Navy Scholarships, Military Pharmacy

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If you intend on joining the military, doing it for the full 20 years. Those benefits after retirement are fantastic!! The military has great benefits while being in it as well, but it takes a certain type of personality to fit into this structured line of work.

Originally Posted by Caverject

dude...the Army has 41 pharmacists that are Lt. Col (O5) or higher. O-6 is typically the max out for pharmacists and just about every hospital has an O-5 or O-6 pharmacist. Many retire after 20 years with this ranking. If you do not Major (O-4) within 6-8 years of commissioning as a pharmacist, you will be separated from the military.

So a pharmacist cannot become the the 5-Star General of the Army?

I actually went down to a recruitment office to ask about the scholarship but they told me that I gotta do 2 things first:

1. Get surgery for my Torn ACL.
2. Lose some weight.

I thought that boot camp is where people lose the weight to fit the military requirement.

Originally Posted by Sparda29

So a pharmacist cannot become the the 5-Star General of the Army?

Five star generals are only "active" during wartime, so no 5 star generals exist at the moment.

You can technically...but not as a pharmacist. You have to be nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate to be a general. Think of any of the flag officers as "executive management."

I think also that Pharmacists have a rank cap meaning they max out at O5 (Lt. Colonel) since most department heads within a hospital are O5's and they work for the hospital commander who's usually an O6 (Colonel), who is usually a physician. I think being paraprofessionals if you wanted to move beyond O6 you would have to move up to the MEDCOM (Medical Command Hdqtr) and take on an administrative role. All of our officer's were veterinarians and they came in as O3's as well. This highest local/base veterinarian commander would be an O5 position. Beyond that they became regional commanders stationed at the MEDCOM in San Antonio, TX, and we had one Veterinary Commander who was in charge of the entire VETCOM under the MEDCOM Commander. He was an O6-- so the highest Vet spot was an O6 in all the land. But my point is you usually move into administration beyond O5 as a paraprofessional unless you are a physician and qualify as the hospital commander.

Originally Posted by FORTLIVINGROOM

And it is not uncommon to be "frocked" In this situation a lower ranking officer is promoted to the next rank to assume the reponsiblity needed to fill a certain "billet" but they do not receive the higher pay until a later date. It's like, "Hey, we need a new RX director, but they have to be a major and you're only a captain...so we're gonna make you a major for now, but we're gonna pay you as a captain...dismissed!"


I've never served in the health professions as an officer, but based on my observations the promotions are generally very slow. In the miltary you have certain pay-grades that are really hurdles. It seems most military RPh are O-3 with some who a percentage who make it to O-4, but that is the hurdle. Not many RPh that make it past O-4. Just go look at the really high brass in military Pharmacy...no one above O-6 and not many O-5...most military RPh would likely retire as O-3/4 after 20 years

...just like civvilian pharmacy...not alot of potential for advancement.

Does anyone know if having food allergies would prevent someone from pursuing an career in Navy pharmacy?

Best way to get a for sure answer on that would be to contact your local Navy healthcare recruiter

Originally Posted by Caverject

dude...the Army has 41 pharmacists that are Lt. Col (O5) or higher. O-6 is typically the max out for pharmacists and just about every hospital has an O-5 or O-6 pharmacist. Many retire after 20 years with this ranking. If you do not Major (O-4) within 6-8 years of commissioning as a pharmacist, you will be separated from the military.

I'm curious, where do you get your figures?

Originally Posted by aboveliquidice

They do - but they are served by the Navy - There is a Navy program where the Officer / enlistedmen can conduct all of the training a Marine does. They receive the Eagle, Globe and Anchor - and are stationed exclusively on Marine bases... You should check it out - but you should know it isn't easy. I have only met a few people that have done it - and they were pretty bad @ss people - The type that should have been Marines from the get go.

~above~

That is true you can get the EGA just like Marines do, but I will tell you one thing....no matter how bad @ss you are, Marines will never see you as one of their own, even when you get to wear Service C uniform just like they do (green trousers, kakhi shirt). You'll earn respect, but you still be a sailor in their eyes. I am a former Marine. Also, as fas as I know, that is just for corpsman, not for pharmacists.

Originally Posted by model702

That is true you can get the EGA just like Marines do, but I will tell you one thing....no matter how bad @ss you are, Marines will never see you as one of their own, even when you get to wear Service C uniform just like they do (green trousers, kakhi shirt). You'll earn respect, but you still be a sailor in their eyes. I am a former Marine. Also, as fas as I know, that is just for corpsman, not for pharmacists.

Are you a former Marine? Cause we sure as hell never called them Service C uniforms.

Originally Posted by ValeUC

Are you a former Marine? Cause we sure as hell never called them Service C uniforms.

Are you a former reader? Because apparently you aren't one anymore

Originally Posted by type b pharmD

Are you a former reader? Because apparently you aren't one anymore

Uh, was that supposed to be funny? Perhaps you should take your own advice because you obviously don't understand what I was saying. Epic fail.

Originally Posted by ValeUC

Uh, was that supposed to be funny? Perhaps you should take your own advice because you obviously don't understand what I was saying. Epic fail.

He's probably just a bitter Corpsman

haha...j/p...some Corpsman are pretty squared-away...when I was a P-2 I met a Corpsman who knew more about meds than me. Not that I knew much back then....but I was certainly impressed.

I got my requested Navy packet today...

...as well as a VHS tape.

Really? A VHS tape? It took me a second to figure out what it was. I can't even play this thing, hahah...I don't know anyone who has a VHS hooked up to their TV still.

Funny cuz the cover letter was talking about "incorporating the most sophisticated technology."

Originally Posted by confettiflyer

I got my requested Navy packet today...

...as well as a VHS tape.

Really? A VHS tape? It took me a second to figure out what it was. I can't even play this thing, hahah...I don't know anyone who has a VHS hooked up to their TV still.

Funny cuz the cover letter was talking about "incorporating the most sophisticated technology."

haha I got that same video when I was investigating my options...amazing!

my bad...i meant VCR hooked up to the tv, not VHS. hahah.

I kind of wanna watch it now...time to head to the thrift shop, haha. I'm sure I can find this thing online.

Originally Posted by confettiflyer

my bad...i meant VCR hooked up to the tv, not VHS. hahah.

I kind of wanna watch it now...time to head to the thrift shop, haha. I'm sure I can find this thing online.

I got the same video and never bothered to take it out of the sleave because, like you, I don't have a VCR anymore.

I talked to a bunch of different officer recruiters and they all basically told me different things.

I talked to one who said the HPSP should be available for Pharmacy students soon, but not to get my hopes up (lot of help he was).

I talked to another who said that the HCSP would be my best bet and that it would pay all 4 years (turns out it's a lie).

The next one said that they didn't even want to talk to me until after my P1 year because they only pay for 3 years (turns out it's a lie).

Finally, I think I got it straight that they will pay you as a full E-6 and all allowances minus clothing for ONLY the last two years of Pharmacy School and that you are required to serve on active duty for 3 years.

I told them that it seems like a better deal to just wait until after graduation and get the "up to $120,000" in student load repayment plus the $30,000 signon bonus and live off student loans until then and their response was that it may not be available by the time I graduate in 2013.

I know Navy is the only way I want to go, but they seem to be yanking me around so very much. I wish somebody could tell me the straight truth about all this because I have read multiple reports of the HCSP paying for the last 3 years which would be better in the long run especially if you know military is where you wanna stay (to count 3 years towards the 20 for retirement).

Any takers for this fabled straight truth?

I can only speak for Army stuff. Sorry.

Originally Posted by mddr1day

I got the same video and never bothered to take it out of the sleave because, like you, I don't have a VCR anymore.

I talked to a bunch of different officer recruiters and they all basically told me different things.

I talked to one who said the HPSP should be available for Pharmacy students soon, but not to get my hopes up (lot of help he was).

I talked to another who said that the HCSP would be my best bet and that it would pay all 4 years (turns out it's a lie).

The next one said that they didn't even want to talk to me until after my P1 year because they only pay for 3 years (turns out it's a lie).

Finally, I think I got it straight that they will pay you as a full E-6 and all allowances minus clothing for ONLY the last two years of Pharmacy School and that you are required to serve on active duty for 3 years.

I told them that it seems like a better deal to just wait until after graduation and get the "up to $120,000" in student load repayment plus the $30,000 signon bonus and live off student loans until then and their response was that it may not be available by the time I graduate in 2013.

I know Navy is the only way I want to go, but they seem to be yanking me around so very much. I wish somebody could tell me the straight truth about all this because I have read multiple reports of the HCSP paying for the last 3 years which would be better in the long run especially if you know military is where you wanna stay (to count 3 years towards the 20 for retirement).

Any takers for this fabled straight truth?

As far as I've heard, from multiple sources, is that HCSP is for last 24 months ONLY, 2 years counting towards retirement, 3 year commitment.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by mddr1day

I told them that it seems like a better deal to just wait until after graduation and get the "up to $120,000" in student load repayment plus the $30,000 signon bonus and live off student loans until then and their response was that it may not be available by the time I graduate in 2013.

I know Navy is the only way I want to go, but they seem to be yanking me around so very much. I wish somebody could tell me the straight truth about all this because I have read multiple reports of the HCSP paying for the last 3 years which would be better in the long run especially if you know military is where you wanna stay (to count 3 years towards the 20 for retirement).

Any takers for this fabled straight truth?

It is only pays for last 2 years of school! A guy in my class is doing it. Payments start beginning of p3 year and go until you graduate. Then he will be told what locations are available and navy/him will choose where he goes for next 3 years. You and your family get full health benefits during this time.
During Fall term of your P2 year you will want to contact a recruiter and tell them you are interested. Sometimes they will fly you to a Naval hospital for a day or two so you can see 1st hand what it is like to work for them. You will be interviewed and then sometime in Spring you will be contacted to let you know if you were chosen.

I am pretty sure the 120k in loan repayment is not available anymore for pharmacists, the 30k accession bonus is though.

120k SLRP is for Army pharmacists.

Originally Posted by PumpkinSmasher

I am pretty sure the 120k in loan repayment is not available anymore for pharmacists, the 30k accession bonus is though.

I talked to a my local healthcare recruiter office last week and they said it was still available.

Really - this is for those of you (not pointing fingers) who are posting RUMORS - HEARSAY - OR SIMPLY UNTRUE STATEMENTS:

Check your facts - post your sources... what a RECRUITER told you is NOT a fact, its not even a rumor. It is likely propaganda - aimed at one goal. To get you to sign a contract.

I am all for the military. I did serve, and will serve again. But you have to know what you are dealing with when you deal with recruiters. They are worse than used-car salesmen...

According to the the goArmy site - LINK - There is 114K for Pharmacist loan repayment for qualified school loans.

If you do not have a source - preface it...

~above~

I would use the Navy but I couldn't be a Marine Pharmacist and would be forced to wear those Navy whites in a Battalion Aid Station.... no way! I'll just stay in the Army now.

Originally Posted by ValeUC

I would use the Navy but I couldn't be a Marine Pharmacist and would be forced to wear those Navy whites in a Battalion Aid Station.... no way! I'll just stay in the Army now.

dude...you ever see these?



btw- The Navy only has pharmacists in Qutar and Kuwait that are currently supporting the theater operations...amazing huh? So if you don't really want to deploy...GO NAVY!

That is absolutely horrid. Dear lord what have they done!? I can't wait til the Army switches to multicam. That is the ****.

I also like the "optional" dirtbag boots.... er no-shine boots. At least the Corps/Army got it right by making them tan... at least you can't SEE boots that obviously look like they've been polished with a Hershey's bar.

Originally Posted by 67echo

RIDICULOUS PIC...

To quote G. Sgt Hartman = Holy Jesus! What is that? What the *uck is that?

Originally Posted by mddr1day

...

Any takers for this fabled straight truth?

Yup I did my own research and pretty much know everything about each scholarship program. I'm just contacting a recruiter to confirm what scholarships are available at the time of my application. A recruiter should not be your ONLY source of information.

Originally Posted by confettiflyer

Yup I did my own research and pretty much know everything about each scholarship program. I'm just contacting a recruiter to confirm what scholarships are available at the time of my application. A recruiter should not be your ONLY source of information.

Confetti, join the Army with me. Together we would make a pharmacy more powerful than the world has ever seen.

Originally Posted by ValeUC

Confetti, join the Army with me. Together we would make a pharmacy more powerful than the world has ever seen.

That sounds like an indecent proposal... beware the mark of the beast

Side note... I'll likely be signing up in the next 6 to 7 months...

~above~

Originally Posted by confettiflyer

Yup I did my own research and pretty much know everything about each scholarship program. I'm just contacting a recruiter to confirm what scholarships are available at the time of my application. A recruiter should not be your ONLY source of information.

Yeah I have a contact in both the Army and Navy around my area and at this point in my life being a P0, I am better off just contacting them after my P1 year.

I used multiple websites and such to get my information, but I would confront these recruiters with the facts I had read on the Army/Navy websites and would be told that they just hadn't been updated with current information yet.

I just talked to an Army recruiter today actually (nicest recruiter yet) and he told me straight up that, at this point, it's best to just contact them after my P3 year.

The Navy guys want me to talk to them after my P1 year so I am simply going to drop this and pick it up again in a little over a year

You may also want to talk to your schools ROTC recruiter. I spoke with the one at UK and he sent me an email essentially saying that they would pay 100% tuition for all four years. The only stipulation is that you must also complete all MS classes and do PT three times a week. Not a bad deal except they expect you to attend LDAC in the summer and at UK they have a IPPE between P1 and P2.

Originally Posted by ValeUC

You may also want to talk to your schools ROTC recruiter. I spoke with the one at UK and he sent me an email essentially saying that they would pay 100% tuition for all four years. The only stipulation is that you must also complete all MS classes and do PT three times a week. Not a bad deal except they expect you to attend LDAC in the summer and at UK they have a IPPE between P1 and P2.

yeah...but at least LDAC is at Fort Lewis! It will be nice and cool there in the summertime!

But yeah, the only people worth calling at this point right now is the Air Force. They offer HPSP to a few people a year however I think you need to be a P2 to get that. (the air force will pay all your tuition after your first year for a 3 year contract) These positions are competitive. For some reason, Air Farce pharmacy recruits think they will do something cool like flying planes at some point.

"btw- The Navy only has pharmacists in Qutar and Kuwait that are currently supporting the theater operations...amazing huh? So if you don't really want to deploy...GO NAVY!" [/quote]

Also afghanistan.

Originally Posted by ValeUC

Confetti, join the Army with me. Together we would make a pharmacy more powerful than the world has ever seen.

I would, but I want to be l33t and fly planes and shiet.

Originally Posted by 67echo

But yeah, the only people worth calling at this point right now is the Air Force. They offer HPSP to a few people a year however I think you need to be a P2 to get that. (the air force will pay all your tuition after your first year for a 3 year contract) These positions are competitive.

That's a pretty sweet deal, but from my understanding, you don't get the full benefit package + years of service credit while on scholarship. I guess the trade off is obviously the tuition payment.

Anyone know if the 2yr Navy HSCP scholarship is uber competitive?

Originally Posted by Parsox

Also afghanistan.

you know that for sure? I don't see any navy pharmacts on my roster sheet currently active in afghanistan...

Yep

Just spoke to one over there yesterday

I think that the initial rank of a pharmacist going into the army is determined by the amount of experience because a buddy of mine just joined the army reserves right after getting his license and they gave him 1Lt. Or first lieutenant, o-2.
I thought this was kinda strange because my understanding was all doctors going into military service get 0-3 or captain...

Originally Posted by Masoko1972

I think that the initial rank of a pharmacist going into the army is determined by the amount of experience because a buddy of mine just joined the army reserves right after getting his license and they gave him 1Lt. Or first lieutenant, o-2.
I thought this was kinda strange because my understanding was all doctors going into military service get 0-3 or captain...

Reserves are different than active duty. If you come in active duty, you come in as an O3.

Hello.

I am a 3rd year PharmD student (in a 6 year program) and was interested in hearing more about your experience in Navy Pharmacy. Did you participate in the HSCP? What are the draw backs (besides those that come with all military positions, i.e., being "owned" by the U.S. military)?

I am really interested, and I think this is for me, but I want to get some opinions from people who have been through this experience.
Thanks!

Originally Posted by PharmD2MD

I used to be a Navy pharmacist, currently I am a Navy med student at the Uniformed Services University. The med students and doctors who post here are predominately bitter for a variety of reasons. They all seem to land on this forum, but they are not the majority. I would have left long ago if it was as bad as they make it out to be. I'm not saying that I don't believe the tales of woe on SDN, but realize the not everyone has that experience. The military isn't perfect and it's not for everyone, but it's been a good path for me.

Is it worth it? Well, I can't really answer that for you. I can tell you that you'll get some cash for school, make about the same as civilian hospital pharmacists, but a little less than retail. Money is generally a bad reason to join the military. It might look good initially, but if you aren't genuinely interested in serving then the military will really start to piss you off. Personally, I like serving in the military and I plan on making it a career. However, it's not like the HSCP program incurs a huge commitment, so if the Navy isn't your thing, you can get out. 3 years will go by pretty quick.

If you have some more specific questions, I can try to answer them.

Hello.

I am a 3rd year PharmD student (in a 6 year program) and was interested in hearing more about your experience in Navy Pharmacy. Did you participate in the HSCP? What are the draw backs (besides those that come with all military positions, i.e., being "owned" by the U.S. military)?

I am really interested, and I think this is for me, but I want to get some opinions from people who have been through this experience.
Thanks!

Originally Posted by bthom989

Hello.

I am a 3rd year PharmD student (in a 6 year program) and was interested in hearing more about your experience in Navy Pharmacy. Did you participate in the HSCP? What are the draw backs (besides those that come with all military positions, i.e., being "owned" by the U.S. military)?

I am really interested, and I think this is for me, but I want to get some opinions from people who have been through this experience.
Thanks!

You do realize that this thread was started almost 4 years ago and the last post before yours is almost a year old? Just saying... You might be waiting a while on an answer...

Originally Posted by bthom989

Hello.

I am a 3rd year PharmD student (in a 6 year program) and was interested in hearing more about your experience in Navy Pharmacy. Did you participate in the HSCP? What are the draw backs (besides those that come with all military positions, i.e., being "owned" by the U.S. military)?

I am really interested, and I think this is for me, but I want to get some opinions from people who have been through this experience.
Thanks!

My fiance is a Navy pharmacist. He took the scholarship, and we're about 1 1/2 years into the 3 he owes. We're making our decision about plans at the end of the 3 years soon. He loves his job, but we're a little homesick and unsure if constantly moving is what we want/feasible for my career.

A couple of the drawbacks I've seen are long work hours (with administrative duties- which can be a pro or a con), waiting for what seems like forever to find out any information, and different politics at work. Most of the pharmacists I've met like their jobs. They get way more leadership experience than they would outside the military.

Is there a Navy hospital anywhere near you?

Originally Posted by Kansas Pharmer

You do realize that this thread was started almost 4 years ago and the last post before yours is almost a year old? Just saying... You might be waiting a while on an answer...

Well, just happened to surf SDN today. I haven't been here for a while. Yes, I participated in HSCP. I've really been out of the Navy pharmacy arena for a long time now, currently a GMO with the Marines. Other than being "owned" by the military, I don't think there is a downside to taking the scholarship. I was pretty much left alone while still in pharmacy school. I had to turn in transcripts and run an occasional PRT, but while in school, the Navy really left me alone. Being owned is a huge deal though, not to be taken lightly. You will not get everything you want in terms of duty stations, training, etc. Be prepared for that. You need to talk to people with more current experience than I to get the best gouge.

Blast from the past... I love these reminders. We were so innocent back then

Originally Posted by Masoko1972

I think that the initial rank of a pharmacist going into the army is determined by the amount of experience because a buddy of mine just joined the army reserves right after getting his license and they gave him 1Lt. Or first lieutenant, o-2.
I thought this was kinda strange because my understanding was all doctors going into military service get 0-3 or captain...

Your buddy got duped.

Originally Posted by ucrx

My fiance is a Navy pharmacist. He took the scholarship, and we're about 1 1/2 years into the 3 he owes. We're making our decision about plans at the end of the 3 years soon. He loves his job, but we're a little homesick and unsure if constantly moving is what we want/feasible for my career.

A couple of the drawbacks I've seen are long work hours (with administrative duties- which can be a pro or a con), waiting for what seems like forever to find out any information, and different politics at work. Most of the pharmacists I've met like their jobs. They get way more leadership experience than they would outside the military.

Is there a Navy hospital anywhere near you?

Thanks for your response! I live in NJ, so nothing too close except for VA hospitals and medical centers. Would it be possible to speak via phone or e-mail with your fiance? I want to get the perspective of someone in that position--at the end of the required 3 years. I understand if you would be uncomfortable with that, but it would be super helpful for me. Please let me know if this would be possible.

Thanks!

-bthom989

Originally Posted by PharmD2MD

Well, just happened to surf SDN today. I haven't been here for a while. Yes, I participated in HSCP. I've really been out of the Navy pharmacy arena for a long time now, currently a GMO with the Marines. Other than being "owned" by the military, I don't think there is a downside to taking the scholarship. I was pretty much left alone while still in pharmacy school. I had to turn in transcripts and run an occasional PRT, but while in school, the Navy really left me alone. Being owned is a huge deal though, not to be taken lightly. You will not get everything you want in terms of duty stations, training, etc. Be prepared for that. You need to talk to people with more current experience than I to get the best gouge.

Thank you for your response! I have a question about deployments and assignments. Based on your experience, where do pharmacists in the Navy get deployed/assigned for the most part. My recruiter, who I thought was very nice and actually, in a way, tried to discourage me from jumping into this decision (which I don't think I am), said that the closest that a pharmacist will be deployed to the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq would be the hospital in Kuwait. He also said that most pharmacists will be kept in the U.S. for the first (or only) 3 years as they are new to the Navy and to being an officer.

Can you confirm these claims?

Also, I have a great respect for the Marines (my best friend just accepted his commission as an O-1 after completing OCS), but I don't want to be assigned to the Marines and be "in the fray". Is it possible for a pharmacist to be deployed with a Marine unit? More specifically, does it happen?

Thank you so much! I realize that you may not know all the answers to these questions, but even your experience with these would be helpful for me.

-bthom989

I will be attending pharmacy school in the fall 2012 and I am interested in being an army pharmacist. I actually am interested being deployed to other countries to practice, personally this seems exciting and a once in a lifetime opportunity while being able to serve my country. And of course I do hope that the army will be able to help me with my future loan burden with pharmacy school. However, I wanted to know how difficult is it to be accepted into the army. I do not have asthma or any heart conditions. Overall I am physically fit and active. I am also a US citizen. Only problem is that a few years ago I was diagnosed with PTSD, which I underwent treatment for. I have been symptom free for about 2 years now. I hope that this doesn't disqualify me. Does anyone have takers on this?

Originally Posted by female25

I will be attending pharmacy school in the fall 2012 and I am interested in being an army pharmacist. I actually am interested being deployed to other countries to practice, personally this seems exciting and a once in a lifetime opportunity while being able to serve my country. And of course I do hope that the army will be able to help me with my future loan burden with pharmacy school. However, I wanted to know how difficult is it to be accepted into the army. I do not have asthma or any heart conditions. Overall I am physically fit and active. I am also a US citizen. Only problem is that a few years ago I was diagnosed with PTSD, which I underwent treatment for. I have been symptom free for about 2 years now. I hope that this doesn't disqualify me. Does anyone have takers on this?

Possibly to likely disqualifying. At the very least I would expect MEPS to send you out to a psychiatrist for evaluation.

Originally Posted by suprachica79

Are there any options at all in the Marine Corps? I have loved the marines since I was a young kid and I always said if I didnt have any career options I would enlist in the Marines. If they had a loan repayment system, I would be highly interested in it, but it seems like they dont have anything for pharmacist. Anyone have any information about the marines?

the marines ARE a department of the navy. the men's department.