Applying for Air Force after Pharmacy school?

[shatta]

Well I am really considering trying to join the Air Force as a Pharmacist. How can I do that so that I can actually get commissioned as a Pharmacist? The reason is with the military in general they will give you a certain job as they see fit. I don't want to graduate pharmacy school, then join the military and not do anything with my degree. In addition, will I be eligible for loan repayment through the military?

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[beautifulrobot]

Pharmacists join via the direct commission officer program. Although you are an officer first no matter what pathway you take to become one, the direct commission pathway essentially guarantees your occupation as a pharmacist. You will get to "use your degree," but you will also be expected to do many other things as you progress in your career. I highly encourage you to actually talk to active duty Air Force pharmacists before deciding to join.

 

[shatta]

Thanks giga!

 

[shatta]

Bump any Active Duty Air Force Pharmacist can give me some advice please. Thank you in advance.

 

[aboveliquidice]

If you are interested in knowing more about military pharmacy, just call any military hospital and ask to talk to one of the AD pharmacists.

Try to talk to a Maj/Lt Col about their branch of service and experiences. A Capt would be okay, but their experience may be limited to a couple assignments. Most career pharmacists are Majors and Lt Cols.

Overall, there is a ton of benefits and opportunities that most folks do not know about or understand in these forums. Also, those opportunities will be different for each service.

It is easier to apply to gain acceptance in pharmacy school versus as a graduate. Finally, there is a lot of competition for the scholarships, my acceptance rate when I applied was about 5%.

V/r
Maj, USAF

Concur with everything said above. Acceptance into the military as a pharmacist is different according to service. The Army has a competitive board that meets at recurring times throughout the year, but it is competitive. Previous military experience / JROTC is a plus, but a health recruiter knows more about the process of joining. For what 'life' is like in the military, you should definitely reach out and find people that are already serving. There is at least 6 or 7 on this board you can talk with. Feel free to PM if you'd like to know more.