Funding Med school

[FutureMDKJP]

So I'm seriously considering enlisting into the airforce in order to fund my way through medical and not come out of school deep in debt. I've spoken to a recruiter so I'm well aware of the stipulations that come with doing so. I just need advice from a few that have taken this route as well. I come from a long of people in my family who have served in the past and are now veterans, so this isn't just a random thought, I just want advice or suggestions from those that have done the same and attended med school also.

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[deleted480308]

you're better off in the military medicine section

 

[wholeheartedly]

So I'm seriously considering enlisting into the airforce in order to fund my way through medical and not come out of school deep in debt. I've spoken to a recruiter so I'm well aware of the stipulations that come with doing so. I just need advice from a few that have taken this route as well. I come from a long of people in my family who have served in the past and are now veterans, so this isn't just a random thought, I just want advice or suggestions from those that have done the same and attended med school also.

Agree you might get better help if I move this to the military medicine fourm. Just let me know if you'd like me to move it, just make sure you don't repost it there yourself.

 

[Just Call Me Doc]

So I'm seriously considering enlisting into the airforce in order to fund my way through medical and not come out of school deep in debt. I've spoken to a recruiter so I'm well aware of the stipulations that come with doing so. I just need advice from a few that have taken this route as well. I come from a long of people in my family who have served in the past and are now veterans, so this isn't just a random thought, I just want advice or suggestions from those that have done the same and attended med school also.

If your primary reason for joining the military is money for school, the general consensus that I've seen on the military forum (and my own opinion) would be a resounding "DON'T DO IT!" If you have the mindset of joining the Air Force, or any other branch, primarily with the intention of serving your country and think of benefits such the GI Bill merely as added perks, then I would wholeheartedly encourage military service. But if you join for the money then there is a strong possibility that you will be hating life for several years. I've seen it many times with younger service members that were suckered in by a recruiter to join for college benefits and were utterly miserable.
Don't get me wrong, though. Military service CAN be extremely rewarding and an opportunity for personal growth and development. But you HAVE to go into it with the right mindset. Basically, you have to be willing to completely put aside your medical school aspirations for several years and focus on serving the military. After your commitment, you can resume your med school pursuit and then enjoy the benefits that you've earned. There is a lot of variability in military service and yours could afford you opportunities towards your goals, but often you have little to no control over it so best to have no expectations and pretty much prepare for the worst.
Another point to consider, as others on similar threads have mentioned, if your ultimate goal is to become a doctor then those years of service will translate to years of lost income as a practicing physician in the future. Depending on your specialty and the med school you attend, this may equal or even surpass the debt of a medical education. In this case, those years of service had better been about more than the money.

 

[IlDestriero]

I survived Navy HPSP. For me it was a money loser but that's not why I joined. I had money and wanted to serve, though I had no illusions about making a career of the military.
I survived quite average GME training when I was a candidate for a highly regarded residency program, and it's actually worse now according to my friends that are still in uniform.
I survived skill attrition at a tiny remote command.
I survived serving during wartime.
I survived relocating with a professional spouse who had her own career to worry about.
I enjoyed serving a great patient population that deserves outstanding free care.
I tolerated the military mindset that poisons military medicine better than most of my colleagues.
It gave me leadership skills and real experience that I used to secure a great civilian fellowship and a coveted and competitive attending job.
All of that was helped along by some luck, good timing, independent study, and strategic decision-making.
I could be posting the opposite of everything above if things didn't turn out the way that they did. I know people that had a miserable time in uniform.
It's a bit of a gamble.
Choose wisely, and maybe, even if it is mostly about the money, it will work out just fine. Half the battle is your attitude.

 

[FutureMDKJP]

Agree you might get better help if I move this to the military medicine fourm. Just let me know if you'd like me to move it, just make sure you don't repost it there yourself.

Yes I would like you to move it. Thanks

 

[FutureMDKJP]

If your primary reason for joining the military is money for school, the general consensus that I've seen on the military forum (and my own opinion) would be a resounding "DON'T DO IT!" If you have the mindset of joining the Air Force, or any other branch, primarily with the intention of serving your country and think of benefits such the GI Bill merely as added perks, then I would wholeheartedly encourage military service. But if you join for the money then there is a strong possibility that you will be hating life for several years. I've seen it many times with younger service members that were suckered in by a recruiter to join for college benefits and were utterly miserable.
Don't get me wrong, though. Military service CAN be extremely rewarding and an opportunity for personal growth and development. But you HAVE to go into it with the right mindset. Basically, you have to be willing to completely put aside your medical school aspirations for several years and focus on serving the military. After your commitment, you can resume your med school pursuit and then enjoy the benefits that you've earned. There is a lot of variability in military service and yours could afford you opportunities towards your goals, but often you have little to no control over it so best to have no expectations and pretty much prepare for the worst.
Another point to consider, as others on similar threads have mentioned, if your ultimate goal is to become a doctor then those years of service will translate to years of lost income as a practicing physician in the future. Depending on your specialty and the med school you attend, this may equal or even surpass the debt of a medical education. In this case, those years of service had better been about more than the money.

Well I wouldn't say that my primary reason to join is strictly for the monetary gain. I personally do feel like it would be rewarding in other aspects as well. I've literally never heard of putting aside my med school aspirations in order to enlist,even though it does make sense in a way bc many consider serving as a full time occupation all on its own. I dont think that its impossible to be in the military and attend a professional school as well. My mother was in the military and became a succesful lawyer. Yes I know law school and med school are completely different, but still. I'm not willing to further delay my goal of going to medical school and if that would be the case then I probably won't enlist.

 

[Just Call Me Doc]

Well I wouldn't say that my primary reason to join is strictly for the monetary gain. I personally do feel like it would be rewarding in other aspects as well. I've literally never heard of putting aside my med school aspirations in order to enlist,even though it does make sense in a way bc many consider serving as a full time occupation all on its own. I dont think that its impossible to be in the military and attend a professional school as well. My mother was in the military and became a succesful lawyer. Yes I know law school and med school are completely different, but still. I'm not willing to further delay my goal of going to medical school and if that would be the case then I probably won't enlist.

It is definitely POSSIBLE to enlist in the military and progress towards the goal of a professional school while serving. There are those that have been successful on that path. But the needs of the military almost always takes precedence over personal needs and can often be at odds with each other. I suggest putting aside medical school aspirations when enlisting because it puts you in the best mindset to accept the worst case scenario that may (and often does) occur when enlisting in the military for educational benefits. As @Il Destriero mentioned, it is a gamble and you have to be prepared for the possibility of things not going exactly the way you would like.
Honestly, I'm not trying to necessarily dissuade you from service. Lord knows the military needs intelligent and capable young men and women serving, especially in the ranks of non-commissioned officers leading and mentoring junior enlisted. But you have to go in with realistic expectations and the right attitude. The military definitely doesn't need another unmotivated service member just trying to get through the day because the military wasn't what they expected it to be.
If you aren't willing to further delay medical school then I would not recommend enlisting. If you are still interested in military service as a physician, though, as well as enjoy some educational benefits, you may wish to look more into the military medical scholarships such as HPSP or USUHS. As mentioned above, this path has its risks and benefits as well but wouldn't necessarily delay your medical education.

 

[xffan624]

So I'm seriously considering enlisting into the airforce in order to fund my way through medical and not come out of school deep in debt. I've spoken to a recruiter so I'm well aware of the stipulations that come with doing so. I just need advice from a few that have taken this route as well. I come from a long of people in my family who have served in the past and are now veterans, so this isn't just a random thought, I just want advice or suggestions from those that have done the same and attended med school also.

Am I the only one who thought OP was going to do 3 years in the air force, get out, and then use their GI bill to pay for school? That's the really best kept secret for getting medical school paid for. Once I discovered I could do that instead of HPSP, there was no motivation to stay in for me.

Maybe because OP used the term "enlist". You don't "enlist" as an officer (which you would be if you went HPSP), you commission. Either way, as had been said many times, before HPSP is only a good option if you actually want to serve in the military. Don't do it solely for the money. You will be miserable and a bad officer.

 

[j4pac]

I survived Navy HPSP. For me it was a money loser but that's not why I joined. I had money and wanted to serve, though I had no illusions about making a career of the military.
I survived quite average GME training when I was a candidate for a highly regarded residency program, and it's actually worse now according to my friends that are still in uniform.
I survived skill attrition at a tiny remote command.
I survived serving during wartime.
I survived relocating with a professional spouse who had her own career to worry about.
I enjoyed serving a great patient population that deserves outstanding free care.
I tolerated the military mindset that poisons military medicine better than most of my colleagues.
It gave me leadership skills and real experience that I used to secure a great civilian fellowship and a coveted and competitive attending job.
All of that was helped along by some luck, good timing, independent study, and strategic decision-making.
I could be posting the opposite of everything above if things didn't turn out the way that they did. I know people that had a miserable time in uniform.
It's a bit of a gamble.
Choose wisely, and maybe, even if it is mostly about the money, it will work out just fine. Half the battle is your attitude.

My story is pretty identical...but my military service helped me land a great residency. I don't regret my military service...but that is because I went into it with the right expectations and for the right reasons. Most is not a right reason.

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

Look for the thread "The Tale of BigNavyPedsGuy" it's a detailed telling of my time in uniform with the Navy. Most of the details could be changed to "air Force" and it would still ring true.

 

[Mad Jack]

Am I the only one who thought OP was going to do 3 years in the air force, get out, and then use their GI bill to pay for school? That's the really best kept secret for getting medical school paid for. Once I discovered I could do that instead of HPSP, there was no motivation to stay in for me.

Maybe because OP used the term "enlist". You don't "enlist" as an officer (which you would be if you went HPSP), you commission. Either way, as had been said many times, before HPSP is only a good option if you actually want to serve in the military. Don't do it solely for the money. You will be miserable and a bad officer.

That's still a bit of a gamble. You have to rack up active duty time for the GI bill, which might not happen if we have a quiet few years.

 

[xffan624]

That's still a bit of a gamble. You have to rack up active duty time for the GI bill, which might not happen if we have a quiet few years.

You can go in active duty which is what I thought the OP was referring to. You rack up time with that whether there's a war or not.

 

[Mad Jack]

You can go in active duty which is what I thought the OP was referring to. You rack up time with that whether there's a war or not.

Ah, so you're active duty whether you're deployed or not? Didn't know.

 

[xffan624]

Ah, so you're active duty whether you're deployed or not? Didn't know.

It's only reserves that only get AD time when they're deployed as that's usually the only time they are activated. Kind of a raw deal really. Military life at least in the combat unit I was in used to be pretty chill between deployments as they were trying to give Soldiers some time with their families and a break. That's why IMO, the reserves, is pretty crappy to go into. If there's a war on, you're deploying probably as frequently as some of the AD folks (depends on the job and the unit), only you don't get as much training to do the same job. You don't get a break when you get back and you have to go back to your regular job (assuming you still have it). If there's no war, you don't deploy and really don't rack up any AD time or any of the benefits that AD gets.

 

[Just Call Me Doc]

Am I the only one who thought OP was going to do 3 years in the air force, get out, and then use their GI bill to pay for school? That's the really best kept secret for getting medical school paid for. Once I discovered I could do that instead of HPSP, there was no motivation to stay in for me.

This is what I've been assuming as well: a 2-3 year stint in the Air Force as an enlisted airman. Whether the GI Bill is worth those year of service depends on the hand the military deals you, and more importantly, your mindset. You could have a great experience that you find meaningful and that leads to personal growth. Equally (or more) likely, you could end up in a situation that wears on your soul as you fight with some of the stupidity of military decisions and endure the fun-fun games commonly subjected to junior enlisted. I wouldn't trade my years of service for anything, but that's because I valued the meaningful fraction of my experiences so much more over the frustrating majority. I have frequently said, you couldn't pay me enough for what I had to do during my service, but I was more than willing to do it for free. If you aren't going in with the right expectations and attitude then there is a strong possibility that you're going to hate it. I'm assuming you went in for reasons other than just education benefits @xffan624.

It's only reserves that only get AD time when they're deployed as that's usually the only time they are activated. Kind of a raw deal really. Military life at least in the combat unit I was in used to be pretty chill between deployments as they were trying to give Soldiers some time with their families and a break. That's why IMO, the reserves, is pretty crappy to go into. If there's a war on, you're deploying probably as frequently as some of the AD folks (depends on the job and the unit), only you don't get as much training to do the same job. You don't get a break when you get back and you have to go back to your regular job (assuming you still have it). If there's no war, you don't deploy and really don't rack up any AD time or any of the benefits that AD gets.

Really depends on the unit. In between deployments, me and most of my guys were away more than half the time for training. Factor in the deployments and I was probably home about 3 months a year. Totally agree with reservists often getting the short end of the stick during the wars, though. Those guys were getting sent over for longer and more frequently than many AD units.