get into medical school straight out of a service academy. Once you’re a doctor that’s pretty much it... though I do know of one who gave up medicine to become a military pilot.
But if you are bright enough to get accepted to medical school you can go after your first commitment is finished. In many ways this will make you a better doctor with a better perspective on life and, if you decide to be a military surgeon, the military.
I’ve know doctors who were pilots, Armor officers, infantry, SEALS... you name it.
Remember, life is a marathon not a sprint.
 
Bringing in ROTC is apples and oranges. Anyone who gets into medical school (dental or law) from a civilian college (non SA) can parley that into Active Duty and get the gov to pay.
 
Impulsive said:
There was the possibility (Class of 2023 cycle) that one could go to college, do AROTC, and possibly get a Reserve Commission. That would allow you to do your Reserve obligation during your medical schooling. Theoretically, upon licensing as a physician, dentist, or surgeon you could then Direct Commission back into AD without the resulting service obligation. They would send you to OCS like schooling to teach military customs and courtesies. But you would retain the RESERVE Commission, just serve AD I believe.

As said above, going to ANY SA with the intention of going directly into a specialty (Medical, Law, Etc) that requires graduate school is a Bad idea! There are no guarantees and most (ie: 95%) of docs and JAG's come from civilian colleges and do the Direct Commission route. A lot can happen in 4 years, and as @Capt MJ indicates you would have a ton of "obligated" service if you were able to do it.
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I am not sure how many go in with that intention. My son is exploring all options - a lot is not available because he is colorblind.

He wants to serve. He wants to match his abilities and interests with his major and ultimately career.

His goal might be becoming one of the 12. His second choice might be marine ground. Or intelligence.

No matter where he ends up he will be happy.

If his first priority was to be a doctor - or a lawyer - he wouldn’t have gone to USNA. His first priority was to serve his country.
 
I was told in 1984 that the usna was looking for officers who happened to be doctors not doctors who happened to be officers. For that reason I declined my appointment and went to civilian college followed by medical school. I have also told my DS the same and one needs to follow their passion and wherever that may lead them.
 
eastcoastdad said:
I was told in 1984 that the usna was looking for officers who happened to be doctors not doctors who happened to be officers. For that reason I declined my appointment and went to civilian college followed by medical school. I have also told my DS the same and one needs to follow their passion and wherever that may lead them.
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I agree with your last statement, but not necessarily the rest. As examples of those who followed their passion, Nadja West. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadja_West
Telita Crosland. https://www.ausa.org/people/bg-telita-crosland
I know many more. Sure, while the two I listed above and the others I know went straight from the academy, most did an assignment first. But I've never met a doctor who did an assignment first who later regretted it.
I also know many (including my cousin, a prior Navy pilot), who chose to go the civilian route as a doctor after their military service.
So yes, follow your dreams. And don't let someone on a website say it can't be done.
 
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