Army to med school

[68Whiskey]

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Hello. I am a couple years away from getting out of the Army. I should be close to finishing my bachelor's by that time. I'm most likely getting most of what I need to get into med school prior to my departure. Should my time in the military help, or hurt my chances of getting accepted? Also, what kind of difficulty should a non traditional student expect that traditional students may not face?

 

[seanm028]

Assuming you have an honorable service record, it will absolutely help. There are many threads with posts from many adcom members explaining why it's advantageous. Also, certain schools tend to be more veteran-friendly than others, so you can tailor your school list accordingly.

In terms of difficulties, I would say not a whole lot. Most medical schools have evolved away from the "traditional medical student" model, meaning they value the experiences that nontrads bring to the table. I would wager that most difficulties you face are going to be internal, not external. For example, many nontrads have been away from school for a while so they may have forgotten how to study effectively. Also, a lot of veterans get flustered by the fact that life in a civilian university is very different than in an active duty line unit. Assuming you can adapt to those differences, you should be fine.

 

[Goro]

Hello. I am a couple years away from getting out of the Army. I should be close to finishing my bachelor's by that time. I'm most likely getting most of what I need to get into med school prior to my departure. Should my time in the military help, or hurt my chances of getting accepted? Also, what kind of difficulty should a non traditional student expect that traditional students may not face?

We LOVE veterans!

And many thanks for your service to our country. Hooooahh!

Non-trads may have trouble picking up steam for the academics, and dealing with those pesky youngins'.

read this:
Med School Rx: Getting In, Getting Through, and Getting On with Doctoring Original Edition by Walter Hartwig
ISBN-13: 978-1607140627

ISBN-10: 1607140624

 

[MusicDOc124]

Hello. I am a couple years away from getting out of the Army. I should be close to finishing my bachelor's by that time. I'm most likely getting most of what I need to get into med school prior to my departure. Should my time in the military help, or hurt my chances of getting accepted? Also, what kind of difficulty should a non traditional student expect that traditional students may not face?

Just make sure you do the pre-reqs in person and not online. If you're near a school, even if it's a community college, take the pre-reqs there.

For the most part, you will still be considered based on your GPA and MCAT, but if all else is equal or at least close, being a veteran will be advantageous. Beyond that bit, it is only beneficial as many schools are considering veterans as in-state now (so that gets you past some doors that would otherwise limit out of state apps), and it gives you much more (and different for the most part) things to talk about in interviews.

Just don't expect being a veteran to be a crutch to get you in with lower stats.

TLDR: after the initial evaluation of your GPA and MCAT, it's only beneficial from there on.

 

[68Whiskey]

Fortunately, the army has practically forced continued academics on us, so I'm sure for the most part I would be fine

 

[BC_89]

I can only reiterate what others have stated. Being a Veteran (with honorable discharge written on your DD-214 member-4 document) is a great advantage in terms of sticking out with a comparable MCAT and cGPA / sGPA with other applicants. Specific programs also like to make themselves known as Veteran friendly institutes (East Tennessee State University is a prime example) and may play in your favor when applying. If you are completing a handful of prerequisites for medical schools, I STRONGLY recommend it is done in a brick n mortar setting and avoid online if at all possible.

As far as what may or may not be something to prepare for as a nontraditional student is the age gap as well as balancing social vs academic time. In my own short duration of medically retiring from the army, I quickly found out that my schedule was no longer laid out for me (ie 0400 PT, 0630 - 1600 clinic, counsel soldiers before 1800 and put up stats by morning formation) within the confides of my "job." As a student again, the extra autonomy with my family and mingling with students and a new location of actually wearing what I want, eating what I want, and having to leave my phone on vibrate as an option (although seem small to some others) was mentally difficult for me. I developed very bad OCD that things have to be done a certain way at a certain time but I'm slowly starting to "loosen up."

I'm sure others don't have the stressors I've had to deal with but transitioning from active duty to civilian can be rough and stressful if not planned accordingly. However in the end, your maturity and discipline will make up for any short comings you feel you may or may not have if accepted to Medical School in the future.

 

[HopefulPilot]

Make sure your undergrad is from a brick and mortar school. Transitioning out of the military is tough. I found it more stressful than the actual med school stuff. Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions.

 

[BC_89]

No unit in the regular Army does PT at 0400 daily and no military clinic begins before 0730.

Also, nobody counsels soldiers more than once a month.

Also, having a normal life outside of work in the military is not that hard.

Benefit of the doubt your not a troll, I’ll explain slightly more for others to understand:


1) Accountability Formation: 0515 in sequential order by platoon with a brief then 0530 PT. NCOs with an earlier briefing by 0500 with “potential stats” as requested by company commander (compare with after-stats). Live 30 minutes from base so I give myself time to eat and leave to show up 10 minutes prior. So correct, I’m only up @ 0400 to be at destination by 0450

2) Military clinics not open before 0730? Don’t tell the soldiers going to sick call at the Troop Medical Clinic that. Doors unlock by 0530 but soldiers in training status need to report earlier with their “Battle Buddies.” The off chance I don’t have to work that specific clinic, I get to drive to a further clinic and show up earlier before VA doors open to do a double narcotic inventory count and be sure it matches the vault slip count from the closing civilian tech (missed scanned labels always occur).

3) Counseling: I did opening and closing counsels to 15 different soldiers. They were to meet me at my clinic or I drove to theirs (12 different locations + field unit training facility and those that work night shift). Army loves to “do much with little.” To be sure I meet our 100% close-outs each month, I have to designate 1 appointment 3 days a week..The other 2 days I write an mfr if soldiers met or failed goals as put out by myself and the chain above me..

4) Normal life outside of work: Role dependent, but if you get the call a soldier is drunk and locked up while your at the zoo with your kids or the incoming soldier who was suppose to arrive from an overseas base has gone silent for 72 hours while your late night civilian tech calls in but your fellow “managers” were volun-told to pull 24 hour garrison security, run room inspections, or on emergency leave but failed to tell you well....Normal may be an understatement.

I hope this clears any concern (which if you did your service, you would know).

 

[68Whiskey]

No unit in the regular Army does PT at 0400 daily and no military clinic begins before 0730.

Also, nobody counsels soldiers more than once a month.

Also, having a normal life outside of work in the military is not that hard.

I do PT at 0230

 

[68Whiskey]

Make sure your undergrad is from a brick and mortar school. Transitioning out of the military is tough. I found it more stressful than the actual med school stuff. Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions.

Getting a degree while in at a brick and mortar school is close to impossible.

 

[BC_89]

Sounds like your experience in a clinic unit was more intense than a maneuver unit’s daily schedule. Strange.

So you do PT 30 min to an hour earlier than the rest of the Army, do daily inventories when the rest of the Army does monthly, do counselings almost every day when the rest of the Army does quarterlies every 3 months, do 15 soldier’s counselings yourself when the rest of the Army delegates that responsibility down to the lowest NCO with most of them having to do 5-6 soldiers max, you pick up soldiers on weekends when the rest of the Army usually has the CO or 1SG or rarely, the PL do that, and you wrote memorandums (LMAO) to gauge soldiers’ performance when the rest of the Army would just have a verbal convo telling the soldier if they’re doing well or not.

Also, your 4th bullet is like, a once-every-2 years type of anomaly.

So you were a junior-mid level NCO doing all of the above in a clinic MOS and you found it “difficult” to transition to civilian life...haha man I would have loved to look at your application and called out all of your nonsense in front of an adcom.

1) Yes we do PT earlier than you implied. This is not uncommon practice. Especially at a Joint-Base Unit.

2) We do opening and closing inventories daily. Not sure what you were implying but since you didn't ask: I worked inpatient as well as outpatient side of pharmacy clinics (also working with and training vault techs) Yes, daily inventories are mandated twice a day. This is for any and all clinics in the service.

3) "Monthly counselling" is mandated (more so with troubled individuals as put out down the chain).

4) Not sure what the comment about weekends and picking up soldiers came from. Those PCSing to the unit don't do it on weekends as well as privates that get intoxicated after a night shift during midweek (and delegation happens as well as contingency plans when "life happens" to supervisors over said soldiers).

5) MFRs to gauge soldiers are put out due to high delegation and handling of sensitive supplies to lower ranked individuals when working with civilian employees and different branches so as to cover everyone's back due to past experiences in trauma hospitals in garrison (again, this is not uncommon practice...)

Work life balance is a case by case basis. Going from 11B and a cadre to an air assault program to switching specialties working with patients has its toll on the body and mind. This isn't something that needs to be explained or needing sympathy but is a fact. Most soldiers with longevity of service have trouble transitioning. Putting down or judging a soldier no matter how simple the task may have seemed is not a wise approach.

I write this to let others know that yes: For these and other reasons based on MOS jobs "Honorable Dishcarged" Veterans are great additions to any health field but need to plan accordingly when transitioning.

 

[olabrador23]

I was reading this thread, then a bunch of @Crynoglare 's posts disappeared. What happened?

 

[BC_89]

I was reading this thread, then a bunch of @Crynoglare 's posts disappeared. What happened?

He’s deleting his posts randomly

 

[whorobbedthewoods]

Getting a degree while in at a brick and mortar school is close to impossible.

That's why it's better to wait until you're out to finish your degree. It's okay if some of your classes are online/distance courses, but the majority of them (and definitely all of your prereqs) need to be traditional courses from a brick and mortar school. It's a hard requirement at many schools and a soft requirement (i.e. just consider it a requirement if you want your app to given serious consideration) at the rest. You won't be given leeway for your situation as a non-trad or as a veteran. I know it's frustrating, but it's the reality we all dealt with.

 

[MusicDOc124]

That's why it's better to wait until you're out to finish your degree. It's okay if some of your classes are online/distance courses, but the majority of them (and definitely all of your prereqs) need to be traditional courses from a brick and mortar school. It's a hard requirement at many schools and a soft requirement (i.e. just consider it a requirement if you want your app to given serious consideration) at the rest. You won't be given leeway for your situation as a non-trad or as a veteran. I know it's frustrating, but it's the reality we all dealt with.

^This.

Being a veteran only gives you the advantage when you are otherwise relatively equal to someone else. An online degree, or majority of classes online, especially pre-reqs in a way negates the advantage of being a veteran.

 

[68Whiskey]

That's ******ed. It's literally the same coursework online as it is in a brick and mortar setting. There are not substantial differences. Civilian **** makes less sense than the military.

 

[seanm028]

That's ******ed. It's literally the same coursework online as it is in a brick and mortar setting. There are not substantial differences.

I mean sure it's inconvenient, but there are perfectly legitimate reasons why. I don't care what anyone says, an online lab will never completely replicate an actual lab.

Civilian **** makes less sense than the military.

Be careful. Comments like these, even made in jest, are why a lot of people don't like dealing with veterans. And if you're serious (which I assume you aren't), then I could come up with a sizable list of crap that the military consistently can't get right, despite the civilian world figuring it out years ago.

 

[MusicDOc124]

That's ******ed. It's literally the same coursework online as it is in a brick and mortar setting. There are not substantial differences. Civilian **** makes less sense than the military.

I mean sure it's inconvenient, but there are perfectly legitimate reasons why. I don't care what anyone says, an online lab will never completely replicate an actual lab.

Yep. This. For instance, it’s quite easy to cheat on online courses as plenty of online course exams get screen shorted or copied/placed on quizlet and such. The rigor also just isn’t the same.

 

[HopefulPilot]

Don’t shoot the messenger. Just trying to give you some advice on the process. For what it’s worth, I did most of my prerequisites online and had no issue with getting acceptances.

If your degree is going to come from a school like Devry, AMU, UPhoenix, you are setting yourself up for failure. If you absolutely insist on doing an online degree, at least make sure it comes from a reputable school (one that is primarily brick and mortar).

 

[68Whiskey]

Was planning on going through SUNY, or Penn State. For the bachelor's degree

 

[john367]

From my understanding, if you were to take online classes from a brick and mortar school to fulfill pre-reqs, they won't necessarily be able to tell whether the classes were taken online or not. Maybe you wouldn't necessarily have hands-on experience and the conventional experience of working with professors in person, but it isn't like your degree will say "online degree program" under it or something.

 

[LPNtoMD]

Make sure your undergrad is from a brick and mortar school. Transitioning out of the military is tough. I found it more stressful than the actual med school stuff. Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions.

I am currently working as a LPN at Fort Gordon and I am Active Duty so Online is all I can do. Are my chances shot for being all online?

 

[Bonne Nuit]

I am currently working as a LPN at Fort Gordon and I am Active Duty so Online is all I can do. Are my chances shot for being all online?

At best, you're at a disadvantage by having all online prerequisites. Many medical schools do not accept any online prerequisites at all; others accept them in limited circumstances. You should purchase a subscription to the MSAR to see which MD schools accept online credits. For DO, you can check individual school admissions websites or call up the programs directly.