Gap year between my Master's and entering Medical School: Should I enlist?

[LoverOfPie]

Good afternoon,

I changed careers from engineering and joined a 1 year master's program where I basically go through the first year of medical school whilst being graded alongside M1's. Prior to starting, my advisors thought it'd be in my best interest if I take a gap year after completing the program to show medical schools my shiny "Master's Degree".

Anyway, I'm doing pretty well (for now) scoring in about the 80th percentile of all M1's and Masters students and my ultimate goal is to become a Military Doc. About 90% of students from my program get into med school so I'm feeling pretty ok about my chances right now. I want to join a branch during the gap year but I don't want it to hinder my chances of getting into medical school (I've heard about some applicants not being able to go to USU because they couldn't get clearance/red tape). Should I join a branch this gap year or just wait it out until I hopefully get accepted somewhere? Thank you in advance everyone.

Edit: Not enlist*** join as an officer lmao sorry

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[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

The military will always be there. Joining now will just delay you getting into medical school. And just to clarify the lingo, enlisting is something people do when they join the enlisted ranks.

 

[LoverOfPie]

The military will always be there. Joining now will just delay you getting into medical school. And just to clarify the lingo, enlisting is something people do when they join the enlisted ranks.

Thank you. I appreciate the input. That's what my gut was saying but it helps for someone else push me on the right side of the fence.

 

[backrow]

To pile on....no, this is not a good idea.....I’d put it in the realm of “terrible”

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

To pile on....no, this is not a good idea.....I’d put it in the realm of “terrible”

The correct terminology is “to piggy back.”

 

[HighPriest]

Your best plan of action is to not let the military take the wheel until the last possible second. The earlier you do, the higher the chances that they’ll steer the car somewhere you didn’t think it would go. You want to join when there’s some kind of guardrail in place that can at least in theory prevent the military from steering you in to a ditch. Which means you’re either finished with residency, or at the very least you have a med school acceptance letter and you’re signing a contract like HPSP. But, please read the other threads on this forum regarding the changes happening (or not happening, who knows?) in milmed.

And as mentioned above, if you “enlist,” then you’re driving in to the ditch yourself.

 

[armytrainingsir]

No.
Just no.

Do.
Not.
Enlist.

 

[Red Lobster Actual]

In regards to this specific plan.

 

[IlDestriero]

That’s not the worst idea ever, but it’s close.
I wouldn’t even recommend HPSP.
Join when you’re done with your fancy civilian training.

 

[LoverOfPie]

What about joining the national guard during my gap year? Sorry if this is a dumb question

 

[Cooperd0g]

It isn’t a dumb question. But if you join in any way, you not only have to apply to medical school, you’ll also have to be released from whatever contract/commitment you just signed up for. They can say no. Then you are in the military and not going to medical school.

 

[68wdogdad]

What about joining the national guard during my gap year? Sorry if this is a dumb question

I wouldn't. There's just too much that can get in the way / push back medical school.

 

[d2305]

You will be in the military soon enough. Get accepted to USUHS and problem solved.

 

[wittles]

What about joining the national guard during my gap year? Sorry if this is a dumb question

It is a dumb question, but to soothe the sting, why? What do you think you would do in a year? You don't just sign and ship to either OCS or Basic right away (well you can, but kiss med school goodbye). There can be up to a year gap between signing your contract and going to school. There is nothing you will do in the guard now that you can't do after your residency is done.

 

[MusicDOc124]

no.

If you were to join during your gap year, there's no guarantee of even leaving to train right away. Training also takes time - bootcamp or OCS, ITB/MCT/AIT or TBS/other branch equivalent, and then MOS school. This would take up your entire year give or take. THIS IS ALSO WHEN YOU SHOULD BE INTERVIEWING. You cant go to a med school you didn't interview at.

Now, if you went active duty.... well that's your full time job, so med school isn't really on the table now.

If you went reserve/national guard, now youre going to take time away from studies once a month for an entire weekend at a time to do things that aren't even related to medicine or anything, and 2 weeks gone during only only summer break, and then 2 weeks each subsequent summer when you should be taking boards during the two subsequent summers, and then during the summer after graduation where you should be working as a residency physician - where you won't have the time to take off. And then during the 6 years, you (thus going through your first year as a resident) you'd still be missing weekend that you otherwise could have been off, or screwing your fellow residents over with them having to take your call and such.


Again, no.

I drew this out because there were another comment or two after a few people said no of you still looking at other options.





NO.