Current AD Officer - cgpa 3.3 sgpa 3.6 MCAT ##

[The Dude....]

cgpa 3.3
sgpa 3.6
MCAT- Haven't taken yet, but projecting a 32 to 34 after practice tests
Age: 30
Non-Traditional- Family, three kids
Bachelors: HIM (Texas State University)
Initial bad grades and withdrawals during freshman and sophomore year with strong upward trend, culminating with Deans List both semesters Junior and Senior year. My bad grades were immaturity plain and simple. I was a young idiot who cared about spending more time with his future wife, then girlfriend, than studying. Started to get serious after first child. We got married really young. Had to take time off to work so wife could finish her degree. Went through ROTC program got branch of choice in Med services all while in national guard.
EC:
- 4 years enlisted Texas Guard during college, 3 years active and counting.
- Active member in college church group through out college
- Medical Services Officer
- One deployment as Platoon Leader
- Tons of time watching the Docs, PA, medics and nurses. Got to see both garrison and deployed military medicine. Good and bad. Bored and excited. Docs with too much time and Docs with too little. Best experience I could have had. Found my true love and passion for medicine.
- Trained over 600 foreign troops in Combat Lifesaver techniques CLS.
- Trained 45 NATO partner dudes in CLS.
- Facilitated advanced CLS class for 80 infantry dudes. Supervised and refined.
- Helped organize advanced training for medics taught by docs. Also got to observe.
- Platoon supported 145 theatre security operations
- Supervised two aid stations deployed, supported a third
- Medical Logistics officer for a brigade
- Will be XO for Medical Company before applying
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Looking for info on whether I'm competitive or not at USUHS, MD schools and DO schools. Would love to do USUHS and stay active, but want medicine enough to go civilian via HPSP.

Thanks you Gentlemen, tips, advice and hints much appreciated.

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[Gastrapathy]

You really need to take the MCAT before you can have this discussion. Also, do some math on how many CC classes it would take to get your cum GPA to 3.5. Your MCAT is critical due to your low GPA if you want an allopathic admission. I'd recommend paying for an MCAT prep course before the exam.

Consider leaving the military entirely.

 

[The Dude....]

You really need to take the MCAT before you can have this discussion. Also, do some math on how many CC classes it would take to get your cum GPA to 3.5. Your MCAT is critical due to your low GPA if you want an allopathic admission. I'd recommend paying for an MCAT prep course before the exam.

Consider leaving the military entirely.

Any specific reason why I should leave the Army? I'm definitely open to leaving if there's an upside.
Thanks

 

[Gastrapathy]

I invite you to peruse the forum. The 40+ reasons not to join thread is a good starting point. The rise of the mandatory operational tours for subspecialty docs. Skill rot. Low pay. Specialty limitations. Unhappy partners. Ahlta. Bad promotion %s. Skill rot. And skill rot.

It's not so much the upside of leaving as the downsides of staying.

 

[The Dude....]

I invite you to peruse the forum. The 40+ reasons not to join thread is a good starting point. The rise of the mandatory operational tours for subspecialty docs. Skill rot. Low pay. Specialty limitations. Unhappy partners. Ahlta. Bad promotion %s. Skill rot. And skill rot.

It's not so much the upside of leaving as the downsides of staying.

Ahh...yes. Those. Yep. Thanks for reminding me, especially of AHLTA. Good points, thank you

 

[Gastrapathy]

Talk with some O4 MDs, not still in training and approaching the end of their obligation. Include some folks with long training pipelines. Do it offline over a beverage. Get the ground truth.

 

[Cooperd0g]

Yeah it isn't like you are already half way to a retirement. If you were that might be a different story. I was just over half way to retirement so for me it is training and about one tour with an extension and I can retire. The other folks like me to switched over to the physician path are generally some of the more happy folks in my small world of milmed, but we all know exactly when we will be able to retire and have some more freedom.

 

[deleted480308]

given that your "guard clock" is already at 7 for retirement I'd like to offer different funding suggestions for you to consider if you just really really want to stay military without being bound in forever....

1. get into a med school (hopefully in a state that gives guard free tuition, there are a few) and stay through residency after signing up for the guard but DO NOT take the mdssp/strap money. You'll get no stipend but you will make drill pay and all your time will count for retirement, you can't be deployed as a med officer until post residency, so you'll clock another 7 years before they can touch you which puts you at only 6 to make retirement. You'll make far more money as a full time civilian and can still serve on the part time level. (if you take the mdssp/strap money you will be in FOREVER)

2. navy hscp (not hpsp) which makes you an e6 during med school with full active pay and your retirement clock ticking the whole time. you make o1 at graduation and by the time you do residency and serve a 4 yr obligation you're at 18yrs toward retirement.

3. get into a med school in a state that gives guard free tuition, there are a few....and sign up for the guard and stay in for ONLY the initial 6yrs but DO NOT take the mdssp/strap money. You'll get no stipend but you will make drill pay and all your time will count for retirement, you can't be deployed as a med officer until post residency, so you'll be out before you even eligible to be deployed and your med school tuition will be taken care of. You'll make far more money as a full time civilian and can still make a decision to stay in later if you so choose.

*******all of these are specifically if you just flat out want to be in the military, you can totally afford med school without it like everyone else.

 

[The Dude....]

Yeah it isn't like you are already half way to a retirement. If you were that might be a different story. I was just over half way to retirement so for me it is training and about one tour with an extension and I can retire. The other folks like me to switched over to the physician path are generally some of the more happy folks in my small world of milmed, but we all know exactly when we will be able to retire and have some more freedom.

Freedom...ah yes. That thing were you don't have to get up at 0420 every morning. Remembering it right now driving to work. I think you may have a good point. Thank you

 

[The Dude....]

given that your "guard clock" is already at 7 for retirement I'd like to offer different funding suggestions for you to consider if you just really really want to stay military without being bound in forever....

1. get into a med school (hopefully in a state that gives guard free tuition, there are a few) and stay through residency after signing up for the guard but DO NOT take the mdssp/strap money. You'll get no stipend but you will make drill pay and all your time will count for retirement, you can't be deployed as a med officer until post residency, so you'll clock another 7 years before they can touch you which puts you at only 6 to make retirement. You'll make far more money as a full time civilian and can still serve on the part time level. (if you take the mdssp/strap money you will be in FOREVER)

2. navy hscp (not hpsp) which makes you an e6 during med school with full active pay and your retirement clock ticking the whole time. you make o1 at graduation and by the time you do residency and serve a 4 yr obligation you're at 18yrs toward retirement.

3. get into a med school in a state that gives guard free tuition, there are a few....and sign up for the guard and stay in for ONLY the initial 6yrs but DO NOT take the mdssp/strap money. You'll get no stipend but you will make drill pay and all your time will count for retirement, you can't be deployed as a med officer until post residency, so you'll be out before you even eligible to be deployed and your med school tuition will be taken care of. You'll make far more money as a full time civilian and can still make a decision to stay in later if you so choose.

*******all of these are specifically if you just flat out want to be in the military, you can totally afford med school without it like everyone else.

That's just the thing. I have a family. How could I live on loans with three kids. That's what's making me feel like the military is the only option, but you have some good ideas. Guard time was nice. Wish they had a stipend program with drill pay. That would make med school doable.

Really though the bottom line is that if I could find a realistic way to take care if my family and be a civilian I would do it in a heartbeat. I don't "enjoy" the military life, but I tolerate it well. Being a civilian would be awesome.

 

[deleted480308]

That's just the thing. I have a family. How could I live on loans with three kids. That's what's making me feel like the military is the only option, but you have some good ideas. Guard time was nice. Wish they had a stipend program with drill pay. That would make med school doable.

Really though the bottom line is that if I could find a realistic way to take care if my family and be a civilian I would do it in a heartbeat. I don't "enjoy" the military life, but I tolerate it well. Being a civilian would be awesome.

The mdssp i mentioned is a guard stipend. Just comes with a long payback. I get ~2k/month and then drill pay is an additional $300ish per weekend. Tricare reserve saves me $400/month on family insurance. I still take out loans for living expense and my kids live a good life.

But i have a loooooong payback obligation.

 

[The Dude....]

The mdssp i mentioned is a guard stipend. Just comes with a long payback. I get ~2k/month and then drill pay is an additional $300ish per weekend. Tricare reserve saves me $400/month on family insurance. I still take out loans for living expense and my kids live a good life.

But i have a loooooong payback obligation.

After you graduate do you have to pay back any of that time on active or is it all drill time? That would be doable. How about any MGI Bill benefits? I think we could successfully love off around 3,600 to 3,800 with a lot if budget cuts. As long as the kids and baby have tricare reserve that will be awesome.

 

[deleted480308]

After you graduate do you have to pay back any of that time on active or is it all drill time? That would be doable. How about any MGI Bill benefits? I think we could successfully love off around 3,600 to 3,800 with a lot if budget cuts. As long as the kids and baby have tricare reserve that will be awesome.

Payback is in the guard. If you take mdssp for all 4 yrs (the stipend) you owe 8 total AFTER residency. If you take the strap stipend (samr money but different name during residency) and the hplrp you can pretty much owe them the full term to retirement.....but we're civilian match and only in the guard so we choose where to live.

 

[notdeadyet]

Also want to add that if you DO NOT take benefits while in the Guard for medical school and/or residency, you may be eligible for HPLRP (six years of student loan repayment totaling $240K).

Raising a family as a professional student sucks. In most cases that I've seen folks doing it, extended family and/or working spouse played a large role. Otherwise, I think a lot of folks don't get to do it.

 

[The Dude....]

Next question: what kind of MCAT score do I need for my gpa to have a shot at a Texas MD or DO school? Or any other state too

 

[j4pac]

Next question: what kind of MCAT score do I need for my gpa to have a shot at a Texas MD or DO school? Or any other state too

You are a bit untraditional...so it is tough to say. I don't know enough about the specific TX programs...but you really need a 30+ equivalent for MD or 26+ equivalent for DO. If you get a 24-26 on MCAT...then I would strong recommend either retaking, or performing grade forgiveness for DO school. You can repeat your classes that you got C's and below...and replace the grades with newer and better scores. The MD schools don't allow it.

Good luck.

 

[The Dude....]

You are a bit untraditional...so it is tough to say. I don't know enough about the specific TX programs...but you really need a 30+ equivalent for MD or 26+ equivalent for DO. If you get a 24-26 on MCAT...then I would strong recommend either retaking, or performing grade forgiveness for DO school. You can repeat your classes that you got C's and below...and replace the grades with newer and better scores. The MD schools don't allow it.

Good luck.

That's awesome they do that. If DO schools allow grade forgiveness, then I have a 3.41 right now with retakes.

 

[deleted480308]

That's awesome they do that. If DO schools allow grade forgiveness, then I have a 3.41 right now with retakes.

DO schools definitely do grade forgiveness....probably the only reason I'm in med school

 

[The Dude....]

Forgot to add. With grade forgiveness I've actually got a cgpa of 3.51 with a sgpa 3.8. Wow what a difference not counting those old courses can make. Thanks for all the info guys

 

[j4pac]

Forgot to add. With grade forgiveness I've actually got a cgpa of 3.51 with a sgpa 3.8. Wow what a difference not counting those old courses can make. Thanks for all the info guys

If you could get a minimum of 25-26 equivalent on MCAT....I think that you should apply.

 

[The Dude....]

If you could get a minimum of 25-26 equivalent on MCAT....I think that you should apply.

Awesome