Army After Carribean Med

[diablo_burrito]

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I am considering Carribean medical school and I want to do the HPSP scholarship. I understand that HPSP is not offered with Carribean medical schools so I wanted to ask, if I went to a Carribean school, what would be the process of me joining the military as a doctor and getting financial assistance from them? my goal is to be in the Army, but you could tell me about other branches as well like Navy or Air Force. Thank you!

 

[armytrainingsir]

You’re not eligible for anything until after you’re a physician AND either in residency or BC/BE. And even then, there are specialty limitations/restrictions. Finally, there’s a misconception that the military will take anybody and it’s a great job of last resort. While that might’ve been true in the midst of Vietnam and briefly during the war on terror. It’s not true anymore. In fact there’s a downsizing going on. So don’t think that just because you’re a new doctor, the military is gonna be all that impressed.

Physicians

You have to look at the return on investment of being a physician if you have to resort to an international medical school. One out of three chance you won’t match into residency, and that was this year’s match. While, I’m sure there are IMG‘s in competitive specialties, my guess is most going to lower paying primary care specialties. The risk of not matching, the realistic finish line of a low paying primary care specialty, coupled with the exorbitant cost of an international school? You really need to think long and hard.

No matter what you do, good luck.

 

[diablo_burrito]

You’re not eligible for anything until after you’re a physician AND either in residency or BC/BE. And even then, there are specialty limitations/restrictions. Finally, there’s a misconception that the military will take anybody and it’s a great job of last resort. While that might’ve been true in the midst of Vietnam and briefly during the war on terror. It’s not true anymore. In fact there’s a downsizing going on. So don’t think that just because you’re a new doctor, the military is gonna be all that impressed.

Physicians

You have to look at the return on investment of being a physician if you have to resort to an international medical school. One out of three chance you won’t match into residency, and that was this year’s match. While, I’m sure there are IMG‘s in competitive specialties, my guess is most going to lower paying primary care specialties. The risk of not matching, the realistic finish line of a low paying primary care specialty, coupled with the exorbitant cost of an international school? You really need to think long and hard.

No matter what you do, good luck.

I am looking at Caribbean schools as a last resort. My main goal is to get into domestic schools, of course. My goal is to go into primary care, either family medicine or internal medicine. I know there is HPSP which is offered in stateside schools, but are there any other routes leading to military medicine? I am interested in the military and would want to explore more into it. Thank you!

 

[comp1]

There are immense downsides, but it looks like at the very least going to the Caribbean schools protect you from committing to the military before you know what you're doing. The schools do allow you to accumulate hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt with only a 33% chance of being able to pay it off, but at least they protect you from military medicine. The poster above gave you the only route through the Caribbean: graduate, finish a US residency and then sign on the dotted line. It's honestly how most people should do it, AMG or IMG.

 

[pgg]

To be bluntly honest, you should not even apply to Caribbean schools. They do have success stories, but they are uncommon, and odds are you won't be one of them.

If your only medical school acceptance turned out to be a Caribbean school, the best course of action is probably to either
1) spend a year or two improving your application and re-applying to US MD and DO schools, or
2) decide on a different profession, either in or out of healthcare
which leads us back to my first sentence, don't apply to them in the first place.

Caribbean schools are a very dangerous path. I know as a pre-med the sentiment is "doctor or bust!" but the Caribbean odds are badly tilted toward bust. And it's a hard, hard bust - so many end up with absolutely nothing to show for it except for years of lost time, hard work, and MASSIVE debt.

If you're even sniffing around HPSP, you are clearly a debt-averse person. Don't look to the Caribbean. Just don't.

For a Caribbean grad to be successful (i.e., match to a US residency in any field) they need to suddenly become exceptional ... and lucky. If you're exceptional, you're not going to a Caribbean school. The habits, aptitude, and other factors that lead people to Caribbean schools are not in the exceptional column.

Don't do it.

 

[Apollyon]

So, I was Carib, but I graduated 23 years ago (after being rejected many rounds in the US), and went to "the best of the worst". I knew I couldn't do anything like HPSP, and the only option I had was FAP - AFTER residency and board cert. Unfortunately (or, fortunately, depending of on your 2006 perspective), I became medically disqualified by the time I was eligible.

So, had I gotten into USUHS in 1992, I would have become DQ while in. Also, though, retired 6 or 7 years ago.

 

[diablo_burrito]

To be bluntly honest, you should not even apply to Caribbean schools. They do have success stories, but they are uncommon, and odds are you won't be one of them.

If your only medical school acceptance turned out to be a Caribbean school, the best course of action is probably to either
1) spend a year or two improving your application and re-applying to US MD and DO schools, or
2) decide on a different profession, either in or out of healthcare
which leads us back to my first sentence, don't apply to them in the first place.

Caribbean schools are a very dangerous path. I know as a pre-med the sentiment is "doctor or bust!" but the Caribbean odds are badly tilted toward bust. And it's a hard, hard bust - so many end up with absolutely nothing to show for it except for years of lost time, hard work, and MASSIVE debt.

If you're even sniffing around HPSP, you are clearly a debt-averse person. Don't look to the Caribbean. Just don't.

For a Caribbean grad to be successful (i.e., match to a US residency in any field) they need to suddenly become exceptional ... and lucky. If you're exceptional, you're not going to a Caribbean school. The habits, aptitude, and other factors that lead people to Caribbean schools are not in the exceptional column.

Don't do it.

I agree. I did take a year to take some extra classes and work on my application, however, I was looking at Carribean schools as a backup in case I do not get into an SMP. I understand it sounds absurd but I was just looking at it as a backup. I recognized that my undergrad performance was not ideal so that is why I did not apply. Instead took some postbacc classes. I am looking at HPSP because I have been interested in the military since I was a kid, and the tuition-paid part is an added welcome benefit for me. Ultimately, I will take everyone's advice and not look into Carribean schools, but I am anxious to think what if I get rejected from SMPs. Thank you for taking the time and sharing your insight with me. I truly appreciate it

 

[diablo_burrito]

So, I was Carib, but I graduated 23 years ago (after being rejected many rounds in the US), and went to "the best of the worst". I knew I couldn't do anything like HPSP, and the only option I had was FAP - AFTER residency and board cert. Unfortunately (or, fortunately, depending of on your 2006 perspective), I became medically disqualified by the time I was eligible.

So, had I gotten into USUHS in 1992, I would have become DQ while in. Also, though, retired 6 or 7 years ago.

What school did you attend? What was your experience like overall? Do faculty want you to succeed like domestic schools because I have heard that schools in the US want you to succeed, and they help you a lot to ensure you pass. Thank you for sharing your feedback. I appreciate it a lot.

 

[Apollyon]

What school did you attend? What was your experience like overall? Do faculty want you to succeed like domestic schools because I have heard that schools in the US want you to succeed, and they help you a lot to ensure you pass. Thank you for sharing your feedback. I appreciate it a lot.

I went to St George's. At the time, the "best of the worst". From talking with contemporaneous med students in the US, it was very similar. However, we had fewer slackers (although a few), because many people had a chip on their shoulder about being there.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

Just my advice as a med student, but if you're seriously unable to get into even the bottom of the barrel DO schools, you shouldn't go to medical school. Flat out. New DO schools accept people with sub 3.0 sub 500 MCAT scores. You will not pass your classes and you will not pass boards unless you had some really extenuating circumstances beyond your control that are now resolved beyond "haha I just didn't know how to study."

This includes and is even worse at Caribbean schools which are notorious for letting poor students flail and take out hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt they'll never be able to repay before kicking them out after failing a few classes.

That doesn't mean there's no place in healthcare or the military for you, but it's probably not as a physician if this is the case. Good luck with the SMP and I wish you well.

 

[diablo_burrito]

Just my advice as a med student, but if you're seriously unable to get into even the bottom of the barrel DO schools, you shouldn't go to medical school. Flat out. New DO schools accept people with sub 3.0 sub 500 MCAT scores. You will not pass your classes and you will not pass boards unless you had some really extenuating circumstances beyond your control that are now resolved beyond "haha I just didn't know how to study."

This includes and is even worse at Caribbean schools which are notorious for letting poor students flail and take out hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt they'll never be able to repay before kicking them out after failing a few classes.

That doesn't mean there's no place in healthcare or the military for you, but it's probably not as a physician if this is the case. Good luck with the SMP and I wish you well.

It's not that I was unable to get in, it's that I didn't apply to any medical schools because I felt my application was a bit lacking and felt I needed to go in after I improved some aspects of my application. That is my reason for applying to an SMP.

 

[MHYDE]

I am looking at Caribbean schools as a last resort. My main goal is to get into domestic schools, of course. My goal is to go into primary care, either family medicine or internal medicine. I know there is HPSP which is offered in stateside schools, but are there any other routes leading to military medicine? I am interested in the military and would want to explore more into it. Thank you!

The link that @armytrainingsir put in his first reply to you does have the answer to your question. There are ways for residents and BC/BE docs to join. Air Force has FAP too, that's how I joined.