Army 68W to MD

[troyston]

Hi,

BLUF: What's your best advice for preparing for an MD program with the idea of going active duty afterwards, how much paperwork does an ADHD diagnosis entail, and is going through a paramedic program a good idea, or a waste of time?

I was wondering if I could get some of your $0.02 on the process of becoming an Army physician. I'm a current 68W in the National Guard, and a civilian EMT-S. I'm not quite set on a specialty (obviously I know that's kind of a cross that bridge when we get there thing), but I really like a lot of the primary care aspects being a line medic (and being outdoors/in the field), as well as all the TCCC stuff. So far taking some community college classes to transfer, I've had a pretty easy 4 point, but my high school GPA wasn't too great. I want to end up active duty after doing an MD program. I've done some research into HPSP, and I know at that point I should talk to either my CoC or a recruiter.

I also have a couple other dilemmas. I was re-diagnosed with ADHD-I in the spring. I didn't have any trouble with AIT classes without medication, but I was always very interested and motivated in them; I definitely need it to do well in college classes. AR 40-501 says that I can be retained/continue my career with the diagnosis, but as far as I know HPSP would be a separate commissioning program (eg. MEPS again) and I would be disqualified.

I also have been debating going through the paramedic program that my civilian employer provides, and that would be a whole year delayed from school, but also valuable knowledge, experience, and the possibility of being a flight medic for a while during school and possibly a FF/Paramedic civilian side (yes, I know I'm trying to do too many things at once).

Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.

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[HighPriest]

I'll speak to what I know:

Don't bother with the paramedic program unless you're super interested in it, and don't care if you use it at all as a physician. Because you won't.

Nobody will care about your high school GPA if you med your med school requirements with a 4.0 GPA in college.

 

[95ragtop]

What's your best advice for preparing for an MD program with the idea of going active duty afterwards, how much paperwork does an ADHD diagnosis entail?

Talk to an AMEDD recruiter about the ADHD issue, they may have some info if they have put guys in for waivers. For going Guard to HPSP, I think you need a release and getting that release depends on your command environment. I don't know your rank or how supportive your leadership is, but I would let them know your goals, and feel them out. While I was active duty I let my immediate supervisors know my plans, so there weren't any surprises.

Like HighPriest said above, high school doesn't matter one bit, but for college keep your grades as high as possible. If you can try to not have any debt from college.


Is going through a paramedic program a good idea, or a waste of time?

I would not delay being a doctor for a year just to get my Paramedic. Now, if you really want to do it and it's something you've always wanted to do then **** it, I wouldn't knock someone for chasing their dreams. I didn't start med school until I was 33.

 

[armytrainingsir]

IIRC, Army has a program where you PCS to DC, get all the medical school prerequisites as an AD E5. They then walk you through application process to medical school. Talk to an AMEDD recruiter.

No idea about your ADHD issue.

Good luck!

 

[a gray man]

IIRC, Army has a program where you PCS to DC, get all the medical school prerequisites as an AD E5. They then walk you through application process to medical school. Talk to an AMEDD recruiter.

No idea about your ADHD issue.

Good luck!

It’s called EMDP2. You keep your prior rank while in the program and then can go either HPSP or USUHS based on your acceptances. It’s a great program despite the three year additional commitment you incur.

 

[militaryPHYS]

It’s called EMDP2. You keep your prior rank while in the program and then can go either HPSP or USUHS based on your acceptances. It’s a great program despite the three year additional commitment you incur.

@Matthew9Thirtyfive can confirm this, but the 3 year commitment is only if you fail/drop from the program (i.e. if you do not continue on in to a HPSP or USUHS or HSCP commitment). Otherwise you only pay back time incurred from whichever program you end up in.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

@Matthew9Thirtyfive can confirm this, but the 3 year commitment is only if you fail/drop from the program (i.e. if you do not continue on in to a HPSP or USUHS or HSCP commitment). Otherwise you only pay back time incurred from whichever program you end up in.

AFAIK, the 3-year commitment for the Army and AF is on top of whatever commitment you incur for HPSP or USUHS (so it would be 7 years for HPSP or 10 for USUHS). Let me confirm that.

Edit: just confirmed. Yes, the 3-year commitment for EMDP2 is consecutive with the HPSP or USUHS commitment for the Army and AF folks.

 

[militaryPHYS]

So wait. Consecutive for Army and AF but concurrent (or not applicable) for Navy?! That seems odd...

 

[a gray man]

To make it even more confusing, the army’s Milper message states that it is a SRR of three years to be served consecutive with the adso from usuhs/hpsp. As far as I remember Service remaining requirements are literally time you must have left on your contract at the beginning of any school. Technically this time can be served while you are in any active duty status. At least that is the way any other school’s SRR is served. See line 6 below

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

To make it even more confusing, the army’s Milper message states that it is a SRR of three years to be served consecutive with the adso from usuhs/hpsp. As far as I remember Service remaining requirements are literally time you must have left on your contract at the beginning of any school. Technically this time can be served while you are in any active duty status. At least that is the way any other school’s SRR is served. See line 6 below View attachment 274220

To clarify, you will have a 36 ADSO for EMDP2. You are required to serve that consecutively with your 4 year or 7 year HPSP or USUHS ADSO, respectively. So for example the Army folks who just finished EMDP2 cohort 4 with me who went to HPSP have a 7 year ADSO, and the ones who are going to USUHS with me have a 10 year ADSO.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

So wait. Consecutive for Army and AF but concurrent (or not applicable) for Navy?! That seems odd...

That’s how the Navy has done it for the last two years. It may change for future cohorts, but we have a 7 year commitment for USUHS and that’s it.

 

[a gray man]

That’s how the Navy has done it for the last two years. It may change for future cohorts, but we have a 7 year commitment for USUHS and that’s it.

Crazy.