Commissioned Navy Pharmacist Questions

[Noel2019]

Any current Commissioned Navy Pharmacist willing to answer a few questions, as I work on my package? I am just looking for some additional insight (I am prior enlisted in another service and a licensed practicing pharmacist) regarding the Navy Pharmacist life, billeting, deployments (Navy ships, with Marines, etc), frequency of deployments, promotion potential and competition, and any other information you wish you had known or think would be helpful. Thank you in advance.

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[dtcocoz]

Any current Commissioned Navy Pharmacist willing to answer a few questions, as I work on my package? I am just looking for some additional insight (I am prior enlisted in another service and a licensed practicing pharmacist) regarding the Navy Pharmacist life, billeting, deployments (Navy ships, with Marines, etc), frequency of deployments, promotion potential and competition, and any other information you wish you had known or think would be helpful. Thank you in advance.

Army pharmacist here. I would advise not to submit a package just to one branch. It's extremely competitive to get a commission in all three branches. Do army and AF to increase chances of getting in. On the army side, promotion rates vary year to year from 60 to 80% from O3 to O4. O4 to O5 maybe 50-70%, also varies. The army does the best job out of the three advocating for the need for pharmacists which might give it better promotion rates. Compared to the three branches, army has more administrative roles, navy, I hear, has more staffing. Army has pgy1s, training with industry, and the mba/mha through baylor along with the fellowship for a year after the mba mha classes. Navy and air force medical service and medical officers have baylor available but I think pharmacists cannot go through it. All have PGY1s available which are competitive. There are board cert pay bonuses for any of the BPS which are 6k per year. Retention is 15K for year. You'll have a lot more additional duties above pharmacy in the Navy over what there is in the army, unsure of what the extras are but it's more so than what the army has for additional duties. The Navy, which is where your wanting to go, IMO, is the best but I value location. Also, I think you just need to make O4 in the Navy and then there is no up or out. I could be wrong. Feel free to message me but the army isn't the Navy so I might not be able to assist to the extent needed.