Military question regarding experience

[Breezy2015]

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I am currently in the Army Reserves IRR which just means I am in the inactive reserves. I am currently Military Police but I am considering re-enlisting and reclassing to medic (Health Care Specialist). The Army defines the duties of this MOS as, "Administering emergency medical treatment, assisting with outpatient and inpatient care and treatment, prepare blood samples for laboratory analysis, prepare patients, operating rooms, equipment and supplies for surgery."

I am obviously a non-traditional student and am just beginning my veterinary experience hours but I am wondering if this will count as experience on my VMCAS application and if it will help my application at all?

Any input is welcome!

 

[Minnerbelle]

It will be great work experience and I'm sure it'll help your application, but it's neither veterinary experience nor animal experience.

 

[Breezy2015]

It will be great work experience and I'm sure it'll help your application, but it's neither veterinary experience nor animal experience.

Thanks for the response! So do you think that switching to medic from Military Police will make me more desirable or about the same?

 

[Minnerbelle]

I have no idea. You can call the schools you're interested in. In the overall scheme of things, I doubt it would make a difference.

 

[Kpowell14]

I am currently in the Army Reserves IRR which just means I am in the inactive reserves. I am currently Military Police but I am considering re-enlisting and reclassing to medic (Health Care Specialist). The Army defines the duties of this MOS as, "Administering emergency medical treatment, assisting with outpatient and inpatient care and treatment, prepare blood samples for laboratory analysis, prepare patients, operating rooms, equipment and supplies for surgery."

I am obviously a non-traditional student and am just beginning my veterinary experience hours but I am wondering if this will count as experience on my VMCAS application and if it will help my application at all?

Any input is welcome!

Hi there! My husband was a Health are Specialist (Active duty) for 4 years and is now in the reserves. Honestly -reclassing to 68W (medic) wouldnt help your app out as far as animal / vet experience goes.
If you want to reclass I would try to do 1 of 3 things:
1. Try to change to a 68T - Animal care specialist - essentially a Vet assistant in the army world - heck they might even have you take the technician national boards to get licensed - just depends on the training they give you. http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-j...cal-and-emergency/animal-care-specialist.html
2. Go for 68R - Veterinary Food inspection specialist- less of a clinical job but a useful experience your your app http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-j...cy/veterinary-food-inspection-specialist.html
2. Stay an MP but try to become a dog handler. - at least that will give you some animal experience and they are very much involved in the care of their dogs.

 

[Breezy2015]

Hi there! My husband was a Health are Specialist (Active duty) for 4 years and is now in the reserves. Honestly -reclassing to 68W (medic) wouldnt help your app out as far as animal / vet experience goes.
If you want to reclass I would try to do 1 of 3 things:
1. Try to change to a 68T - Animal care specialist - essentially a Vet assistant in the army world - heck they might even have you take the technician national boards to get licensed - just depends on the training they give you. http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-j...cal-and-emergency/animal-care-specialist.html
2. Go for 68R - Veterinary Food inspection specialist- less of a clinical job but a useful experience your your app http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-j...cy/veterinary-food-inspection-specialist.html
2. Stay an MP but try to become a dog handler. - at least that will give you some animal experience and they are very much involved in the care of their dogs.

Thanks for your input, Kpowell14! The issue with 68T is that the reserves isn't currently sending anyone to AIT for that MOS. Even though there are a few openings, only those that already have that MOS can get them.

I've asked my recruiter to look into 31K (dog handler) but I am not very hopeful because I'm actually a 31E (corrections) so I'd have to go back through MP school then 31K school and from what I've heard, it's very hard (maybe actually not even possible) to make that transition. I've also asked the recruiter to look into 68R but I know that 68W would be the MOS with definite openings.

So let's say that 68R and 31K end up not being an option, you think that I should just stay as is because whether I'm a 31E or 68W, it will look the same on my application?

Thanks again!!

 

[FeartheDogMonky]

I would recommend to continue trucking down the path you have lined out for you. My MOS is completely unrelated to the health sciences and that's most likely a good thing (I'm applying this year, so we'll see if my thoughts are right). Experience outside of veterinary/animal stuff is probably preferred to make you a more well-rounded applicant. If you're insistent on getting out of the IRR and into something other than MP work, then 68W should help introduce you to the general medical field. However, as I said, I would chalk up your MP time as experience and seek out animal/veterinary experience at your local SA, LA, AE, wildlife, etc. practices. Zoos are also another place to get exposure.

Bottomline - your military experience will help you with life experience, but focus on animal/veterinary experience to help support your application rather than a complete reclass.

 

[Teepster87]

Former Marine Dog Handler here, I've been out a few years, but I don't think being a reservist dog handler is a thing. Making a functional dog team takes alot more time then a reservist's time commitment.
If you're set on swapping your MOS, I'd say pick whatever comes with the biggest reenlistment bonus in a field you don't hate. And then focus on gaining vet and animal experience through oher employment/volunteer/educational experiences as you can get.

I personally think 68D sounds pretty interesting, but don't know if that would be available to you.

 

[Breezy2015]

There is a 31K (dog handler) National Guard unit here in CT (don't ask me how that works!) but regardless, there are no openings. Of the MOS' that I listed, the only one open is 68W (medic). I'm going to speak with an admissions counselor tomorrow to get their input on this topic because since Tufts is my top choice, and their admissions criteria defines experience as, "

1. Veterinary, animal and or health science experience. This may include the care, knowledge, and experience gained working in a veterinary, agricultural, research, human health and or biomedical setting. Such experience should be of appropriate breadth and depth and should entail more than having provided routine care and feeding of companion animals or family pets."

I'm curious if they might count 68W experience towards their admissions criteria.

 

[Bailbru]

I am a veteran that served in the U.S navy. Was fire fighter but started getting vet experience when I got out back in 2010. Four years later i graduated with a biology degree and am currently in veterinary school at Mississippi state university CVM. If you can apply here at MSU please do. This state waives out of state tuition for military veterans. Must have honorable discharge though!! In state tuition here is about 12k a semester, which isn't bad at all. good luck!!!

 

[FeartheDogMonky]

I am a veteran that served in the U.S navy. Was fire fighter but started getting vet experience when I got out back in 2010. Four years later i graduated with a biology degree and am currently in veterinary school at Mississippi state university CVM. If you can apply here at MSU please do. This state waives out of state tuition for military veterans. Must have honorable discharge though!! In state tuition here is about 12k a semester, which isn't bad at all. good luck!!!

That's awesome! I'm applying there as an OOS, so IS tuition would be a nice deal if they offer me a spot. I definitely appreciate military friendly universities. Thanks for the info.