Any Army Veterinarians?

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Spartanvet4cows

MSU CVM Class of 2010
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Hi, I'm a veterinary student at MSU (class of 2010), and I have applied for the Health Professions Scholarship Program with the army. I was put on the Order of Merit list and could still get the chance to be commissioned this year. Has anyone out there taken the veterinary HPSP? I've read the military medicine threads, but none of them have anything to do with veterinary medicine. I'm just looking for some insight so I know exactly what I'm getting myself into. I've talked to one veterinarian that graduated from MSU with the HPSP and he seemed very pleased with his decision. I just want to make absolutely sure this is right for me.
Thanks :)

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Newbie here, but saw your post and wondered how things were going. I've been pondering vet school. Thought about joining the reserves to help pay for it, but I don't know what exactly is involved with that. :) Would you be going active duty? What have you found? Any particularly useful websites besides goarmy.com?

P.S. I assume I'm still a couple of years away as my undergrad was business related. I'm just now starting to do my research on the whole idea of vet school...and deciding if that's REALLY what I want to do.
 
I'm still on the Order of Merit list, I'm second in line out of over 30 listed, so that's good, but it all depends on funding and how many awarded actually take the scholarship. You don't have to be extremely physical to pass that portion, as long as by the time you go to officer basic, you can run 2 miles in a certain amount of time, and then do a certain amount of push-ups and sit-ups in a limited amount of time. I'm not sure how many though. I'm not sure how the reserves work. I wouldn't be on active duty until after I graduate, which is nice. They want us as veterinarians, not soldiers. If you can find a healthcare recruiter in your area, he/she will have pamphlets on the scholarship programs and can help you with your decision. I found this site pretty helpful as well:
http://vetopportunities.amedd.army.mil/index.html
Good luck, vet med is difficult to get into and even more difficult to finish, but it's totally worth it!
 
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Thanks! I'm checking the site now. What's the order of merit...basically a military scholarship? Why did you choose the military route? Have you wanted to be a vet for a long time? Glad to hear it's worth it!
 
I've wanted to be a vet since I was 4 years old. My goals have changed a couple of times. I went from wanting to work with pets from about age 4 to age 16, then wanting to work with dairy cows until this year when pathology really caught my eye. Who knows what I'll end up with!

Order of merit list is basically a waiting list for the scholarship. I didn't get it this year, but I still might. I chose the military route for monetary benefits, to learn a little more discipline, and because there are so many different opportunities there. I like the idea of doing civil service missions (like going to Afghanistan to teach women to be veterinary nurses) and public health, and that they've got a path residence program. I'm thinking of making the army a career, doing 20 years, getting my retirement and working as a pathologist afterward. (Very lucrative, making half my army pay for the rest of my life plus salary as a pathologist, plus I get to cut up dead things!) I know...I'm mental, that's why I'm going into vet med :laugh:
 
=) You sound like me (ok...well minus cutting into the dead animal part, but then, maybe once I start taking the classes...).
When do you go through OCS training? How horrible is it? :laugh: I'm guessing that if I want this vet stuff bad enough I'll suffer through it. At least I have reservist friends who can help me out with moral support and what to expect. I emailed for more info from the Army but basically got an email combining all of the web pages I had viewed. =( Maybe I could talk to the same Army recruiter you spoke with? I want to get more of a realistic overview and answers to detailed questions along with what to expect after vet school. For instance...can you put in a preference as to where you want to work? I think Fort Myer in N. VA might be nice - horses along with small animal and it's not an ungodly distance away. Just not sure how it all works.
 
Well, I still haven't found out about this year. I don't think I'll hear yes or no until at least August. If I get it this year, officer basic is next summer. I can't imagine it's that bad, since we get to stay in a hotel/dorm room and most of our training is in a class room. I'm still not sure how my husband will feel about traveling overseas if I go. If I do go it'll only be for about a year, so I may do it alone (before kids).
You can put in a preference for where you want to work. There is no guarantee you'll get it, but they do take it into account. There are certain places they won't send recent grads because they would be completely on their own. That's saved for the seasoned vets.
Don't worry about the whole career chance thing. We've got students at MSU that are over 40. Heck, my mom went back for her BS at 45 and had classes with people I graduated high school with! Just follow your dreams, you'll be fine :D. You can also feel free to e-mail me at swimmintink @yahoo .com if you have any questions about the veterinary school experience.
 
Thanks! I clicked on all of the installations in VA that had Army vets and a good number said sr. captains only but usually majors on up were picked to work there...including Fort Belvoir. Not all were like that thankfully.

I'm going to go ahead and volunteer at a couple of vet offices starting at the beginning of August to get a more realistic view and go ahead and sign up for a prerequisite or two. The great thing is that there are lots of small animal vets around, one SA emergency clinic, a feline only clinic, a wildlife center, a research lab, and several very good equine clinics that cover a wide variety of areas including repro all within very close or reasonably close driving distance! Half already know me from my humane society volunteering or because I had to use them for my horses and cats at some time or another. :luck:

I do hate push ups though. I think a score of 100 is 45 within 2 minutes. And I don't think it counts if you only sort of bend your elbows. LOL! Oh well, I have some time to work on that aspect. Plus, it's good for me anyway...I'll have to keep reminding myself of that. Officer training school doesn't sound too bad from what you said...think I've read or seen too many stories of navy seal training or something...
 
i want to be one... and hopefully the army will pay for it too. i'll be applying to the HPSP in the spring so any hints or help is certainly appreciated!!
i'm not so much nervous about the physical stuff as i am about the admin and jumping through paperwork hoops11. the application is so long. what did they tell you to put down to put in the best package?
 
Spartan, I'm not sure if this is helpful or not, but I work with a vet that use to be in the Army. He said it was great. I'm not sure what stipulations he was under, but the experience itself was amazing. 20 years and he got to travel the world. He never went to war. He got to treat all kinds of animals, whatever was in the region really. Dolphins, snakes, lions, tigers, bears.. oh my!
Anyway, he worked for research on infectious disease. Really cool if you're into that sort of thing!
 
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