Med school with military spouse?

[HurricaneKatt]

Hey guys,
Out of curiosity...what happens if you are accepted into med school and have a military spouse, or even are just dating seriously, and they get stationed elsewhere? For those of you in the military, can you request to not be restationed for a few years. For those of you in Med school...what do you do?

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[Haro4130Frame]

I have a few friends and my sisters fiance in the marines and from what I have seen, you dont really have a choice as to where you go. You will have to either have a distance relationship or none at all. As far as the student, its very difficult to transfer to another school so you are pretty much stuck where you start.

 

[Tired]

Hey guys, For those of you in the military, can you request to not be restationed for a few years.

You can request whatever you want.

However, it is unlikely they will pay any attention to your request.

 

[AFDOCtobe]

I am currently in the military and in medical school AND am dating someone in the military. Most likely your significant other will simply assigned as usual while you are at med school. It is possible in the military to sometimes apply for certain jobs/locations which may be closer to your school. However, all assignments are eventually simply the needs of the armed forces so they could be very far away from you. Feel free to PM me if you'd like to talk more!

 

[Monica Lewinsky]

med school is sort of like being stationed at a base for four years, with essentially no option of transfer. You don't goto med school seeking mobility just as you don't go into the military seeking a permanent residence.

 

[MDwannaBe81]

When we were dating, my husband and I did not live in the same city for 4 years (he's military). Now, after living together 4 years and getting married, we're going to be separated again. However, these next 4 years should be a breeze. The key is to stay busy, and if possible, see each other as much as you can.

As for a location request...ha! It's the military. As a previous poster stated, you can request anything you like, but the final decision is based on the needs of the military (however, look into a volunteer assignment that allows them to pick the area they would like to be assigned to after completing their mission). That being said, you should check to see if your significant other's next assignment will allow them to stay there longer than 1 tour. My husband thinks he'll be able to stay at his next duty station for at least 2 tours or longer, leaving the door open for me to possibly complete my residency in that area.

Again, I'm just starting the first year in a week so PM me throughout the year and I'll tell you how it's going!

 

[omental caKe]

my fiance is air force, and I'm a MS3. we've been doing the long distance thing for all of med school. The AF promised him the same state as me many times and several different bases within the state. and he's going to mississippi, despite the promises.

the military will make whatever faulty promises they can to get you in or keep you in, and as soon as you commit they screw you over. and the whole refusing 1 order doesn't work either. they'll just send you to the same place anyway. be wary... and good luck!

 

[HurricaneKatt]

Thanks guys. I kind of figured. I grew up in the army, but I have heard that if a married couple are both in the military that oftentimes they can work things so that they get stationed in the same place, or at least close, and was wondering if it would work the same way for Med school. Oh well. Bah! Well, we'll just have to see how things go. Good luck to the rest of you and thanks for the replies!

 

[MicroBugs]

Thanks guys. I kind of figured. I grew up in the army, but I have heard that if a married couple are both in the military that oftentimes they can work things so that they get stationed in the same place, or at least close, and was wondering if it would work the same way for Med school. Oh well. Bah! Well, we'll just have to see how things go. Good luck to the rest of you and thanks for the replies!

The military can try to accomodate dual-military couples, but there are never any guarantees in the military. That said, it is possible to work things out. My husband has been stationed in the hampton roads area now for two tours, and our fingers are crossed for at least one more. It helps that this is the largest concentration of Navy anywhere, so there are no lack of jobs. I'm not sure about the other branches, but I do know part of the wish list they submit includes recommendations. So if your SO is really focused and impresses a lot of people, it can help. If you guys are married and your husband makes nice with the detailer, that can sometimes help. Again, I fall back on the old sage advice- there are no guarantees in the military, just lots of crossed fingers!

 

[LuckyBambooGirl]

My husband was in the Air Force for 6 years, including my first three years of med school. He was stationed at the same base for the entire time, which is in the same town as my med school. He specifically chose a job where he was nondeployable. There were only 2 bases that even had his job. He did not have to go TDY or PCS or anything that whole time. So it is possible that this will happen for you, but as you can see from the other posts, our experience is not typical and you either have to be very lucky or plan very carefully!

 

[HurricaneKatt]

Lots of crossed fingers indeed... All there is to do really I guess is wait and see what happens do what u can and hope to get lucky lol

 

[zelenie]

I'm in med school in the states but am dating a military guy stationed in another country for 2 years. I have this marvelous daydream that it's possible to do a 3rd/4th year rotation in another country, but haven't found any positive signs searching around. Has anyone heard of that possibility?

 

[brookiepooh]

Hello Everyone! I was not sure who to go to about my current question and future situation, I was hoping to get more incite and advice. I am a military spouse and we have been stationed at the same post going on 2 and half years. My husband believes he will be here for a few more, but the military is so unpredictable... I am going into my third year of undergraduate school. I plan to graduate in May of 2015 with a BS in Health and Human performance. My question is if I get accepted into a PT school close to post and begin it, lets say half way through PT school we have to move to a different post... Would all that work be for nothing and I would have to get accepted somewhere else anddd start all over with the program... or how does that work if you have to leave during Physical therapy school? Is it like undergrad school where as long as you finish a class and get the grade it will count and follow you on your transcript?.... I am stressing some over this some.... I really appreciate any advice or direction to someone who could help! (would there be a way to request he stay for those 3 years I am in PT school or would the military somehow help me to be able to afford staying to finish while he goes to his new duty station?.... we own our home and keeping it while he would be living somewhere else wouldn't be affordable and all... a lot to think about... or even holding off till he gets somewhere else... but that will put me back further from getting my own career in geer...
Thank You!

 

[evilbooyaa]

I'm not 100% sure about PT school (as this is the MD student forum) but I imagine that credits likely do not transfer between PT schools. I would ask about this in the Physical Therapy forums (as I notice you already have done).

I doubt the military will help pay for your expenses if he is re-stationed. Again, not exactly sure how the reimbursement process works for military members.

 

[colbgw02]

Hello Everyone! I was not sure who to go to about my current question and future situation, I was hoping to get more incite and advice. I am a military spouse and we have been stationed at the same post going on 2 and half years. My husband believes he will be here for a few more, but the military is so unpredictable... I am going into my third year of undergraduate school. I plan to graduate in May of 2015 with a BS in Health and Human performance. My question is if I get accepted into a PT school close to post and begin it, lets say half way through PT school we have to move to a different post... Would all that work be for nothing and I would have to get accepted somewhere else anddd start all over with the program... or how does that work if you have to leave during Physical therapy school? Is it like undergrad school where as long as you finish a class and get the grade it will count and follow you on your transcript?.... I am stressing some over this some.... I really appreciate any advice or direction to someone who could help! (would there be a way to request he stay for those 3 years I am in PT school or would the military somehow help me to be able to afford staying to finish while he goes to his new duty station?.... we own our home and keeping it while he would be living somewhere else wouldn't be affordable and all... a lot to think about... or even holding off till he gets somewhere else... but that will put me back further from getting my own career in geer...
Thank You!

Can't help you with the PT transfer questions, but the military isn't going to give your husband a penny extra because you're living separately. If he were to receive orders for an unaccompanied assignment, then that changes things a little, but that's not what you're describing.

 

[haley.jo]

Would it be better to go to med school as a civ while your spouse is AD and then do a loan repayment once you're done or is it the same if you're AD mil & in med school and he's AD? I'd hate to settle for staying a nurse but at the same time I'm not willing to go 2 yrs + in separate states. Is it too much of a gamble?

 

[theSmurfette]

Would it be better to go to med school as a civ while your spouse is AD and then do a loan repayment once you're done or is it the same if you're AD mil & in med school and he's AD? I'd hate to settle for staying a nurse but at the same time I'm not willing to go 2 yrs + in separate states. Is it too much of a gamble?

Let's get this straight...Situation 1--med school as a civilian, then you enter the Medical Corps following graduation/residency for loan repayment. Situation 2--HPSP, where you are technically military w/mil pay. To my knowledge, that does not qualify you as dual military because you are not on active duty, I believe you are in a Reserve status while in medical school and are not active duty until you enter residency (and that's with a military residency, otherwise your active duty component is delayed by that many years).

TL;DR Neither situation will enable your spouse's command to acknowledge your medical school attendance and not PCS him if that's the needs of his branch. Even AD-AD couples have issues staying together at times.

 

[drcrispmd]

My now ex-husband was military (Air Force) and we lived apart during my medical school (eventually divorced 4th year med school). You can alway request a different base on your dream sheet. Will it happen because his non-military spouse is going to school elsewhere......not likely. Can he be sent overseas while you are in school.....Yes. Will they care you cannot go because you are in school......no. The only way you would get a living allowance to stay is if he is sent to an unaccompanied remote (or at least with the Air Force) tour, which usually last 15 months. Otherwise, no the military will not give you money to stay in school or be separated from your spouse. You need to decide how important PT school is to you. Will you regret it if you do not go? How does your spouse feel about the possibility of living apart for a few years? You need to set down with your spouse and go over the possibilities now. You do not want to hear 3 years into school that your spouse hates you for causing the two of you to be separated all this time and he never was happy with it from the beginning. Unfortunately, as a military spouse you have to come to terms that there will be times when you will not be with your spouse.