Army Curious High School Student

[Cap JermanE Rollins]

Hello I am a junior in high school.
Maybe this is more appropriate for the high school section, but people who visit that do not have expertise in military medicine.
I've been looking at these posts for awhile, some very insightful and some very negative. I want to know the truth. Experiences, chances etc. I know it's a long time away but here's what I've been thinking about for a long time: 1. Bachelors degree in Physiology or Biomedical Sciences from a University..... 2. Medical school at USUHS or HPSP......... 3. Do a family Medicine residency at Tripler Army Medical Center....... 4. Serve the army as a family physician..... 5. Retire from the army after my payback, enter the civilian world as a family physician.

I have questions.
-How hard is it to get into USUHS or HPSP, tips for what they look for like volunteering in Africa.
-Is it the norm you do a military residency right after military medical education? I have read GMO first, I want to do the Tripler Family Medicine Residency because I have read marvelous things about it and would love to spend a portion of my life in Hawaii.
-Is applying and acceptance like civilian life where it is competeive, you must apply and sometimes you don't get in?? What do you do if you don't get into any residency program through the Army?
-What training is required and when like Commissioned Officer training or basic training, and what is it like?
-Is there a way to be involved in the army during college besides ROTC or reserves or national guard, like interning at USUHS?

I've wanted to be a doctor since a little boy, and army too. Thank you for considering my prospects and thank you for your service. Much love God Bless

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[theonlytycrane]

Focus on getting into college first and deciding if medicine is right for you

 

[IlDestriero]

I've been looking at these posts for awhile, some very insightful and some very negative. I want to know the truth.

The negative ones are insightful. You need to understand what you're getting into and be Ok with that. If you really want to be career military, and understand what that means, you'll probably tolerate all the things that annoy so many .mil physicians.

I have questions.
-How hard is it to get into USUHS or HPSP, tips for what they look for like volunteering in Africa?

In general it's not that hard to get a HPSP position. The competition is cyclical though. If you're a solid competitive candidate for medical school, you'll probably be fine. If you're borderline, or it's a hyper competitive year, you might have problems. I can't tell you anything about USUHS. Things that increase your chances of med school acceptance, like leadership, research, etc. will also help your .mil application.

-Is it the norm you do a military residency right after military medical education? I have read GMO first, I want to do the Tripler Family Medicine Residency because I have read marvelous things about it and would love to spend a portion of my life in Hawaii.

The army doesn't usually send people off to GMO tours, that's more common in the Navy. If you want to be FM and don't match anywhere, you'd be shunted to GMO land to try again or get out. Of course that's all subject to change, like everything in the military. It's always needs of the military first, everything else second. (With rare exceptions). I don't know how competitive Hawaii is. It might be cyclical as well.

-Is applying and acceptance like civilian life where it is competeive, you must apply and sometimes you don't get in?? What do you do if you don't get into any residency program through the Army?

It's similar, but with some .mil additions to the equation and it's not transparent. Though it's not really transparent in the civilian world either, and your ranking isn't necessarily honored like in the civilian match. The military residencies don't necessarily match the civilian ones in level of competitiveness either. It varies program to program and year to year. If you don't match, you'd train in a civilian program (if you asked for that and they gave it to you) or you'd do an intern year and GMO time. You could reapply or pay back your time and get out and train in a civilian program.

-What training is required and when like Commissioned Officer training or basic training, and what is it like?

There is a leadership training and indoctrination program. The Navy refers to it affectionately as Knife and Fork School for a reason. When I was completing it in Newport, I was renting sailboats and partying like a rock star on the weekends. During the week we were limited to the officers club. The horror...

-Is there a way to be involved in the army during college besides ROTC or reserves or national guard, like interning at USUHS?

That's likely unnecessary.



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Il Destriero

 

[Cap JermanE Rollins]

Thank you for the insight!!! I'm excited for the future, doing what I've always dreamed 2 things in one.

 

[IlDestriero]

Thank you for the insight!!! I'm excited for the future, doing what I've always dreamed 2 things in one.

The VA estimates that only 7% of the US population are veterans. With almost 1/2 of them over 65, it's not a common career choice and should be a source of pride. Good luck.


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Il Destriero

 

[pgg]

tips for what they look for like volunteering in Africa

You should model your personal statement after this one:

My Personal Statement

 

[Shikima]

You should model your personal statement after this one:

My Personal Statement

WTF? hahahahaha

 

[j4pac]

You should model your personal statement after this one:

My Personal Statement

What the heck did I just read???

 

[Armyhealth]

Hello I am a junior in high school.
Maybe this is more appropriate for the high school section, but people who visit that do not have expertise in military medicine.
I've been looking at these posts for awhile, some very insightful and some very negative. I want to know the truth. Experiences, chances etc. I know it's a long time away but here's what I've been thinking about for a long time: 1. Bachelors degree in Physiology or Biomedical Sciences from a University..... 2. Medical school at USUHS or HPSP......... 3. Do a family Medicine residency at Tripler Army Medical Center....... 4. Serve the army as a family physician..... 5. Retire from the army after my payback, enter the civilian world as a family physician.

I have questions.
-How hard is it to get into USUHS or HPSP, tips for what they look for like volunteering in Africa.
-Is it the norm you do a military residency right after military medical education? I have read GMO first, I want to do the Tripler Family Medicine Residency because I have read marvelous things about it and would love to spend a portion of my life in Hawaii.
-Is applying and acceptance like civilian life where it is competeive, you must apply and sometimes you don't get in?? What do you do if you don't get into any residency program through the Army?
-What training is required and when like Commissioned Officer training or basic training, and what is it like?
-Is there a way to be involved in the army during college besides ROTC or reserves or national guard, like interning at USUHS?

I've wanted to be a doctor since a little boy, and army too. Thank you for considering my prospects and thank you for your service. Much love God Bless

One of my best contacts is a Current Active Duty Family Medicine Doctor at Fort Drum. He did his residency at Tripler as well. Send me your contact info and a PM and I will put you two in contact. Who better to get advice from that someone who went through the exact path you are talking about and recently as well.

 

[HighPriest]

One of my best contacts is a Current Active Duty Family Medicine Doctor at Fort Drum. He did his residency at Tripler as well. Send me your contact info and a PM and I will put you two in contact. Who better to get advice from that someone who went through the exact path you are talking about and recently as well.

Someone who went through the same path recently and who wasn't suggested by a recruiter. No offense, but I don't take references from anyone who is trying to sell something to me.

 

[pgg]

Someone who went through the same path recently and who wasn't suggested by a recruiter. No offense, but I don't take references from anyone who is trying to sell something to me.

Our HS OP here is putting the cart so far in front of the horse, it hardly matters. But there's still value in talking to anyone on AD, even if the contact is provided by a recruiter.


OP - if your chief goal is to be a doctor, the only thing that should be on your mind right now is enduring the last 2 years of high school, getting into a good 4 year university, and not closing future doors by making military commitments now (e.g. enlisting or doing ROTC). Then bang out a 3.5+ your first couple years of college and decide if you still want to be a doctor.

And don't go to Africa to pad your med school application. That bit of folklore needs to die.

 

[HighPriest]

Our HS OP here is putting the cart so far in front of the horse, it hardly matters. But there's still value in talking to anyone on AD, even if the contact is provided by a recruiter.


OP - if your chief goal is to be a doctor, the only thing that should be on your mind right now is enduring the last 2 years of high school, getting into a good 4 year university, and not closing future doors by making military commitments now (e.g. enlisting or doing ROTC). Then bang out a 3.5+ your first couple years of college and decide if you still want to be a doctor.

And don't go to Africa to pad your med school application. That bit of folklore needs to die.

Agreed. But, he asked who would be better.

 

[Armyhealth]

Agreed. But, he asked who would be better.

My contact is a active duty Family Medicine Doctor, he is currently in Afghanistan, not a recruiter, not a salesman. I am the salesman. If you said I want to be a baseball player and I said oh I know Derek Jeter let me put you in touch would you not talk to him...I just don't see the logic here.

 

[HighPriest]

My contact is a active duty Family Medicine Doctor, he is currently in Afghanistan, not a recruiter, not a salesman. I am the salesman. If you said I want to be a baseball player and I said oh I know Derek Jeter let me put you in touch would you not talk to him...I just don't see the logic here.

You don't understand what selection bias is, that's why.

And I highly doubt your contact is objectively the Derek Jeter of military medicine. You know "A" baseball player.

A more accurate analogy is seeing a used car salesman, and having him put you in touch with a guy he knows who bought a similar car ten years ago who he swears will give you an honest and unbiased assessment of his business practices.

Or a restaurant who advertises their fish as "rated best in the state," but they're located inside a gas station.

 

[Armyhealth]

I am giving him a valuable resource, they are smart enough to make up their own mind on if that person is genuine and trustworthy.

Are you giving any advice or resources? Or just here to pick apart those that do?

 

[HighPriest]

I am giving him a valuable resource, they are smart enough to make up their own mind on if that person is genuine and trustworthy.

Are you giving any advice or resources? Or just here to pick apart those that do?

Just you, baby. Just you.

And I disagree that most high school kids have the kind of interpersonal and life experience to tell when a reference from a federal resource who also happens to be a doctor is biased.
In fact, most military recruiting depends upon high school kids making questionable decisions due to a lack of experience.

And I've given plenty of advice on the forum for far longer than you've been peddling your wares here. In fact, my advice here is: talk to anyone you can, but understand that a recruiter is not looking out for what is best for you personally. Maybe some are, but there are only so many Jezebels with hearts of gold.

 

[haujun]

I think it is good idea finding a doctor who you can shadow whether civilian or military. I would also consider contacting captain physician to see if military something you want to consider (higher rank physician may be biased) but you need to first decide if you really want to be a doctor first.

 

[j4pac]

I am giving him a valuable resource, they are smart enough to make up their own mind on if that person is genuine and trustworthy.

Are you giving any advice or resources? Or just here to pick apart those that do?

They aren't smart enough to make up their own mind...that is the whole reason they are searching for answers. You may be giving the OP a resource...but the problem is that you have a vested interested in him signing, so it brings your resource into question. It'd be like a program director who wants a student to match at their program, and gives the student the point of contact of his chief resident that loves the program...while not giving the person the contact information of the other residents who hate the program. Your motives may be innocent...but you ARE a stakeholder and that is why we warn people about recruiters on this site.

 

[deleted480308]

After trying to talk two of my nephews and a handful of friend's high school aged kids back into reality after the falsehoods pushed on them from recruiting I tend to be pessimistic about a high schooler's inate ability to really make an informed and thorough digestion of what is real/not in the military and the implication of contracts in relation to complete non-enforce-ability of verbal promises from recruiting .

I do not encourage anyone I know to sign up as an 18yr old. Get a few years of college/life/trade/mental development/street smarts under your belt before you decide about something that can drastically alter your freedom for 6yrs and kill you

And I say that as someone who would still recommission today

 

[Armyhealth]

They aren't smart enough to make up their own mind...that is the whole reason they are searching for answers. You may be giving the OP a resource...but the problem is that you have a vested interested in him signing, so it brings your resource into question. It'd be like a program director who wants a student to match at their program, and gives the student the point of contact of his chief resident that loves the program...while not giving the person the contact information of the other residents who hate the program. Your motives may be innocent...but you ARE a stakeholder and that is why we warn people about recruiters on this site.

If he is interested in HPSP he is not signing up for anything until at least his Senior year of undergrad.