ARMY MSC 4 Years > Med School > MSC/MC

[BREngineer07]

Hello all,

I've scoured the threads and have found multiple answers to the possibility of going from four years of active duty service as a commissioner officer to medical school, usually with the intention of entering the private sector. My intentions are similar, expect that I would hope to return to the Army on Active Duty. The reason I would like to serve my four years as an MSC Army officer is because my interest has always been public health, and I would like to assess whether to enter clinical medicine after attaining real-world experience. I am not yet prepared to make that decision.

I am a fourth year Biomedical Engr/Public Policy dual degree undergraduate in AROTC with a 3.75+ GPA. I will be graduating in Spring 18, and am hoping to branch MSC (70B or 67J, though the latter requires an additional 6-year service commitment). Ideally, post-ROTC Commitment I would go to Medical School + Residency while in the Army Reserves (I understand they may, and will, pull me to deploy whenever they wish), and then return to AD in either the MSC or MC as an O-4. It would even better if I was able to remain on active-duty while in Medical School + Residency, but I am not aware of any such opportunity.

My questions are as follows:

• Is my ideal plan realistic, or am I smoking something crazy? I've heard that going from Reserves to AD can be immensely difficult.
• If I was to take the 6-year service commitment in order to go 67J (assuming my application is accepted), would I be able to serve it out post-Medical School? Would I even be allowed to transfer to the Reserves to complete Medical School?

I understand that these commitments pile-up and will force an Army career. As only a cadet, I have no clue if this is the track I wish to take. I ask to know whether to apply for 67J in a year, and to mentally prepare to take my MCAT down the road.

Thank you for your help, and I appreciate your patience on the matter.

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[Gastrapathy]

Just go to med school.

 

[Slevin]

Just go to med school.

This is the correct answer for you

 

[Helpful Troll]

... The reason I would like to serve my four years as an MSC Army officer is because my interest has always been public health, and I would like to assess whether to enter clinical medicine after attaining real-world experience. I am not yet prepared to make that decision. Your four years as a Jr MS Officer (70B) on AD would give you little to no public health exposure. It's not 'real world' experience. You would likely be a Med Services Platoon Leader or a Supply Officer at a Medical Material Center.

... am hoping to branch MSC (70B or 67J, though the latter requires an additional 6-year service commitment). If you choose AD I don't think the 6 year 67J commitment starts until after completion of all flight training. This would tie you up for at least 7.5 years and this is if you get an early BOLC date after graduation.

... It would even better if I was able to remain on active-duty while in Medical School + Residency, but I am not aware of any such opportunity. I believe USUHS is the only Army option for AD Medical School.

... If I was to take the 6-year service commitment in order to go 67J (assuming my application is accepted), would I be able to serve it out post-Medical School? No, the commitment cannot be deferred. The longer commitment is because of flight training.

... Would I even be allowed to transfer to the Reserves to complete Medical School? Sure, after you complete your AD commitment.

... I ask to know whether to apply for 67J in a year ... Actually graduating in spring 2018 leads you to start your flight requirements in about 6 months. You should get your flight aptitude testing and physical done during CLC (Advanced Camp) at the latest. Many take it prior to CLC (Advanced Camp). If you wait to take the aptitude and flight physical, until after branch determination, or in BOLC you might miss the window for 67J application.

Two options, and I am sure there are more, if you already have an ROTC commitment ...
1) During accessions request Reserves or NG, get accepted to a medical school on your own timeline, then switch to a medical student position. This option allows you to try your hand at 'public health' and make this career decision. Go see a Health Care Recruiter your last year of Residency if you still want to serve on AD.
2) Request an Educational Delay, get accepted to medical school for fall 2018, go to medical school with or without HPSP, complete residency, serve your time on AD. This option has many pitfalls - getting accepted to medical school without a gap year and all the cons listed in the 'stickies'.

 

[deleted480308]

just go to med school

 

[WernickeDO]

med school. just go to it.

 

[Helpful Troll]

WernickeDO, sb247, Slevin, Gastrapathy:

I agree Med School is a better option than the Med Service or line officer route on AD then Med School for the OP. The problem is he likely has a service obligation from Army ROTC - based on OP this boat has sailed. Additionally, he has not yet taken the MCAT and his EC's necessary for Med School may be lacking. He might not be competitive for a 2017 application to start Fall 2018.

Knowing this, do you recommend his detour to Med School be via Reserves/NG and pursue AD or stay civilian after he begins a residency? Or, pursue the Ed Delay (non selects have to go AD), go to Med School, then AD?

 

[BREngineer07]

Confirming what Helpful Troll has written above. I will not be able to apply to Medical School by mission set 18 given that I do not have the necessary pre-requisite classes, and will not be able to take them and graduate on-time (already mustering 20/21 hour course loads). While a BMED Engr, I am not fully pre-health; missing four or five classes. GPA is fine, EC's are public-health oriented. Not prepared to take MCAT.

 

[DeadCactus]

"The reason I would like to serve my four years as an MSC Army officer is because my interest has always been public health, and I would like to assess whether to enter clinical medicine after attaining real-world experience."

If I'm reading this right, you're not 100% sure you want to do medicine. To me, this is one of he few situations where delaying medical school for military service is a reasonable plan. You'all have time to pay off your commitment, do some cool stuff, and decide if clinical medicine is really what you want to do. You may run into some issues with your course work counting and would want to delay the MCAT some but that seems better than rushing into medicine without being sure it's what you want.

 

[WernickeDO]

Confirming what Helpful Troll has written above. I will not be able to apply to Medical School by mission set 18 given that I do not have the necessary pre-requisite classes, and will not be able to take them and graduate on-time (already mustering 20/21 hour course loads). While a BMED Engr, I am not fully pre-health; missing four or five classes. GPA is fine, EC's are public-health oriented. Not prepared to take MCAT.

I guess my joke missed. Sorry about that.

I don't truly understand the ins and outs of ROTC and the different avenues that circumstance takes you down, so I withhold any comment. Best of luck OP.

 

[sonofva]

Get ready to do some class 8 inventories

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[wxman393]

Hello all,

I've scoured the threads and have found multiple answers to the possibility of going from four years of active duty service as a commissioner officer to medical school, usually with the intention of entering the private sector. My intentions are similar, expect that I would hope to return to the Army on Active Duty. The reason I would like to serve my four years as an MSC Army officer is because my interest has always been public health, and I would like to assess whether to enter clinical medicine after attaining real-world experience. I am not yet prepared to make that decision.

I am a fourth year Biomedical Engr/Public Policy dual degree undergraduate in AROTC with a 3.75+ GPA. I will be graduating in Spring 18, and am hoping to branch MSC (70B or 67J, though the latter requires an additional 6-year service commitment). Ideally, post-ROTC Commitment I would go to Medical School + Residency while in the Army Reserves (I understand they may, and will, pull me to deploy whenever they wish), and then return to AD in either the MSC or MC as an O-4. It would even better if I was able to remain on active-duty while in Medical School + Residency, but I am not aware of any such opportunity.

My questions are as follows:

• Is my ideal plan realistic, or am I smoking something crazy? I've heard that going from Reserves to AD can be immensely difficult.
• If I was to take the 6-year service commitment in order to go 67J (assuming my application is accepted), would I be able to serve it out post-Medical School? Would I even be allowed to transfer to the Reserves to complete Medical School?

I understand that these commitments pile-up and will force an Army career. As only a cadet, I have no clue if this is the track I wish to take. I ask to know whether to apply for 67J in a year, and to mentally prepare to take my MCAT down the road.

Thank you for your help, and I appreciate your patience on the matter.

I'm currently a 67J in medical school. I spent a majority of my time on AD before I went the Guard route to attend medical school. I did not take the MDSSP because I didn't want to take the reduction in rank/loss of time in grade.

You do realize a 67J is an aviator, correct? There isn't too much public health going on within the 67J community as you will be a section leader, then a platoon leader, and then possibly an OPSO/XO before heading off to BN/BDE/DIV staff. That six year commitment is for flight school, and it doesn't start until after you become rated. I spent nearly two years in flight school unfortunately but I'm assuming the bubble has disappeared.

I took the long road to medical school. I commend you for wanting to serve but definitely draw out some COAs before pulling the trigger. I never served time as a 70B so I can't tell you what their career track looks like.

If you go AD, you can request a UQR once your six year commitment is up, pending you isn't sign anything else. That's exactly what I did and told them I had been accepted to medical school. Released me from AD one day and I was commissioned in the Guard the next day.


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[newms2014]

Active duty 70B here. I went in planning on applying after my service commitment, so I'm sort of walking the same path. You really won't be doing public health work as a 70B, the 72 series feeds into that field. My experience has been limited to the BCT side (BN MEDO and HHC XO), I feel as though I've gotten fantastic officer development but not much of it necessarily super medically focused. Idk much about the Med BDE side and you most likely will not go to a hospital or clinic as a 2LT. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.

 

[68PGunner]

Get ready to do some class 8 inventories

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