BOLC and med school interviews

[ngpremed]

Hello everyone. I will be commissioning as a ARNG officer in a few months, and I'm also applying for med schools this upcoming cycle. I am concerned about how BOLC may interfere with potential interviews. I don't have an exact date yet, but based on talking to my cadre I'll likely get a class that starts between September and November and finishes in early 2019.

Since I probably won't be able to take time off during BOLC to interview, would it be possible to get earlier interviews if I contact the schools I apply to? I definitely plan on finishing my secondaries as soon as possible, but I don't want to be in a situation where I'm receiving interview invites that I can't attend. Thanks.

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[deleted480308]

Hello everyone. I will be commissioning as a ARNG officer in a few months, and I'm also applying for med schools this upcoming cycle. I am concerned about how BOLC may interfere with potential interviews. I don't have an exact date yet, but based on talking to my cadre I'll likely get a class that starts between September and November and finishes in early 2019.

Since I probably won't be able to take time off during BOLC to interview, would it be possible to get earlier interviews if I contact the schools I apply to? I definitely plan on finishing my secondaries as soon as possible, but I don't want to be in a situation where I'm receiving interview invites that I can't attend. Thanks.

You may need the DCC course first, but really....don’t accept a BOLC during interview season. Just don’t do it

 

[ngpremed]

Sorry I should have clarified, I'm commissioning through ROTC. From talking to my state OSM, I'll get med student designation once I am accepted to a school, but until then I'll just be a regular officer. I may not have the option to continually delay BOLC, since my unit will want me branch qualified as early as possible.

 

[Helpful Troll]

You may need the DCC course first, but really....don’t accept a BOLC during interview season. Just don’t do it

ROTC wasn't apparent in the OP. DCC is not required for USMA or AROTC graduates. DCC is a precommissioning course and ROTC meets the criteria of Title 10.

For the OP - As sb247 indicated work with your state OSM and schedule BOLC outside the interview window. February to May works - either before the interview season or after. Try to schedule your interviews early or late but if you get an interview and the only available dates are during BOLC talk to your cadre. If you are truly a competitive candidate you should let your cadre know your situation when you arrive. What branch are you commissioning? Med Service? QM? OD? Hopefully it's a short BOLC.

 

[ngpremed]

ROTC wasn't apparent in the OP. DCC is not required for USMA or AROTC graduates. DCC is a precommissioning course and ROTC meets the criteria of Title 10.

For the OP - As sb247 indicated work with your state OSM and schedule BOLC outside the interview window. February to May works - either before the interview season or after. Try to schedule your interviews early or late but if you get an interview and the only available dates are during BOLC talk to your cadre. If you are truly a competitive candidate you should let your cadre know your situation when you arrive. What branch are you commissioning? Med Service? QM? OD? Hopefully it's a short BOLC.

Thanks for the reply. I'll try talking to my OSM, but I don't think they'll be too happy if I request a February date. Right now they want me to start BOLC by the end of the year, so I'm trying to get a November or December class. I feel like I'm fairly competitive with a 3.8/519. I'm kind of counting on my interviews being mostly October or earlier, but I realize that's in no way guaranteed. Based on talking to some friends who are currently at BOLC, they told me I'd only be allowed to miss a certain amount of training hours (24 or 48 hours I think?) before I'd have to be recycled.

Would it be reasonable to contact the schools I am applying for and explain my situation in hopes of them giving me an interview before I start BOLC? I would feel kind of bad about jumping the line, but I don't want to severely reduce my chances of admissions by waiting until 2019.

 

[deleted480308]

You shouldn’t have to do bolc before med school (between ms1-2 would actually be better). Are you doing the 4wk bolc with the 80hr death by power point first or the full on 2-3month bolc?

 

[deleted480308]

You shouldn’t have to do bolc before med school (between ms1-2 would actually be better). Are you doing the 4wk bolc with the 80hr death by power point first or the full on 2-3month bolc?

Never mind, I’m talking about amedd bolc and just realized they are making you go through the full process for another aoc

 

[ngpremed]

Never mind, I’m talking about amedd bolc and just realized they are making you go through the full process for another aoc

Yep, full BOLC for another branch. Once I get accepted and placed on medical student status, I'll have to go through AMEDD BOLC again. That'll probably end up being between MS1-2 unless I can get a slot the summer right before matriculating.

 

[deleted480308]

Yep, full BOLC for another branch. Once I get accepted and placed on medical student status, I'll have to go through AMEDD BOLC again. That'll probably end up being between MS1-2 unless I can get a slot the summer right before matriculating.

Reserve amedd bolc requires that big online portion first so you’ll have to move quick when the time comes....good luck with everything

 

[Helpful Troll]

Yep, full BOLC for another branch. Once I get accepted and placed on medical student status, I'll have to go through AMEDD BOLC again. That'll probably end up being between MS1-2 unless I can get a slot the summer right before matriculating.

Start with AR350-1 and AR351-3 on the APD website and follow the reference documents... You should not have to attend AMEDD BOLC if you completed another BOLC. They may encourage you to attend but the regulations are clear if you have attended any BOLC you do not have to attend AMEDD BOLC. It's similar to the Branch Detail program out of ROTC.

 

[deleted480308]

Start with AR350-1 and AR351-3 on the APD website and follow the reference documents... You should not have to attend AMEDD BOLC if you completed another BOLC. They may encourage you to attend but the regulations are clear if you have attended any BOLC you do not have to attend AMEDD BOLC. It's similar to the Branch Detail program out of ROTC.

That is definitely not the instruction coming out of my local unit... I hope you are right

 

[ngpremed]

Start with AR350-1 and AR351-3 on the APD website and follow the reference documents... You should not have to attend AMEDD BOLC if you completed another BOLC. They may encourage you to attend but the regulations are clear if you have attended any BOLC you do not have to attend AMEDD BOLC. It's similar to the Branch Detail program out of ROTC.

I was told that I would have to go to AMEDD BOLC even if I had already attended another one, but I'll check those regs out. Thanks for the info, I hope you're right too.

 

[Helpful Troll]

That is definitely not the instruction coming out of my local unit... I hope you are right

AR350-1 Table H3 Page 206. Constructive or Equivalent Credit: "Prior attendance at non-MEDCOM OBC or at least 1 year of MEDCOM AFCS in a capacity other than first year graduate medical education" I have a document on an external hard drive I will find later with more references and OBC/BOLC training to document.

sb247 What BOLC did you attend?

Edit for more reference: AR140-10 paragraph 7-5. "Officer Basic Course - (b) Within 36 months of direct appointment, except for STRAP participants (AR 135–7, chap 11) who must complete the basic officer course within 36 months after completion of their specialized training. This rule does not apply if the officer was granted equivalent credit for the basic course at the time appointed."