tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post4969733157510712852..comments2024-02-18T01:56:38.508-06:00Comments on M.D.O.D.: What About a Military Scholarship to Medical School?911DOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06466669111561150174noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-13523745924384351112013-05-01T01:09:27.984-05:002013-05-01T01:09:27.984-05:00Dear 911Doc,
I would truly appreciate an outsider...Dear 911Doc,<br /><br />I would truly appreciate an outsider’s insight to my situation. I am currently at the end of my undergraduate career. I am in an accelerated med program where I am guaranteed a seat in medical school. My long-term boyfriend is currently an officer in the army. When he returns from deployment he will be going to the captains intelligence career course. He is most likely a career guy. I have been thinking long and hard for a couple years about military medicine. I have really done my research, and believe that even if I wasn't dating my boyfriend I would still highly consider military medicine. However, I have to admit he is factoring into my decisions. I have talked to him about this previously and we are planning about talking in depth when he redeploys. So far he is skeptical and cautious. My boyfriend and I have been talking about marriage. However, I am in no rush (mostly due to my age). I know that I want a family in the future. If we were married how likely would we be stationed at the same post, keeping in mind he will be in intelligence? Also, a fear of mine would be that him and I could be put into units with different deployment cycles. That would result in one being deployed, while the other wasn't. Then shortly following vice versa. How likely is this at happening? I would just like a realistic opinion. I have been trying to weigh if being a civilian doctor would be easier or more difficult on our relationship. I feel no matter what I could be happy practicing medicine. However, I wondering which choice would be better for the sake of a future marriage and family. <br />Thanks in advance!<br />EMRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16182171841825594269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-74978588961818509522013-04-03T16:27:23.422-05:002013-04-03T16:27:23.422-05:00Dear s4c,
The Marines do not have doctors, they b...Dear s4c, <br />The Marines do not have doctors, they borrow them from the Navy. That being said, a Navy doc with the Marines is allowed to wear the Marine uniform and is treated very well indeed. I would speak with a Navy recruiter about the HPSP scholarship. This covers all of medical school though some minor expenses may not be covered. If you became a Marine Officer you would have a hard time getting to medicine, Marine Officers are warriors first. The specifics of the current HPSP can probably be found by searching for 'Navy HPSP'. It's been a while. But talking to a recruiter will get you the info you need, just be sure to get it in writing. Good luck!911DOChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06466669111561150174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-25264362925449591062013-04-02T11:22:00.130-05:002013-04-02T11:22:00.130-05:00I am currently studying for the MCAT and i have no...I am currently studying for the MCAT and i have not yet applied for medical school. I want to serve in Marines but i want to become a doctor first and i was hoping the military would cover this. My question is 1.What steps do i need to take of now to gain acceptance into marines and medical school because app for medschool is due May 1 2. Does the military offer scholarships that cover 100% of medical school and if so what are requiremnts to attain this? 3. if not how much does the military really offer including stipend? 4. if enrolled in marines now what would I have to do?S4Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14611058741691711981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-75879604752121722592012-08-24T20:48:11.913-05:002012-08-24T20:48:11.913-05:00Hi 911 Doc!
My husband is in the middle of his fir...Hi 911 Doc!<br />My husband is in the middle of his first semester in med school. Medicine is a second career situation for him (we were both teachers), so we left a pretty sweet little life to come to the Bahamas for him to attend school. We had our home in a short sale situation which the bank did not follow through on and we lost the sale, thus leaving us in an impending foreclosure at this point and there's nothing we can do about it. We are basically living on student loans and savings now (which is not too bad), but we are getting concerned we may not be approved for the next semester worth of student loans when time comes to apply. We have had several people suggest the military route to fund med school. For me, one of the perks is the sign on bonus. But what exactly can we expect there? Also, we are planning on kids soon. If we sign up for this, what will that entail as far as a family is concerned? Will I (and kids) be able to travel with him? He is interested in neurosurgery (and I have heard exactly what you said above about that almost always changing during med school), so what kind of a commitment are we talking about time-wise if he completes a neuro residency which is on average an additional 4-6 years on top of a 4 year residency? We've heard the earnings potential as a military doc is drastically lower than a civilian doc. Is this true? If so, do the benefits and perks outweigh the low income (or at least balance it out)? We're a little in the dark here on lots of things and just want to make an educated decision about where to go from here... Thanks! RachelRachel https://www.blogger.com/profile/08214784774734477509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-72624400227149734042010-10-08T12:27:37.513-05:002010-10-08T12:27:37.513-05:00Hello,
My fiance and I wish to get medical degrees...Hello,<br />My fiance and I wish to get medical degrees. We are currently working on our Bachelors'. I have a couple of questions:<br />1. Is there a way to complete our B.S. degrees while in the service? Is there a program that will help with that and then allolw you to move into the M.D. program?<br />2. Will we be allowed to be in the same area? We are getting married next summer and would like to be stationed in the same location.<br />Thanks. AllieAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-12137682576795610442010-08-31T21:45:32.490-05:002010-08-31T21:45:32.490-05:00I am considering the air force scholarship to pay ...I am considering the air force scholarship to pay for medical school. I am currently in medical school and this is my first year. If i sign up for the scholarship now, then I will only sign up for a 2 or 3 year commitment. I want to do internal medicine and specialize eventually, but I want a family as well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-21166693013310188312010-06-14T22:17:45.816-05:002010-06-14T22:17:45.816-05:00hey michelle,
first of all good luck in your pat...hey michelle, <br /><br />first of all good luck in your path. <br /><br />secondly, let me try to answer some of your questions.<br /><br />i was hpsp and i did it for three years. i didn't pick the three year time frame... i was late in applying after getting into medical school. as it turns out, this worked out just fine.<br /><br />as to how long you will have to serve active duty it is based on both how many years they paid for and whether you did residency training in the military or not. if you read through the comment section above you will get an idea of this, but the regulations change quite frequently and you might get a much better deal now during wartime than i did during the peace dividend. <br /><br />as to you chances of deployment as a pediatrician or emergency i would say they are inversely proportional to your desire to deploy. i actually don't know the answer so i'm making a bit of a joke but pediatricians are currently deployed AS are ER docs, and lots of 'em. <br /><br />as to if it's 'worth it' to do the scholarship for two years, only you can answer that. again, if you read the comment section i believe there is a discussion about numbers and whether it is 'worth it' based on what you could make as a civilian in the same time frame. all i can say is that for me there was a lot of comfort in being debt free soon after medical school and this allowed me to have a bit more freedom when choosing a specialty.<br /><br />your last question about how hard it is to be a woman and an Army doc and a mom i think it's a great question and i'm glad you are asking... <br /><br />i'll be straight with you... i know many women in the military medical corps who have taken advantage of their ability to get pregnant to avoid deployments. you to could do this if you chose. the thing is, this will eventually either prevent the military from offering the scholarship to women OR it will change the rules about pregnancy and deployment. it's a very sticky issue. <br /><br />and if you think you would not do this when it came your turn to rotate over to the scenic khabul hospital you may be right, but you WOULD HAVE TO CONSIDER IT. <br /><br />here's my two cents... first, decide if being a doctor is as important to you as having a family. if it is, then do it and make your best deal with the military (or not). if, however, family is more important than being a doctor consider getting your PA degree.<br /><br />whatever you decide, best of luck.911DOChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06466669111561150174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-38776152862586686482010-06-13T18:14:29.396-05:002010-06-13T18:14:29.396-05:00Hi,
I am currently and premed tract student who i...Hi,<br /><br />I am currently and premed tract student who is almost 99% sure I want to go to medical school and become a doctor. I have been thinking ahead about my future and am considering to become an Army doctor. I heard about the HPSP program and I'm considering this as an option so I can serve my country, get financial help for medical school, and earn great experience. I have several questions about the HPSP tract.<br /><br />1) How long I will need to serve in Active Duty if I choose to do get the HPSP scholarship for two years?<br /><br />2) What are the chances of deployment if I choose to be an Emergency Doctor or Pediatric doctor?<br /><br />3) Is it worth taking the scholarship for 2 years?<br /><br />4) As a woman, how hard is it to be an Army doctor while you have a family? (I would like a woman Army doctor to answer this so I can get a female's perspective.)Michelle Gnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-5660569412538589902010-05-20T18:49:45.943-05:002010-05-20T18:49:45.943-05:00thanks for the reply 911Doc! you raised a very int...thanks for the reply 911Doc! you raised a very interest point about "IF" he wants to go into the service. The two-ROTC and being a doctor have always gone together-I never thought of them being two seperate questions-I will have to have him ponder that. your advice him waiting two years was perfect and one I had not thought of-thank you for that! I will tell him-"wait two years into undergrad-then decide". As far as frustrations go-in todays world, all jobs have frustrations and this is what he wants-ten years from now.....who knows. thanks again. Mike the dadmike the dadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-3378584368237533852010-05-20T13:36:22.587-05:002010-05-20T13:36:22.587-05:00dear Mike the Dad,
i agree with your take. i thi...dear Mike the Dad, <br /><br />i agree with your take. i think the question your son needs to answer first is if he wants to be in the military or not. he can make the decision if he wants to be a doctor in the military three or four years from now, but for now, does he want to be in the service?<br /><br />also understand this... at least when i went to school something like 60% or freshman were 'premed' and at the end about 6% of us were.<br /><br />in terms of your math regarding your son's obligation to service it is more complicated than you guess, but you are basically correct. suffice it to say that between his undergraduate and medical school obligation he will owe the military AT LEAST 8 years.<br /><br />one final thing... if, two years into udergrad, he decides that yes, he's going to medical school and yes, he wants to do it in the military, he can sign up for ROTC then. the services will compete for him.<br /><br />hope it works out well for you and for your son. i notice you did not ask another important question and perhaps your son has not asked, but i don't thing there's a doc here on the blog who would tell your son, 'go into medicine, you won't regret it.' in fact, if you look at the post entitled 'my favorite year', which went up a few days ago you will get a sense of the frustrations involved in today's practice. <br /><br />best.911DOChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06466669111561150174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-22948575760857628582010-05-20T12:47:08.740-05:002010-05-20T12:47:08.740-05:00I'm a dad whose 17 year old son has expressed ...I'm a dad whose 17 year old son has expressed great interest in being a doctor along with joining ROTC. My feeling after reading these posts and others is that it would be better if we pay for pre-med school and then if he desires to, enter the med school through one of the programs. If I am reading this right, his oblijation would be 4 years or more depending on residency, etc. But if he enters the ROTC as a freshman, then goes on to med school, his obligation would be at least eight years plus more depending on medical field and residency. Am I reading this right?<br />Mike the Dadmienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-51728295854317641342010-01-04T13:15:47.092-06:002010-01-04T13:15:47.092-06:00Hi,
I am The assistant editor with medicalsc...Hi,<br /> I am The assistant editor with medicalschool.org. I really liked your site and I am interested in building a relationship with your site. We want to spread public awareness. I hope you can help me out. Your site is a very useful resource.<br /><br />Please email me back with your URl in subject line to take a step ahead an to avoid spam.<br /><br />Thank you,<br />Sofia <br />sofia.medicalschool.org@gmail.comUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12317873624981528378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-72306688589984903022009-09-11T17:27:13.673-05:002009-09-11T17:27:13.673-05:00Air Force has the best golf courses, huh? I'm ...Air Force has the best golf courses, huh? I'm sold. Air Force it is.<br /><br />Thanks 911DocErichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08885154671742593665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-83105842578025756832009-09-11T13:04:10.959-05:002009-09-11T13:04:10.959-05:00Dear Eric,
If it's in your heart, then nothi...Dear Eric, <br /><br />If it's in your heart, then nothing else will do!<br /><br />As it stands now and as I think it will remain in the MILITARY, you choose your specialty. The only thing is that there is a little clause... 'the needs of the military'... that clause may interrupt your training (to go on deployment as a flight doc or battalion doc), but it will not push you into a specialty you are not interested in. <br /><br />Again, answering based on my remote experience and not on current knowledge a 4 year HPSP scholarship obligates you to four years of active service OUTSIDE OF INTERNSHIP AND RESIDENCY. IOW, the military feels that if they are giving you training in EM that those years neither count towards more obligation NOR do they count towards you payback. they will get their investment back. <br /><br />question 3 partially answered above. if you get a civilian deferment for residency it's the same as if you trained in the military. a 4 year HPSP with a three year residency = four years of active payback. HOWEVER, when i was in, if you owed four years from medical school and choose to do a seven year neurosurgery residency then you would owe, as i remember it, seven years as a neurosurgeon on active duty. <br /><br />i disagree with the conventional wisdom that HPSP is not a bit better financially. i happened to owe some money from undergrad.. about 35k, i paid it of in my INTERNSHIP YEAR. if you account for appreciation of your assets (which is far from certain these days) you will NOT dig a big debt hole in med school and residency, and you will, typically, make more as an intern and resident. that's my take.<br /><br />you will do well in the service. if you don't care about doing something inbetween internship and residency like flight surgery or dive medicine (these are called General Medical Officer tours, and, when I was in, were done by doctors with INTERNSHIP ONLY training. i paid back my commitment and then went to a civilian residency free and clear), then conventional wisdom says the AIR FORCE tends to treat their people the best (and they have the best golf courses). <br /><br />good luck Eric!<br /><br />me911DOChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06466669111561150174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-90959446959929711092009-09-10T22:36:45.419-05:002009-09-10T22:36:45.419-05:00911Doc,
Thank you for all the valuable informatio...911Doc,<br /><br />Thank you for all the valuable information you and your readers have posted here. I am currently looking to change careers and go to school to be a MD. I worked in EMS as a firefighter/EMT for about 6 years while I was going to school to get my B.S. After spending a few years in the financial industry I have decided that I want to go back to school to pursue my first love of medicine. I have done well in business but am extremely unhappy. I'm looking to start my pre-reqs for medical school in January so I'm somewhat premature in my inquiries but I like to be well informed and well prepared for decisions I make.<br /><br />My questions mostly pertain to specializing:<br /><br />1) Due to my time in Emergeny Medical Services I am certain that I want to go into EM. After 4 years of medical school is the military able to push you into a specialty that you may not want to go into or do you have the choice?<br /><br />2) If I took the HPSP for my 4 years of medical school my obligation would be 4 years, correct? <br /><br />3) Is the time of residency added to your obligation? (i.e. if I were to do my 4 years of HPSP then 3 years for an EM residency would I be obligated to 4 or 7 years?) And, does the obligation change based on where you complete your residency? (Meaning if I do my residency in the military or through a residency not in the military)<br /><br />I know that going the HPSP route does not make sense monetarily if I have to do 7 years of time in the service but doing 4 years its about a wash. I currently am married and would love to start a family sooner rather than later. If I go the HPSP route this is much more feasible than if I self-finance my education. My wife is a Critical Care Nurse so she would be able to get a job anywhere in the US if duty stations change so this makes things much easier. Also, her current salary is about $70K/yr so we can go the military or non-military route for medical school and be okay either way. <br /><br />I spent 6 years helping people stateside and really do want the opportunity to serve my country here and abroad. This is my main motivation for using the HPSP to finance my medical degree. Of course coming out of school with no debt would be a nice plus as well. I have read from many sources that if you go into the HPSP simply for the financial motives then you will more than likely not enjoy your time. <br /><br />Thank you in advance for your advice and assistance.<br /><br />EricErichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08885154671742593665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-11505742309565032282009-08-24T19:14:28.704-05:002009-08-24T19:14:28.704-05:00dear aaron,
i am a long way out from my military ...dear aaron, <br />i am a long way out from my military days but i believe you will not have a problem doing a residency in another branch. they are combining residencies all over the place. the best place to ask would be bumed for the navy, your air force recruiter, or an army recruiter. best of luck to you with your career.911DOChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06466669111561150174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-11197748524929342842009-08-23T20:54:47.750-05:002009-08-23T20:54:47.750-05:00Hi,
I'm applying for a 3 year hsps through ...Hi,<br /><br /> I'm applying for a 3 year hsps through the Air Force. I was wondering how difficult it is / possible to do a residency through another branch. for instance an army ortho or EM residency<br />Thanks,<br />Aaronaaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16684469244891101361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-72519141761116375062009-07-08T18:19:15.335-05:002009-07-08T18:19:15.335-05:00krystal,
then you and i choose medicine for the s...krystal, <br />then you and i choose medicine for the same reasons. <br /><br />too bad your hispanic friends are dealing with the dirty little secret of affirmative action... the 'diversity admit' label, sometimes deserved, sometimes not, but it's interesting that they complain of the competition, that is what they should want, competition absent skin color. <br /><br />usuhs would be a great place to go. have lots of friends who went there and i do believe that it would be more convivial, but, also, since competition is taken out a little bit the next world beater neurosurgeon is unlikely to come from USUHS. <br /><br />you are absolutely correct about being a military doc. it was the best job i ever had. i admired my patients and they did me the favor of admiring me and they didn't want to be sick. everyone in the ER wants to be sick. everyone here wants someone else to fix their problems. <br /><br />as long as you understand the sacrifices of medicine then do it. look at the PA and then ask yourself if you would be satisfied with a PA degree and more time with family or if you have to be an MD. <br /><br />if you are a neurobio major at a good school i would stick with the advice you are getting from your advisor. your major is very difficult and will set you up well for medical school. your GPA can be a bit lower i'm sure than 3.5 but me being a history and biol. major (BA) that's about where i needed to be. <br /><br />neurobiol. is a bit different. i think you are right where you want to be Krystal. a few tags on your CV would be good but you will get into school and if you want to go to USUHS i WOULD call them and let them know and ask them what would make you more competitive. and when you go, unless you like living in the woods or out at sea, go with the air force. <br /><br />best, <br />911doc911DOChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06466669111561150174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-64741612723095123322009-07-08T14:24:03.869-05:002009-07-08T14:24:03.869-05:00911Doc,
To answer your first question, I want to ...911Doc,<br /><br />To answer your first question, I want to be a doctor because I honestly don't see myself doing anything else in life. I know it sounds cliché but I really do want to help people. The reason why I want to go the military route was reinforced when I joined a Hispanic health organization here and was exposed to several minority medical students that described their experiences in their med school as "cut-throat" competitive". These students had to constantly deal with peers that claimed they were only accepted to fill a quota. I had the opportunity to speak with two students from USUHS at a medical school fair where they described an environment where there is camaraderie and more focus to gaining the necessary skills to become a great doctor without the concern of not getting residency. Also I was in JROTC in high school and absolutely loved it! I became the Corps commander of almost 250 cadets. I loved it so much but still wasn't 100% sure if the military was the life for me, I felt I still needed to grow and explore my options. But now that I have joined different organizations and worked at two research labs, I miss that bond I had with my cadets every time I see ROTC students in their uniforms. I have talked to my adviser about joining ROTC but she says it would put me too behind. I guess I've always wanted to grow up and make a big difference in this world like many other aspiring doctors and I feel that my love for the military and medicine will allow me to accomplish a greater change in the lives of those soldiers fighting for this country. <br /><br />So yes I do want to get married some day and have a family but I also want to accomplish my dream. I understand that with my career goal I will have to sacrifice some things and if that means waiting longer to have kids then I am willing to do it. <br /><br />As far as the PA route...I haven't really looked into it. Don't know much about it but will definitely do some research on it. I can't drop my sorority but don't worry its not the typical one, its community service based and we have received many awards for serving our community. But thank you for your suggestions!<br /><br />I have one more question though; you said take classes that I can ace…so right now my major is neurobiology. I have tried looking into other majors that might be easier but none seem to win me over. My adviser tells me it's one of the hardest majors here and that's why I'm getting low grades, she too suggests changing but I'm just too stubborn. Do you also think that changing my major would increase my chances into USUHS? <br />If you could email me at krystal042807@gmail.com that would be great! <br /><br />thanks,<br /><br />-KrystalUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13117514931448239070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-79729141846780017352009-07-08T02:30:20.670-05:002009-07-08T02:30:20.670-05:00krystal,
first of all let me ask you the followin...krystal, <br />first of all let me ask you the following... why do you want to be a doctor? if you have a logical and not an emotional answer for this then i'm with you i think, but let's be sure here. i'm going to ask you some questions and you don't need to write back unless you want to but do think about them. <br /><br />do you want to get married and have a family? if so, do you want to raise your kids by being around for their important stuff or are you okay with a nanny or a stay at home husband? they are hard to find and as a rule men with their titanic egos might be a bit unlikely to play second fiddle to a doc. not trying to be mean but most 'real men' get their ego strokes from their careers. so let's assume this is not an issue, or, if it is, please do be sure that you are ready for four more years of school, and, at a minimum, three more years after that of sleep deprivation and debt accumulation (unless you let the military pick up the tab). <br /><br />still in? okay. you may actually benefit from Obama care if it passes because medicine will be less attractive to many and it may become easier in terms of GPA requirements to get into a good school. <br /><br />consider also, the PA route (physician assitant) if any of the above give you pause. saw a PA down here in the doctor's area the other day who had just been first assist in a four vessel coronary artery bypass graft surgery. PAs have a neat deal going and they are going to get more and more latitude to practice as the physician community shrinks. PA school is two years and you can actually switch between specialties unlike the docs. <br /><br />still in for med school? okay, you have two X chromosomes going for you which is good. it may not still be the case but ten years ago women were given preferential admission to medical school based on their gender. this MIGHT be especially true of USUHS right now as not too many women are enamored of the idea of going to war but it sounds like you are their gal so there's hope there. <br /><br />if you do not get your GPA up and i am wrong about the declining standards of admission to medical school then you can still get a fine medical education at a DO school, i'm not being facetious, the American DO schools are very good and you then do a residency just like an MD graduate and there's no diffence at that point. <br /><br />if you want to be more competitive for a traditional MD school or USUHS in particular i would recommend the following, and this will also be a good test of whether you really want the MD...<br /><br />1. drop the sorority and get your grades up. take some classes that you know you can ace and ace them. <br />2. become a basic paramedic, or<br />3. volunteer in your local ER. the best way to do this is to be a 'scribe' for an ER physician and you would tag along with them for their shifts and document for them and help them out. many of these positions pay and i love having a scribe. it looks great on your CV and you will learn a lot. <br />4. do some post grad work or maybe get a masters and ace it. <br />5. call USUHS admissions and ask to speak with the dean of admissions and find out what they are looking for. it might help a lot if you went ahead and joined ROTC now, it would be a bit different than the sorority but that would definitely impress the USUHS folks. <br /><br />now, i'm afraid that came off as mean but it was not meant that way. if i could get paid for going to college i would have never left. it sounds like you really want to do medicine and i just want you to be sure you know what you are signing up for and what it will cost you in terms of other life events and time.<br /><br />in terms of goals i think your GPA needs to be in the 3.5 or higher range to get your first or second choice of schools with good extra-curriculars and a good MCAT. best of luck to you and let me know if you have any more questions or if you want to yell at me.911DOChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06466669111561150174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-8822715507342688502009-07-08T00:01:45.721-05:002009-07-08T00:01:45.721-05:00Doc911,
I am currently going into my 3rd year of ...Doc911,<br /><br />I am currently going into my 3rd year of college and really want to be a doctor. I barely have a 3.0 and am afraid I won't get accepted into med school. I love the military and really want to go to USUHS. I'm just concerned about how competitive it is. I'm planning on going for a 5th year to hopefully boost up my GPA but was wondering if you had any other suggestions as to how i could make myself more competitive other than grades and MCAT. I am in one medical organization and a sorority and work so it is very difficult to add more to my plate. How worried should I be and should quit some of these other things i have going on?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13117514931448239070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-13713869042851012962009-06-02T19:34:49.344-05:002009-06-02T19:34:49.344-05:00jesse,
sorry this took so long. the way it USED t...jesse, <br />sorry this took so long. the way it USED to be was this. internship and residency do not count towards payback. they are training you and paying you so this makes sense. however, if you work as a general medical officer or a flight surgeon like i did, this active service DOES count. however, the services have gone to a board-eligible docs only model in these positions so here's what would likely happen. <br /><br />you would do internship and residency and then pay back your time in your specialty. if your residency is longer than your obligation, iow if you do surgery, five years, then you would likely owe 5 years active service. <br /><br />otherwise the best way to answer this question is to find an active duty doc in the service you are applying to and ask them. you will get the 'real scoop' a lot better from the active docs than from the recruiter or the person who answers the phone in DC.<br /><br />best, <br />me911DOChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06466669111561150174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-23874697786731116752009-05-12T17:42:00.000-05:002009-05-12T17:42:00.000-05:00hey DOC 911,
i have a question regarding the sta...hey DOC 911, <br /><br />i have a question regarding the start of your obligation of service. if i were to use the hpsp for 4 years, i would owe 4 years starting after internship and residency? if i did my residency in a military facility, would that time count as my obliserv? also, i was reading a portion of the hpsp fact sheet and it had a portion that was confusing to me, maybe you could help clarify it for me: <br /><br />(For each additional period up to a half year of your scholarship, you’ll serve an additional half year. If you’re among the best qualified who are selected to perform residency training in a military facility, you will also have a period of service of six months for each six months of training after internship completion. However, this period of service may be paid back at the same time as the period of service required for your scholarship. Unless the length of the training program exceeds the length of the scholarship, your total period of required active duty service will not increase. Your payback period begins when you are no longer in training.)<br /><br />i would really appreciate any insight to this statement and my previous questions.<br /><br />jesseAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-85033478785520376312009-05-12T11:46:00.000-05:002009-05-12T11:46:00.000-05:00I was just wanting to give some updates that found...I was just wanting to give some updates that found in regards to internship and gmo. for the hpsp, ushsu, and rotc deferrment the gmo is not mandatory and actually is being phased out for interns. it is now a practicing physician that has completed residency position. although, the navy has the largest number intern gmo's, but is still optional. also, the internship is a one year obligation that is not counted toward your obliserv. your residency starts in what they call PGY-2. usually though, one can do their internship in conjunction with their residency or what they call preliminary residency. This is a mandatory PGY-1, for all. the entire training period is called GME, which is simply graduate medical education. and if done in the military, MGME. the military has just about every specialty available, along with many fellowships. also, they do allow for persons wanting a fellowship outside the military's many options to defer for the X number of years with pay assistance for as long as the fellowship lasts. <br /><br />From what i was able to research, the military's residency and fellowship has caught up and paralleled civilian equivalents. though some residencies are competitive or difficult to get matched for, all branches seem to favor allowing civilian residency deferments, since the positions available are very limited. some specialties with all branches included only have as few as 6 or so positions available, and im guessing, in the interest of attracting and retaining good physicians, allow for civilian deferment. although, the pay and the training received, especially in certain specialties, is far superior to the civilian counterparts. <br /><br />i want to thank doc for pointing me in the right direction and all the others who put in useful websites. i am married with prior service in the army, and this research and Q&A stuff solidified my decision to apply for the hpsp, following that route. im sure the military is a daunting and seemingly perilous avenue for medicine. but like the doc had said, dr's are extremely valuable to the military, and will not be put in harms way. im excited about becoming a dr, with the experience of being a joe snuffy for several years, i know that being a medical officer will be bliss. <br /><br />here is a website which shows the residencies, locations, number of positions, the general process, years, and fellowships available. hopefully i clarified some issues. take care all and good luck on the road that follows.<br /><br />http://www.militarygme.org/index.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021163.post-90230532369751362882009-04-26T22:44:00.000-05:002009-04-26T22:44:00.000-05:00hey squid-girl,
sorry i missed your question. her...hey squid-girl, <br />sorry i missed your question. here's the deal. you may want to fund school yourself and then see what deal you can cut for loan repayment if you don't want to obligate yourself. otherwise i think the air force is the most family friendly and has the best program. not by much, but if i had to do it again and didn't care about flight surgery i would do air force.911DOChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06466669111561150174noreply@blogger.com