Has anyone gotten a letter from the Navy?

[Jalopycat]

Okay, I got this letter recently from the Navy congrating me on my high MCAT score. I'm a bit perplexed. How could April scores already be released? There's no way in Hell the Navy liked my old scores. So, is it just wishful thinking to think I really did well or is this just a generic letter sent to everyone? I'd rather my bubble be burst now then 3 weeks from now at my mailbox..

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[algae]

The Navy also liked my scores too, so my guess is that it is a generic letter. Sorry!

 

[none]

The Navy (and all other armed services) like EVERYBODY'S MCAT score.

 

[C U in MD school]

how do u apply to a navy med school?

 

[buglady]

you don't apply to a navy med school because there aren't any, unless you count uniformed health sciences in maryland.

you need to be admitted to med school, then apply through whichever branch for a 3 or 4 year scholarship. if you get one of these scholarships, then you owe the military the amount of years they paid for your schooling. i.e. four year scholarship = four years back to the military.

according to my brother, who is a lieutenant and an engineer in the navy, it sounds like a good deal....i don't know, if you're single and don't mind doing your internship at a naval or air force hospital (or even a civilian hospital near a base), it wouldn't be too bad. besides having them pay for everything--books, tuition, microscopes--they even throw in a stipend. and when you graduate med school, they promote you to some high ranking level (does anyone know exactly what the rank is?). if you decide to make a career out of it, you don't ever have to worry about mal-practice insurance....i heard it was actually pretty competitive for these scholarships....

i think this topic has been discussed elsewhere on the forum....

 

[ajz]

I must make a comment on this thread. The USUHS (Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences) is the armed forces medical college. It is pretty competitive to get into this program, unlike what another poster above said about accepting anyone. Armed Forces doctors are well known to be extremely competent physicians as their medical training program is incredible( check out the www.usuhs.mil website and look at the facilities they are second to none).

The school screens the primary application and then should you receive an interview and are accepted you select a preferred military branch. Then you enter, lets say the navy, as an Ensign. Upon graduation you are an officer, Leutenant, in the Navy.

The great thing about the school, besides the great training, is the fact that you are PAID to go to school AND there IS NO TUITION. After residencey you owe the military seven years of service.

So the pros: No tuition, Paid, tax free housing and food stipend, no insurance for your practice, less stress about managed care, six weeks vacation a year, fantastic retirement plan, and most of all a chance to practice medicine most anywhere in the world. Also, while you are in the military it is not boot camp military that everyone thinks of...

There are cons to this program but those are on an individual basis. If it sounds like I like the program... I do. I have an interview with them on Oct. 4th.

Need any more info please ask, or check out their website.

 

[Barton]

You all are forgetting that your time in med school is time in the reserves. You have to do the 1 weekend/month, 2 weeks in the summer on active duty, or like right now, get called up to full time active duty. Also, in the air force and army, you are a 2nd lieutenant during med school and a captain when you get out.

 

[sandflea]

i got a letter from the army when i took the MCAT...these letters go out to everyone...

as someone who has looked into a military medical program (i grew up an army brat), i would echo everything in ajz's post. it's certainly NOT easy to be accepted into this school. i applied there the first time around and it was my first rejection. if i remember correctly, the acceptance rates were pretty typical compared to other schools. then again, these schools attract a certain type of applicant--i.e. someone who would like a medical career in the military. sure, you only have to give back 7 years of service once you graduate, but many doctors decide to spend their career in the military. but what's neat is that you take a lot more classes than any other med school--in areas like biological warfare, stuff like that.

contrary to what someone posted above, military scholarships (not the school) are *not* as competitive to get as you may think. in some instances, you simply have to apply and once you have an acceptance letter in hand, you're officially a scholarship recipient. there are pros and cons to this program. basically, if you have any objection whatsoever to the government interfering with your career, don't apply!!! the pros are that you don't pay a cent during school and even receive a stipend. the major con--and i don't have scientific proof for this, but i have been warned many times over by people who have gotten this scholarship--is that because you're a military office until you fulfill your four years (AFTER residency, not including it) the miliary may have a direct hand in what you're "allowed" to pursue a residency in. you may be steered toward what the military needs more physicians in. plus you may be transferred pretty often--but that's military life.

in terms of rank, i can only speak about the army, because that is the scholarship program that i'm most familiar with. you start off a second lieutenant (bottom rung officer) and when you graduate i believe you're promoted to captain.

hope this helps.

 

[DoctorOneDay]

Sorry Barton but you are incorrect about the Reserve thing. I was once an HPSP (Army Health Professions Scholarship Program) student. You don't have to do anything but go to school. You do a 45 day summer rotation each summer. The first summer for most people is OBC. The second summer they just pay you to study for boards. Third year you do a clinical rotation. It really isn't a bad deal (especially for the money). I didn't like my school and so I left med school but I'm going back this year (as soon as one of these dang schools says I can) so I ended up doing 3 years of active duty. I recommend the program to anybody who doesn't mind the military (go Navy or Air Force because all the bases in the Army are in really sucky places).

 

[Blue Tooth]

some more info. I recently talked to a recruiter about it and he said that the time you're on active duty while still in school, you're a 2nd liutenent and can make about $3000 for 6 weeks of work. Not to shabby. Plus when you get out of school, you're a Captain, which is good pay, plus you get all these bonus payments because you're a doc, in health care, etc etc. All in all it's a good way to make a lot of money quick. You have zero debt load, plus they pay you around $80G (rough estimate) but include the fact that the cost of living is so cheap, it's probably significantly more than that.

 

[ajz]

The Navy did a study last year to find out if their compensation was equivalent to the private sector. When you count the tax free housing allowance, PX, and susistence stipend you actually make a comparable salary in most fields. However, if you puruse something like Ortho, you are making significantly less income. In family practice, internal med, etc. your salaries and other benefits make it a very attractive package.

 

[C U in MD school]

this is great. the more i read, the more i want to do it. just one question, i am not a us citizen. do u have to be?

 

[Barton]

Sorry. My bad. That's just what a recruiter told me about active duty (although that type of thing doesn't seem like something you'd want to make up to attract applicants).

 

[DoctorOneDay]

If you speak to a recruiter, ask to speak with an AMEDD recruiter. Alot of the regular recruiters don't know much about the HPSP program.