Are there military pharmacists who can guide me?

[RutgersEMSOP10]

And let's be honest, if you want desirable locations for duty stations - it's Navy no doubt. They're all on the coasts! (Well, except Fallon, NV but we don't like to claim them...)

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[blueheron]

Excellent. Someone who knows more than I.

 

[jdex851]

Ok good to know Rutgers, so when listing desired duty stations could I list Lamoore, NMC san Diego, & NH pendleton?

 

[jdex851]

haha, i just saw your comment about Fallon.. funny thing is I grew up out there not to far from that base

 

[Arober06]

Ok, let me know how it goes after your meeting with the recruiter. Good luck!

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

Sorry for the huge delay. I apologize! But to keep you up to date, I am currently in the application process. I have completed MEPS, submitted my application and have referred my writers for the Letter of Rec. From what I gathered, there will be about 10 positions that will be needing filled. wish me luck on this application process. If I get selected in November, when do you think it is likely that I will be able to start?

 

[Arober06]

Also, I did have a question regarding bases. Which 3 army bases would anyone recommend?

 

[scripting]

I just came across this old thread looking to see if I am not too late to join the military and get assistance with my tuition. I would ideally want a co-op program so I can finish school and then do my service. I will be entering a 3 year accelerated PharmD program in Utah this Summer and tuition alone is about $48k per year. Any info is appreciated thanks!

 

[HelpfulPharmer1]

I would ideally want a co-op program so I can finish school and then do my service.

Any info is appreciated thanks!

You asked and here I share:

To everyone, let me ask a rhetorical question: When we do service for the military, what are we expecting to live through?
Working at the hour we want? No.
Working at the location we want? No.

Here's a plan that may fit your life:
Go to school as civilian,
Borrow loan as civilian,
Live frugally like a soldier student,
Graduate like a civilian,
Work like a horse like a soldier pharmacist with a job at any location at any hour, like a soldier.

Why? The military pharmacist may be sent to real battle field where un-preventable road bombs may explode as we drive or mortars sent and explode inside a military base.

A civilian pharmacist who works like a soldier for a few years will not have to face those bombs or mortars.

I am a community pharmacist who works and lives like a military pharmacist.

I support military soldiers as they are my role model for surviving pharmacy school. I just can't take the risk of bombs or mortars and come home without an arm or a leg and exploded ear drums with Post Traumatic Disorder.

I currently work as community pharmacist in a building with air conditioner, eat the basic food I can afford, live frugally with a used car, shop at Good Will and volunteer to fix computers for others...Doing many things a military pharmacist would do in military service, just in civilian life, without the mortars and risk of disability and I feel fulfilled.

That's my secret of success: Live and sacrifice like a soldier in this civilian world and we will get far ahead of others. I share because this may help some of you to see life from another unique angle that may bring you happiness in life. Good luck.

 

[scripting]

You asked and here I share:

To everyone, let me ask a rhetorical question: When we do service for the military, what are we expecting to live through?
Working at the hour we want? No.
Working at the location we want? No.

Here's a plan that may fit your life:
Go to school as civilian,
Borrow loan as civilian,
Live frugally like a soldier student,
Graduate like a civilian,
Work like a horse like a soldier pharmacist with a job at any location at any hour, like a soldier.

Why? The military pharmacist may be sent to real battle field where un-preventable road bombs may explode as we drive or mortars sent and explode inside a military base.

A civilian pharmacist who works like a soldier for a few years will not have to face those bombs or mortars.

I am a community pharmacist who works and lives like a military pharmacist.

I support military soldiers as they are my role model for surviving pharmacy school. I just can't take the risk of bombs or mortars and come home without an arm or a leg and exploded ear drums with Post Traumatic Disorder.

I currently work as community pharmacist in a building with air conditioner, eat the basic food I can afford, live frugally with a used car, shop at Good Will and volunteer to fix computers for others...Doing many things a military pharmacist would do in military service, just in civilian life, without the mortars and risk of disability and I feel fulfilled.

That's my secret of success: Live and sacrifice like a soldier in this civilian world and we will get far ahead of others. I share because this may help some of you to see life from another unique angle that may bring you happiness in life. Good luck.

I totally see where you are coming from and although this plan has worked for you it will not work for me. I have worked as a pharmacy tech for 5 years at retail and I don't get to work at the location I want or the hours I want and neither do most of the pharmacist I work with. I am glad that working retail as a civilian provides you happiness but it just won't fullfill my desires. As far as the possibility of being bombed that's a risk I am willing to take just like you take the risk of being robbed and shot everyday.
PS
Although I value your input and it might help someone else out there this post was intended for actual military pharmacists not pharmacist that pretend they live like military pharmacist.

 

[hurx]

Public Health Service is also an option. You can do Jr COSTEP with them the summer after your 2nd year and apply for Sr COSTEP to be paid while you are in your P4 year. Then once you graduate you will be a commissioned corps officer with a 2 yr commitment at the site that paid you during your P4 year (usually Indian health service or bureau of prisons). Then you can move where ever you want within Public Health Service: FDA, CDC, NIH, Coast Guard, etc.

It's not exactly the military; it's the uniformed service as opposed to the armed service. You still get military benefits. Sr COSTEP is incredibly competitive, but it seemed to me that the military was as well.

Some sites offer some forms of loan forgiveness (I think it's about $14,000 for 2 year commitment) but I think that 2 year commitment would have to start after you already completed your commitment for Sr COSTEP. And undesirable sites are more likely to be able to offer that forgiveness in order to increase recruitment/retention.

 

[CUninja]

As an officer:

At least in the USAF, anything you take, whether loan repayment or retention bonus, is CONSECUTIVE to HPSP. Meaning, you would owe 3 for HPSP plus 2 for POSP (retention) or HPLRP (loan repay).

It is absolutely not a given that you will promote either. In the USAF, you will go to a MAJ board 4 years after accession to active duty. If you do not make it, you have one more shot the next year. If you do not make it twice, you may be shown the door since you were twice nonpromoted. Depends on where the active duty numbers are and where they need to be. Just doing your pharmacy job and nothing else will put you at the bottom of the pile come time for promotion.

I do know the percentages for promotion of the last few years. I will not share them however...don't ask.

 

[Caverject]

Why? The military pharmacist may be sent to real battle field where un-preventable road bombs may explode as we drive or mortars sent and explode inside a military base.

A civilian pharmacist who works like a soldier for a few years will not have to face those bombs or mortars.

I am a community pharmacist who works and lives like a military pharmacist.

As an military pharmacist, I must say you are a complete ass and have no idea what you're talking about. If you don't have the balls to be a military pharmacist, that's okay. Just say that. There's nothing wrong with being a "community pharmacist with air conditioned building" , but don't start talking like you really know what it's like to be a part of the military. Clearly, you don't.

 

[tcav26]

Hi there, I'm starting a PGY-1 pharmacy residency this July and was wondering if there were opportunities for clinical pharmacists with residency training in the military? I signed up for HPSP with the Air Force prior to my P1 pharmacy school year back in 2012 but unfortunately wasn't accepted, I'm still interested in military pharmacy though. I feel like a pretty competitive candidate, I have an MBA as well. Anyone have any idea? The main reason I'm asking here is that everyone is telling me that the military isn't picking up pharmacists anymore which is a bit disheartening.

That's untrue, the military is indeed still recruiting pharmacists. I'm not sure how many new pharmacists the AirForce is recruiting each year (or Navy), but I know the Army is still recruiting. Being residency trained and having your MBA definitely gives you a leg up. The other nice thing, at least for Army, you get additional speciality pay for being residency trained. Please keep in mind though, a majority of your time will be away from clinical settings. The military expects their pharmacists to fill administrative roles and manage the civilians who will see patients, etc. You can still work in clinical settings though. It seems a lot of new pharmacists who recently joined the Army were surprised to find out a majority of their time will be admin work.

 

[RogerWilco]

The other nice thing, at least for Army, you get additional speciality pay for being residency trained.

Residency trained or board certified? If residency trained, please cite which instruction outlines this benefit for AD Army pharmacists as this would indeed appear to be unique amongst the Tri-Services.

 

[Caverject]

Residency trained or board certified? If residency trained, please cite which instruction outlines this benefit for AD Army pharmacists as this would indeed appear to be unique amongst the Tri-Services.

S/He meant board certified. I'm sure many of us wish "residency trained" earned us additional specialty pay!