College, military,then med school?

[jl2012]

Hello doctors, I am writing to ask if after college if it would be a plausible idea to join the military to 4-5 years active and then go to medical school. I am just a high school junior right now, have a 4.0, and was planning on graduating and going to college and med school if accepted like my mother and grandfather did but I cannot shake the desire to join the military. I cannot enlist after high school for medical reasons but i should be eligble by the end of college. I'm not talking about joining as a doctor in the military. I'm deciding between becoming an officer or enlisting as medic (I'm thinking about being a Marine Corps officer or if I really want to go all the way, I may try to become a Special Forces medic but that's probably just a dream). I'm not doing it for money or anything, I want to join the military because of service to country and reasons I can't explain, it's just that I do. I don't want to give up on either of these dreams no matter how hard they are to accomplish. Also, would having been in the military look good to medical schools even after being out of college for a few years and what would they think if I was in combat? I also have not discussed my desire to join the military with my parents which is the main reason I am searching for advice here. They think I just want to be a doctor but being in the service is a big dream of mine.

All advice and opinions are appreciated. Thank you.

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[NavyFP]

Hello doctors, I am writing to ask if after college if it would be a plausible idea to join the military to 4-5 years active and then go to medical school. I am just a high school junior right now, have a 4.0, and was planning on graduating and going to college and med school if accepted like my mother and grandfather did but I cannot shake the desire to join the military. I cannot enlist after high school for medical reasons but i should be eligble by the end of college. I'm not talking about joining as a doctor in the military. I'm deciding between becoming an officer or enlisting as medic (I'm thinking about being a Marine Corps officer or if I really want to go all the way, I may try to become a Special Forces medic but that's probably just a dream). I'm not doing it for money or anything, I want to join the military because of service to country and reasons I can't explain, it's just that I do. I don't want to give up on either of these dreams no matter how hard they are to accomplish. Also, would having been in the military look good to medical schools even after being out of college for a few years and what would they think if I was in combat? I also have not discussed my desire to join the military with my parents which is the main reason I am searching for advice here. They think I just want to be a doctor but being in the service is a big dream of mine.

All advice and opinions are appreciated. Thank you.

For now...Go to college and revisit this in 4 years. Too much can change between now and then. If you have a medical issue now, that might still prevent you from entering the service in the future. Just focus on the immediate future and do your best in college.

 

[DeadCactus]

Yes, it's possible. There are many pros and cons, a large proportion of which will depend on your own personal desires and goals.

The biggest issue to keep in mind is that your pre-req courses and MCAT scores essentially expire after a certain amount of time. You'll have to find out what those time limits are and how to work around them.

For now, just do the best you can in school and work-out on a regular basis. Worrying about earning a high GPA and a low 3-mile run time will serve you much better than worrying about what you want to do four years from now...

 

[colbgw02]

I know many, many people who have done exactly what you're describing. Medical schools recognize the benefits of "non-traditional" students, so you shouldn't feel that 4-5 years in the military will put you behind the eight ball. Consider ROTC. Depending on your medical condition, grades, etc., you may not qualify for a scholarship, but you'll be commissioned upon graduation from college.

 

[Apollyon]

My cousin was a hard science major in college, then went into the USMC as an officer for 5 years. While an officer, he met the woman he would marry. He took his prerequisites while he was a motor pool officer, near the end of his payback time, and he and the woman both applied to the same med schools, and both got into 3 in common (each also had a few into which they got, but not both of them). She was not military.

He finished his obligation, went to med school, did residency, then signed up as a US Army doctor (reserve). That's another story.

 

[Barcu]

Hello doctors, I am writing to ask if after college if it would be a plausible idea to join the military to 4-5 years active and then go to medical school. I am just a high school junior right now, have a 4.0, and was planning on graduating and going to college and med school if accepted like my mother and grandfather did but I cannot shake the desire to join the military. I cannot enlist after high school for medical reasons but i should be eligble by the end of college. I'm not talking about joining as a doctor in the military. I'm deciding between becoming an officer or enlisting as medic (I'm thinking about being a Marine Corps officer or if I really want to go all the way, I may try to become a Special Forces medic but that's probably just a dream). I'm not doing it for money or anything, I want to join the military because of service to country and reasons I can't explain, it's just that I do. I don't want to give up on either of these dreams no matter how hard they are to accomplish. Also, would having been in the military look good to medical schools even after being out of college for a few years and what would they think if I was in combat? I also have not discussed my desire to join the military with my parents which is the main reason I am searching for advice here. They think I just want to be a doctor but being in the service is a big dream of mine.

All advice and opinions are appreciated. Thank you.

It is becoming very common to take off time between college and med school these days (for example at my state med school, only 20% of the incoming class last year was straight out of college). Taking off time is something med schools like, and the military is a good way to spend those years. You should have no problems coming back with a strong app.

As someone else mentioned, look into ROTC. You may be able to get some money.

And now talk to your parents about it. My parents originally did not like the idea of me taking time off (and it was only one year), but we realized quickly into the app cycle how much of a benefit that was.

But be flexible, you still have a couple years until college and then four more after that to make this decision. If med school is your ultimate goal, you may realize taking off all that time is not a good idea. Most non-trads don't choose to take all that time off, they realize later in life they want to pursue medicine. Don't commit yourself until you are ready and be aware that your goals may change. Mine sure did.

 

[Nirv]

It's common for people to start med school after few years. the ave age of my starting med school class was 25. if you join the military first, make sure you have a 4 year commitment and not greater. it is more challenging to go back to school after a few years of not studying, but you have to want it. i would join the military as an officer. i really recommend joining as an officer. good luck.

 

[jl2012]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I do have a question why everyone is saying to become an officer? I probably will try to be an officer anyway unless I try to be a special forces medic but i don't know yet. Also is their any kind of money I can get for medical school after I leave the service?

 

[SFGuy2011]

I had already graduated college before I enlisted to try the Special Forces pipeline, and I didn't know that I wanted to be a physician until after I had been an SF Medic for awhile. DeadCactus gives some good advice, and I'd recommend that you go to college, do extremely well, and see if you still want to be a doctor - or even join the military four years from now. A lot can change in four years, and you may have no interest in any of this at that point.

That being said, becoming an SF Medic has been a great experience for me. Not every admissions representative will look favorably on military experience, and such is life. Those are things that are beyond your control anyway. However, I've been very fortunate that I've had some good people take an interest in my application because of my experiences - some combat related, some not. If you still want to do SF after you graduate college, and you're physically healthy and able to do it - then by all means go for it.

 

[dawgbone]

I do have a question why everyone is saying to become an officer?

Several reasons. Increased leadership opportunities -- I'm responsible for over 100 Marines, and I'm only 3 years removed from college. Better pay -- I live much more comfortably than enlisted Marines with the same time in service. More responsibilities. More autonomy. Less bullsh*t to deal with. And at the end of the day, when I'm knee deep in frustration with the bureaucracy that is the military, I can remind myself that the reason I'm doing this is to serve and take care of my Marines.

Also is their any kind of money I can get for medical school after I leave the service?

Tons of it. Veterans have all public in-state school paid for (to include med school), and $17,500/year for private and out-of-state tuition. Also, some schools participate in the Yellow Ribbon program, which throws even more money at the cost of med school. Go here for more info: http://www.gibill.va.gov/benefits/post_911_gibill/index.html

 

[Mirror Form]

I am just a high school junior right now

So you're 16 or 17 y/o? Keep in mind that if you do what you're planning, you'll be in a very long training pipeline for the next 18 years. So while what you're considering is definitely quite doable, do you really think you are ready to make that kind of a decision?

If I were you, I'd keep my options open. Do ROTC in college but DO NOT TAKE ANY MONEY. Once you do, they'll own you. Do pre-med too, but make sure that's really what you want to do as well. Medicine is NOT the same field today as it was when your grandfather and mother went into it.

 

[The Buff OP]

My cousin was a hard science major in college, then went into the USMC as an officer for 5 years. While an officer, he met the woman he would marry. He took his prerequisites while he was a motor pool officer, near the end of his payback time, and he and the woman both applied to the same med schools, and both got into 3 in common (each also had a few into which they got, but not both of them). She was not military.

He finished his obligation, went to med school, did residency, then signed up as a US Army doctor (reserve). That's another story.

Just searched a similar topic about this and found this thread. How old were they when they took their pre-reqs and applied?

I can't seem to get rid of the idea of being in the military one day and I'm thinking of doing AF OTS and go for Combat Rescue Officer since my current background is in EMS and I watched the National Geographic documentary about the PJ's, so that caught my interest. I'm in my early 20s at the moment and I still have to get my bachelor's degree. I'll probably finally get my bachelor's in my late 20s and I would like to do the officer thing, then apply to medical school. However, I don't want to be super old when I apply to medical school (super old for me is late 30s). Is it worth it?

 

[Perrotfish]

t

I can't seem to get rid of the idea of being in the military one day and I'm thinking of doing AF OTS and go for Combat Rescue Officer since my current background is in EMS and I watched the National Geographic documentary about the PJ's, so that caught my interest. I'm in my early 20s at the moment and I still have to get my bachelor's degree. I'll probably finally get my bachelor's in my late 20s and I would like to do the officer thing, then apply to medical school. However, I don't want to be super old when I apply to medical school (super old for me is late 30s). Is it worth it?

Is it worth it? Tons of variables there. You're looking a years of separation, either geographic (military training, deployments) or practical (Step 1, MS3, residency, field ops), from everyone you care about, so your personal obligations would impact how much its worth it to you. That includes personal obligations you don't yet know you're going to develop, like your future spouse and kids. There are a lot of opportunities for this plan to go wrong professionally too. There is no such thing as a Combat Rescue Officer contract: you go to OTS and then hope they let you do what you want. You could end up a supply officer for 4 years. Ditto medical school: maybe you think its worth it because you want to be a neurosurgeon, but you could only have the scores for Family, which isn't your thing. There are no clear answers.

However a better question is: will you do this? I would bet that you won't. You're in your 20s and you haven't gotten a college degree yet. You're so far from even managing that milestone that you're planning to get it in your late 20s, which likely means you're starting from scratch. You also don't even think its possible to get a degree in 4 years (you're in your early 20s and can't get it until your late 20s, which I take to mean you're planning on 5+ years to the degree). That means you either think you're a slow learner or you're juggling other obligations. Now you want to succeed at three separate training pathways (military line officer, medical school, and Special Forces), each of which take multiple years to complete and which rejects or washes out the vast majority of its incredibly single minded, college educated applicants.

Believe me, I get it. You can still find the thread where I asked about a lateral transfer from the Navy medical corps to the astronaut corps. But right now a residency in General Pediatrics is kicking my ass, and looking back the whole space doctor thread seems kind of presumptuous.

I think you could be a doctor. Or get into the SF. Or become a line officer. I think its unlikely that you will be an SF-Line Officer-Doctor.

 

[The Buff OP]

t

Is it worth it? Tons of variables there. You're looking a years of separation, either geographic (military training, deployments) or practical (Step 1, MS3, residency, field ops), from everyone you care about, so your personal obligations would impact how much its worth it to you. That includes personal obligations you don't yet know you're going to develop, like your future spouse and kids. There are a lot of opportunities for this plan to go wrong professionally too. There is no such thing as a Combat Rescue Officer contract: you go to OTS and then hope they let you do what you want. You could end up a supply officer for 4 years. Ditto medical school: maybe you think its worth it because you want to be a neurosurgeon, but you could only have the scores for Family, which isn't your thing. There are no clear answers.

However a better question is: will you do this? I would bet that you won't. You're in your 20s and you haven't gotten a college degree yet. You're so far from even managing that milestone that you're planning to get it in your late 20s, which likely means you're starting from scratch. You also don't even think its possible to get a degree in 4 years (you're in your early 20s and can't get it until your late 20s, which I take to mean you're planning on 5+ years to the degree). That means you either think you're a slow learner or you're juggling other obligations. Now you want to succeed at three separate training pathways (military line officer, medical school, and Special Forces), each of which take multiple years to complete and which rejects or washes out the vast majority of its incredibly single minded, college educated applicants.

Believe me, I get it. You can still find the thread where I asked about a lateral transfer from the Navy medical corps to the astronaut corps. But right now a residency in General Pediatrics is kicking my ass, and looking back the whole space doctor thread seems kind of presumptuous.

I think you could be a doctor. Or get into the SF. Or become a line officer. I think its unlikely that you will be an SF-Line Officer-Doctor.

Hehehe. That's quite a response you got there.

You are right, I am starting from scratch and it sucks balls, man. I come from a disadvantaged background and college was never on my mind, I started college late. When I first entered college, I was the procrastinator master and ended up with low grades in my classes, now I am more mature and my grades are looking better. I don't believe I can get a bachelor's in 4 years, I am going to have to take extra classes to get my medical school pre-reqs done.

I liked the COR job because of my interest in medicine, not because it is SF (just wanted to point that out). You learn all this rescue stuff, weapons, and combat paramedic stuff. I know it takes about 2 years to study for that. Does that count towards the 4 year contract or it starts once you are out there? TBH, I wouldn't mind sticking with that and not go to medical school.

Here is the deal breaker...I might get my thryroid gland removed. So that means the military won't take me in or can I get a waiver?

Also, does the military turn everyone into a-holes? It seems like every time I post here it gets bashed.

 

[idq1i]

Also, does the military turn everyone into a-holes? It seems like every time I post here it gets bashed.

Because no one takes your posts seriously. Get into a b&m college, get a decent GPA, carefully consider a medical career, and come back to post when you are a little further along in the process.

You claim a """disadvantage""" but also admit to being a lazya$$. Pick one.

 

[HighPriest]

Don't listen to these guys. Your intuition is right, they're not trying to help you they just hang around this forum due to a pathologic need to crush dreams like a combination of Joseph Stalin and Simon Cowell. A whole lot of SF guys and physicians are laid back, "type B" personalities. There's no reason to think that you can't take a class here and there and get your medical degree at your own pace. Once you get into the AF, you can take PJ night courses while treating patients during the day. It's like community college, but less strenuous. Then you can serve your country by leading a small team of operatives into Tehran, where you can tattoo a penis on the Ayatollah's face to force an uprising while simultaneously distributing contraception pamphlets to the people of Iran by disguising them as paper cranes. That's the kind of missions special forces-trained urogynocologists get, after all. It might be hard to do part time before your late 30's though, it might take until 41.

 

[Perrotfish]

Hehehe. That's quite a response you got there.

You are right, I am starting from scratch and it sucks balls, man. I come from a disadvantaged background and college was never on my mind, I started college late. When I first entered college, I was the procrastinator master and ended up with low grades in my classes, now I am more mature and my grades are looking better. I don't believe I can get a bachelor's in 4 years, I am going to have to take extra classes to get my medical school pre-reqs done.

I liked the COR job because of my interest in medicine, not because it is SF (just wanted to point that out). You learn all this rescue stuff, weapons, and combat paramedic stuff. I know it takes about 2 years to study for that. Does that count towards the 4 year contract or it starts once you are out there? TBH, I wouldn't mind sticking with that and not go to medical school.

Here is the deal breaker...I might get my thryroid gland removed. So that means the military won't take me in or can I get a waiver?

Also, does the military turn everyone into a-holes? It seems like every time I post here it gets bashed.

I honestly can't tell if I'm being trolled at this point. You 'wouldn't mind sticking with' a position in the special forces? And not just any position, but a position as an officer? You're also seriously asking if the special forces will mind that you're going to be two missed thyroxine doses away from dying? You think you can pass the SF training that washes out more than 90% of military applicants and a medical school curriculum that is beyond more than 90% of college grads, but finishing a civilian college degree in 4 years isn't even worth discussing?

Good luck. I really do hope one of these proposed career paths works out for you

 

[The Buff OP]

Because no one takes your posts seriously. Get into a b&m college, get a decent GPA, carefully consider a medical career, and come back to post when you are a little further along in the process.

You claim a """disadvantage""" but also admit to being a lazya$$. Pick one.

Woah, dude you are sure a rude mofo! How I'm a lazy ass? Do you know where I come from or anything about me, my current situation? I don't know what you are trying to call me here. My questions have been simple stuff and not advanced **** like applying for HPSP. Just look at my record.

 

[The Buff OP]

I honestly can't tell if I'm being trolled at this point. You 'wouldn't mind sticking with' a position in the special forces? And not just any position, but a position as an officer? You're also seriously asking if the special forces will mind that you're going to be two missed thyroxine doses away from dying? You think you can pass the SF training that washes out more than 90% of military applicants and a medical school curriculum that is beyond more than 90% of college grads, but finishing a civilian college degree in 4 years isn't even worth discussing?

Good luck. I really do hope one of these proposed career paths works out for you

I guess I am asking in the wrong forums, you guys are military medicine guys. You are not getting trolled, man. You guys have live through this and know the real deal, I'm just a guy with some thoughts in my head, I'm pretty sure y'all can keep your cool and just answer my questions in a helpful manner. I'm not going to post my dark background I had growing up on here, but just know that life has not been easy and it sure is f*cking a miracle that I'm still here alive and kicking it.

I seriously don't know what makes me sound like a puss* that you think I can't go through their training, **** even I don't know If I can, but I can try. I know 90% of guys get wiped off at indoctrination. It seems like you guys can't let a guy have a dream and try to make it a reality. Have you guys been surrounded by betas that makes you think this way? Can I really get my bachelor's in 4 years, that would be cool?

BTW your avatar looks like it would be a pic of Emmet Brown from Back to the future.

 

[Member 1337]

I can't seem to get rid of the idea of being in the military one day and I'm thinking of doing AF OTS and go for Combat Rescue Officer since my current background is in EMS and I watched the National Geographic documentary about the PJ's, so that caught my interest. I'm in my early 20s at the moment and I still have to get my bachelor's degree. I'll probably finally get my bachelor's in my late 20s and I would like to do the officer thing, then apply to medical school. However, I don't want to be super old when I apply to medical school (super old for me is late 30s). Is it worth it?

I guess I am asking in the wrong forums, you guys are military medicine guys. You are not getting trolled, man. You guys have live through this and know the real deal, I'm just a guy with some thoughts in my head, I'm pretty sure y'all can keep your cool and just answer my questions in a helpful manner. I'm not going to post my dark background I had growing up on here, but just know that life has not been easy and it sure is f*cking a miracle that I'm still here alive and kicking it.

OP - Your question is analogous to this:

I saw a kickass show on TV that was like people doing crazy stuff and now I know what I want to be when I grow up! I want to be an astronaut and Rambo and a giraffe. I want to be an astronaut first, then maybe learn about giraffe stuff, but I don't want to be too old by the time I learn to giraffe. Is it worth it?

If you can ask more precise questions - for example, what is the career path of a PJ like on the TV show? That looked really cool but I have no idea what the career path is like, can someone throw me a bone? Well... golly, maybe I should Google that first and then come back and ask the military medicine guys so it doesn't look like value their time less than I do a 5 minute Google search.

We are happy to help out, but learning to giraffe takes a long time and the first steps involve learning how to exercise good critical judgment in your thought process and questions.

 

[Clap MD]

I don't think he went full-troll here, a lot of us might have sounded as gung-ho and naive as he does when we were high school juniors. Nothing bad about that, just a lot to learn.

To the OP, no one is trying to give you a hard time here. That said, if this kind of dialogue gets you agitated, might want to rethink military? You'll be hearing a lot more "constructive" and "directive" communication if you go that road.

Your dream is a cool one. You might find something you think is even more cool once you get to college. Like above posters have said, get good grades and control what you can at this and the next stage of your education.

 

[The Buff OP]

Don't listen to these guys. Your intuition is right, they're not trying to help you they just hang around this forum due to a pathologic need to crush dreams like a combination of Joseph Stalin and Simon Cowell. A whole lot of SF guys and physicians are laid back, "type B" personalities. There's no reason to think that you can't take a class here and there and get your medical degree at your own pace. Once you get into the AF, you can take PJ night courses while treating patients during the day. It's like community college, but less strenuous. Then you can serve your country by leading a small team of operatives into Tehran, where you can tattoo a penis on the Ayatollah's face to force an uprising while simultaneously distributing contraception pamphlets to the people of Iran by disguising them as paper cranes. That's the kind of missions special forces-trained urogynocologists get, after all. It might be hard to do part time before your late 30's though, it might take until 41.

I'll keep that in mind.

 

[The Buff OP]

OP - Your question is analogous to this:

I saw a kickass show on TV that was like people doing crazy stuff and now I know what I want to be when I grow up! I want to be an astronaut and Rambo and a giraffe. I want to be an astronaut first, then maybe learn about giraffe stuff, but I don't want to be too old by the time I learn to giraffe. Is it worth it?

If you can ask more precise questions - for example, what is the career path of a PJ like on the TV show? That looked really cool but I have no idea what the career path is like, can someone throw me a bone? Well... golly, maybe I should Google that first and then come back and ask the military medicine guys so it doesn't look like value their time less than I do a 5 minute Google search.

We are happy to help out, but learning to giraffe takes a long time and the first steps involve learning how to exercise good critical judgment in your thought process and questions.

Hahaha, I know it seems like that, but who hasn't watch something cool and said, "Here hold my beer"? Here's a little background about me having to do with dreams of the military.

1. I was 19 and I was a troublemaker, then I thought about joining the marine corps, but my uncles who were in the marines ass chewed me to go to college first.
2. I'm in college don't know what to do, all I know is I want a career that helps people, cancer strikes in the family again, then from there I spent days in the hospital with my little cousin and discovered the world of medicine.
3. I get into the EMS field.
4. Think about becoming a military doctor and serving my country and help wounded brothers and sisters. Then I thought about it more and I wasn't worth being a doc in military for me.
5. I have missed a lot of college semesters because of financial reasons, then I think about joining the reserves as enlisted to help me pay for college and squeeze in the military experience I always wanted. Dudes here say it is not a good idea. I turn 24 this year so I will be considered independent and I will finally receive money from financial aid, problem solved.
6. Current status: I start thinking if I should still try to join the military, but as an officer. I start thinking what would be a good branch to join and what job would I love to do. Later on, I see these videos on YT about the PJ's and I didn't know they were special forces until I read more about them. Went to AF website and read some info online and QA from a AF CRO. What got my attention is the job they do, try to save lives, the thing I do when I go on my volly EMS shifts.
7. What is life?

So anyways, brah. I thought maybe it was possible to get that dream fulfill and comeback later (do a postbac and take MCAT) if I still wanted to and apply to medical school. It's either or at this point I guess. The major I chose is about 120 college hours and I would have to take about 27 hours more of classes to fulfill the medical school pre-reqs, so no **** I won't finish my degree in 4 years. I did do my research about OTS process and then the length of COR training and what tother stuff they do that was not put it in the show. That's why I didn't ask about those things. Sorry if my grammar is all over the plac3.

 

[The Buff OP]

I don't think he went full-troll here, a lot of us might have sounded as gung-ho and naive as he does when we were high school juniors. Nothing bad about that, just a lot to learn.

To the OP, no one is trying to give you a hard time here. That said, if this kind of dialogue gets you agitated, might want to rethink military? You'll be hearing a lot more "constructive" and "directive" communication if you go that road.

Your dream is a cool one. You might find something you think is even more cool once you get to college. Like above posters have said, get good grades and control what you can at this and the next stage of your education.

Hey bud, I'm not in HS anymore, I graduated in 2009. =p **** do I sound like a whiny high schooler? My bad. Hahaha. The only comment that pissed me off was that one guy's comment (calling me lazyass and that I didn't come from a disadvantage background). I can take constructive criticism when I know it is being said to help me, not to offend me.

 

[Clap MD]

Hey bud, I'm not in HS anymore, I graduated in 2009. =p **** do I sound like a whiny high schooler? My bad. Hahaha. The only comment that pissed me off was that one guy's comment (calling me lazyass and that I didn't come from a disadvantage background). I can take constructive criticism when I know it is being said to help me, not to offend me.

Ah my bad man. I got you mixed up with the guy who started the thread. Which I now see is from a loooong time ago.

 

[pgg]

Lots of paths you can take.

For someone who's already older and off the traditional path (HS-college-med school), life doesn't leave a lot of room for extra detours before zeroing in on the stuff you need to do to be a doctor.

Want to be a doctor someday? Here's the answer: fix whatever part of your application that needs work, get it done at a brick and mortar school, go to medical school.


Also - harsh as it may be, no one will care about your disadvantaged background, so put that card away. There comes a point in the path through premed work and medical school where your extracurriculars and history and excuses and explanations for not excelling just don't matter. Either you can do the work or you can't. Either you did the work or you didn't.

Success from a disadvantaged start is maybe (maybe) something to chat about in interviews. Failure from a disadvantaged start is a common story that doesn't get chatted about at interviews, because those people don't get offered pity interviews.


So, want to be a doctor? Quit failing, and get it done. There's no trick.


Want to join the military? Lots of paths that way are open to you. But be aware, joining the military to serve in the line will NOT make it easier to become a doctor. It is exceedingly difficult, even for great students, to get the prereqs done well enough at reputable institutions while on active duty. Your unit may have zero interest in your outside education and you may have zero time for it anyway.

 

[The Buff OP]

Ah my bad man. I got you mixed up with the guy who started the thread. Which I now see is from a loooong time ago.

Yeah, lol. I tend to squeeze into threads that have a similar question I have.

 

[The Buff OP]

Lots of paths you can take.

For someone who's already older and off the traditional path (HS-college-med school), life doesn't leave a lot of room for extra detours before zeroing in on the stuff you need to do to be a doctor.

Want to be a doctor someday? Here's the answer: fix whatever part of your application that needs work, get it done at a brick and mortar school, go to medical school.


Also - harsh as it may be, no one will care about your disadvantaged background, so put that card away. There comes a point in the path through premed work and medical school where your extracurriculars and history and excuses and explanations for not excelling just don't matter. Either you can do the work or you can't. Either you did the work or you didn't.

Success from a disadvantaged start is maybe (maybe) something to chat about in interviews. Failure from a disadvantaged start is a common story that doesn't get chatted about at interviews, because those people don't get offered pity interviews.


So, want to be a doctor? Quit failing, and get it done. There's no trick.


Want to join the military? Lots of paths that way are open to you. But be aware, joining the military to serve in the line will NOT make it easier to become a doctor. It is exceedingly difficult, even for great students, to get the prereqs done well enough at reputable institutions while on active duty. Your unit may have zero interest in your outside education and you may have zero time for it anyway.

Thank you. Gonna PM you real quick since you are moderator, and I can trust you with other info.

 

[Perrotfish]

I seriously don't know what makes me sound like a puss* that you think I can't go through their training, **** even I don't know If I can, but I can try. I know 90% of guys get wiped off at indoctrination. It seems like you guys can't let a guy have a dream and try to make it a reality.

I will add a few more pieces of advice:

1) If you want to be taken seriously, stop talking like an 18 year old PFC (Brah, beta, puss*, wiped off, etc).

2) Something you said think I think comes off very badly is the conceit that you are going to be a special forces OFFICER. You looked at the PJs, a handful of individuals who completed the most rigorous training offered by their branch of service. Warrior-athletes who have accomplished something that is rarer, and arguably more difficult, than securing a spot in the NFL draft. 98% of people who seriously consider that job never submit a packet, most packets don't go through, and 90% of those few individuals selected to begin training don't finish. And you looked at that community and thought 'I should be in charge of them'.

Can you see how that might come off as presumptuous? At least until you have successfully finished a semester or two of college?

3) I agree with everything PGG said. You are not too late for medical school but your are too late to put off medical school any more. If you decide the military line is more your thing, then plan on making that your career.

4) Consider a degree where the pre-reqs overlap at least somewhat with your major. If you need 27 credits on top of your major to get the prereqs I assume that means you are majoring in something with no science requirements or even electives (Classics? English?). Why not chemistry/BME/nursing? Or at least something that has more electives?

 

[The Buff OP]

I will add a few more pieces of advice:

1) If you want to be taken seriously, stop talking like an 18 year old PFC (Brah, beta, puss*, wiped off, etc).

2) Something you said think I think comes off very badly is the conceit that you are going to be a special forces OFFICER. You looked at the PJs, a handful of individuals who completed the most rigorous training offered by their branch of service. Warrior-athletes who have accomplished something that is rarer, and arguably more difficult, than securing a spot in the NFL draft. 98% of people who seriously consider that job never submit a packet, most packets don't go through, and 90% of those few individuals selected to begin training don't finish. And you looked at that community and thought 'I should be in charge of them'.

Can you see how that might come off as presumptuous? At least until you have successfully finished a semester or two of college?

3) I agree with everything PGG said. You are not too late for medical school but your are too late to put off medical school any more. If you decide the military line is more your thing, then plan on making that your career.

4) Consider a degree where the pre-reqs overlap at least somewhat with your major. If you need 27 credits on top of your major to get the prereqs I assume that means you are majoring in something with no science requirements or even electives (Classics? English?). Why not chemistry/BME/nursing? Or at least something that has more electives?

Don't worry about, man. You don't have to think that I'm trying to play GI Joe and trying to be a badass with the SF officer thing. You talk about all this rigorous training, do you doubt yourself that you can't do it? I don't, if I ever do end up doing that and if reality slaps me in the face when I'm there, then I can choose to drop out. Someone has to really want it and pass it, right?

Dang, low blow there, man. I did mention that I am more mature now and I'm doing a lot better in school now. I have to or else I can kiss goodbye to medical school.

I'm going with healthcare administration (it has law, health, and business classes). I would do public health, however it's not a good fallback degree. I told Pgg in a PM that if I didn't go to medical that I would like to work my way up to become a CEO of a hospital one day (do an MBA or MHA). So lets say... College -> OTS (get my military experience fulfill) -> after my service graduate school with the help from the military. Or I'm I wrong on that one too?

 

[idq1i]

I started college late. When I first entered college, I was the procrastinator master and ended up with low grades in my classes, now

Woah, dude you are sure a rude mofo! How I'm a lazy ass?

enjoy

 

[Perrotfish]

I'm going with healthcare administration (it has law, health, and business classes). I would do public health, however it's not a good fallback degree. I told Pgg in a PM that if I didn't go to medical that I would like to work my way up to become a CEO of a hospital one day (do an MBA or MHA). So lets say... College -> OTS (get my military experience fulfill) -> after my service graduate school with the help from the military. Or I'm I wrong on that one too?

CEO is yet another job that people don't work their way up after a late military adventure followed by a mid 30s career switch. Its the end of a career path for people that don't make mistakes and don't have other careers. Pick one goal. One.

College +EMS -> PA or nursing school is a reasonable career path

College -> OTS/ODS -> officer is also a viable path (and the one where you might not get completely dismissed because of your surfer/bro speak)

College -> health care administration -> MPH/MBA/MHA -> more senior Health care administration is possibility

College -> MPH/MBA/MHA -> ODS -> Medical service crops -> military hospital administrator -> civilian hospital administrator is an alternative that involves a uniform and still being a health care administrator

Enlist -> Medic -> Air rescue packet -> SF training -> PJ can be done

College Premed -> Medical school -> residency -> Doctor is, finally, still open to you.

However College -> OTS -> PJ training -> Special forces officer -> medical school -> residency -> MHA -> Doctor/CEO is not a viable path. Its delusional and stupid

Don't worry about, man. You don't have to think that I'm trying to play GI Joe and trying to be a badass with the SF officer thing. You talk about all this rigorous training, do you doubt yourself that you can't do it?

Yes, I 100% doubt I could make it through that training. Its necessary to understand your limitations. First so you don't waste years chasing dreams that aren't going to happen (I will never be a linebacker, no matter how much I want it). But also so that you can begin to figure out how to overcome those limitations, and what it will cost you to overcome them. If my one hope and dream was to be a PJ I think there might be some way I could manage it, just like you probably could. But it would invole me completed tearing down and rebuilding my habits, my personality, and my body. If it was my one and only dream and what I wanted for the rest of my life would I do that? Maybe. If it was something I saw a TV show about and got kind of excited about doing for a couple of years before I went back to school for something else? I would put that idea out of my head.

 

[The Buff OP]

CEO is yet another job that people don't work their way up after a late military adventure followed by a mid 30s career switch. Its the end of a career path for people that don't make mistakes and don't have other careers. Pick one goal. One.

College +EMS -> PA or nursing school is a reasonable career path

College -> OTS/ODS -> officer is also a viable path (and the one where you might not get completely dismissed because of your surfer/bro speak)

College -> health care administration -> MPH/MBA/MHA -> more senior Health care administration is possibility

College -> MPH/MBA/MHA -> ODS -> Medical service crops -> military hospital administrator -> civilian hospital administrator is an alternative that involves a uniform and still being a health care administrator

Enlist -> Medic -> Air rescue packet -> SF training -> PJ can be done

College Premed -> Medical school -> residency -> Doctor is, finally, still open to you.

However College -> OTS -> PJ training -> Special forces officer -> medical school -> residency -> MHA -> Doctor/CEO is not a viable path. Its delusional and stupid



Yes, I 100% doubt I could make it through that training. Its necessary to understand your limitations. First so you don't waste years chasing dreams that aren't going to happen (I will never be a linebacker, no matter how much I want it). But also so that you can begin to figure out how to overcome those limitations, and what it will cost you to overcome them. If my one hope and dream was to be a PJ I think there might be some way I could manage it, just like you probably could. But it would invole me completed tearing down and rebuilding my habits, my personality, and my body. If it was my one and only dream and what I wanted for the rest of my life would I do that? Maybe. If it was something I saw a TV show about and got kind of excited about doing for a couple of years before I went back to school for something else? I would put that idea out of my head.

Hahaha. Thanks, man. I appreciate your input, it does sound delusional. What is ODS?

 

[Perrotfish]

Hahaha. Thanks, man. I appreciate your input, it does sound delusional. What is ODS?

Officer development school (The AF and Army both have another name for it), the 6 week school that doctors/nurses/lawyers/medical administrators/chaplains go to instead of Officer Candidate school

BTW just to be clear I am really not saying anything about your abilities here. I have no reason to believe you couldn't accomplish any of the goals listed above. I just don't think you're going to accomplish all of them.

 

[The Buff OP]

Officer development school (The AF and Army both have another name for it), the 6 week school that doctors/nurses/lawyers/medical administrators/chaplains go to instead of Officer Candidate school

BTW just to be clear I am really not saying anything about your abilities here. I have no reason to believe you couldn't accomplish any of the goals listed above. I just don't think you're going to accomplish all of them.

Thanks, man. You never know I might go the FAP route if I still want to be part of the military in the future. Do you know of any other medical related officer jobs in the armed forces or cool jobs there is to choose from (besides pilot, I had that dream too once lol)?

 

[Member 1337]

While you're keeping your options open, you may want to look into homeopathic and naturopathic medicine. The military is really embracing alternative medicine and injecting it into the modern battlespace - just be sure you're cut out for it, it's intense stuff. Some of these medics are supporting the fight against ISIS.

 

[pgg]

Did the definition of homeopathy change when I wasn't looking?

WTF?


Edit - taken in by Poe's Law ...

 

[HighPriest]

 

[Cooperd0g]

Buff, I think your original post was reasonable. PGG gives excellent advice given your current age. Having said that it is still possible, just know that you would likely end up going to medical school "old" as you described and as I am now.

You would seriously need to get college finished now with all the prereqs done. Just know that some medical schools also put a time limit on how old your prereqs are so heading to the line military after would end up slightly limiting which schools you can apply to. Additionally some schools are changing their prereqs so if you didn't take those classes then those schools that change may be off the list also. As PGG said, it may be completely impossible/improbable to take courses while on active duty. I had to transition to reserves to do it based on my location and optempo, but others I know were able to do it while on active duty.

Here are some actual career paths I have seen (completed or in progress):

College -> surface warfare officer -> SEAL officer -> medical school -> residency ->
College -> enlisted SEAL -> civilian EMT while doing PostBac -> medical school -> residency ->
Enlisted SF -> college -> some other job -> medical school -> residency ->
College -> enlisted SF medic -> medical school -> residency ->
College -> military flight school -> F/A-18 pilot -> Blue Angel -> medical school -> residency ->
College -> military flight school -> F/A-18 pilot -> TOPGUN -> medical school -> residency ->
College -> surface warfare officer -> enlisted SF -> medical school -> residency ->
Collge -> Army combat engineer -> PhD -> West Point professor -> medical school -> residency ->
College -> variety of different military careers (you get the idea) -> medical school -> residency ->

So if you want to do college -> Air Force officer -> medical school -> residency -> there is no reason you can't do it. However, you have a major caveat: you blew some time before finishing college, time that could have been used to have done something cool in the military. As PGG said, excuses don't matter, it is what it is. Because of that your Air Force officer time in this scenario would be rather short or med school would be further delayed. Everyone in my listed scenarios won't finish medical school until their mid-30s to early 40s, but they also spent between 4 and 16 years doing something in the military before going to medical school. So you have to decide if you want to do it bad enough to make it happen or not.

Another thing to note is that in almost all of the examples I listed the people didn't even considered medical school early on; they decided on it later and had to make the change.

 

[glitchfire]

...
College -> military flight school -> F/A-18 pilot -> Blue Angel -> medical school -> residency ->
College -> military flight school -> F/A-18 pilot -> TOPGUN -> medical school -> residency ->
...

Necro bump here, but I am curious...

When do these people have time to do life (have kids, get married, etc.)?

That sounds like a great path to scratch many itches, but does not specializing early not hurt these people?

 

[Cooperd0g]

Necro bump here, but I am curious...

When do these people have time to do life (have kids, get married, etc.)?

That sounds like a great path to scratch many itches, but does not specializing early not hurt these people?

Many of them got married and had kids before medical school while they were in their prior career. But not all of them. Heck, I was married and divorced before medical school, but no kids.

I don't think it hurts really being delayed. It isn't like any on that list were crashing in their parent's basement waiting for the light bulb of medical school to pop over their head. You are just older than your average training peer and become an attending later in life. I don't think it effects you as a physician. Heck, most in this type of group probably have a better life perspective when choosing what specialty they want to do and how it will line up with their life goals.

 

[UnknownDegree]

Hello doctors, I am writing to ask if after college if it would be a plausible idea to join the military to 4-5 years active and then go to medical school. I am just a high school junior right now, have a 4.0, and was planning on graduating and going to college and med school if accepted like my mother and grandfather did but I cannot shake the desire to join the military. I cannot enlist after high school for medical reasons but i should be eligble by the end of college. I'm not talking about joining as a doctor in the military. I'm deciding between becoming an officer or enlisting as medic (I'm thinking about being a Marine Corps officer or if I really want to go all the way, I may try to become a Special Forces medic but that's probably just a dream). I'm not doing it for money or anything, I want to join the military because of service to country and reasons I can't explain, it's just that I do. I don't want to give up on either of these dreams no matter how hard they are to accomplish. Also, would having been in the military look good to medical schools even after being out of college for a few years and what would they think if I was in combat? I also have not discussed my desire to join the military with my parents which is the main reason I am searching for advice here. They think I just want to be a doctor but being in the service is a big dream of mine.

All advice and opinions are appreciated. Thank you.

what did you decide?