my decision is made

[NAVYLABTECH08]

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Well everyone, my decision is made. I have been accepted into a civ med school in my home state. Thanks to the new MGIB + 40K navy sign on college kicker bonus for GI bill +really cheap state medical school + wife who is in final semester of physical therapy school = med school without USUHS or HPSP! This could not have been any sweeter for me! My enlisted contract ends in March 09. Is it too early to celebrate solving the riddle of military time vs civilian loans just yet? If my math is right, I should owe nothing after med school. I think I'm going to join a rock band and rock it out for the next 7-8 months! Watch out slipknot, here comes me for 7-8 months before med school starts!

 

[TheGoose]

congrats !

 

[deuist]

I thought that you couldn't get accepted until Oct 15. Congrats none the less.

 

[dwb8p]

.

 

[Two-Bit]

Thank goodness for state medical schools and employed spouses...
Would've done the same if I had been accepted to a state school (even with the old GI bill), but alas, it was not to be.

Enjoy med school, it's lots of fun. (I say they same thing about deployments, now that I'm not on one.)

 

[NAVYLABTECH08]

I thought that you couldn't get accepted until Oct 15. Congrats none the less.

That is what I thout too. I was very shocked by the phone call. I was not going to try to argue with the lady.😀 This school is really big on in state applicants. 95% of the secondary involved questions like how long have you lived here, amount og personal property outside of state, how long your parents lived here, etc. I guess I stacked up good with the GA applicants that had interviewed there so far and the school pitched early becasue they knew I applied to like 1 million schools (like free USUHS--this was brought up in my interview) The interviewer straight up asked me if I would choose their school over USUHS or others. This school is also big on early decision applicants (which I was not one). I tried out to be lead guitar/vocals in a band last night. I was not kidding.

 

[NAVYLABTECH08]

Thank goodness for state medical schools and employed spouses...
Would've done the same if I had been accepted to a state school (even with the old GI bill), but alas, it was not to be.

Enjoy med school, it's lots of fun. (I say they same thing about deployments, now that I'm not on one.)

Thanks! I had to "motivate my spouse" to get her DPT. She was not going to do it, but I knew that I may NEED her financial stability when in med school. Thank God she listened to my pitch and got her DPT before I separated from the military. I get out in March of next year. I will work as a certified Clinical Laboratory scientist for about 4 months then quit!

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

Congrats!! good for you. Way to makethe most of your time in service adn the benefits you've earned!

I wish all my sailors were as smart and proactive as you. How did you get your bachelors? TAP? I have some junior corpsman working with me that are in similar situations and I'm trying to counsel them about the best way to navigate the system.

 

[NAVYLABTECH08]

Congrats!! good for you. Way to makethe most of your time in service adn the benefits you've earned!

I wish all my sailors were as smart and proactive as you. How did you get your bachelors? TAP? I have some junior corpsman working with me that are in similar situations and I'm trying to counsel them about the best way to navigate the system.

BS: Clinical Laboratory Science-The George Washington University

My pathway:

Joined in 2001-enlisted
MLT-C school: Advanced laboratory technician school: GWU
finished BS: GWU

As a lab tech, I only got deployed once to Iraq and no ship time. Spent rest of time on land in and out of clinics or hospitals. (Plenty of time for school)

It was very hard trying to schedule pre-req science classes around my schedule even though I was on land because of low/high priority checkoffs with POMI. A bit of luck came my way with only 1 deployment and as a FMF corpsman/lab tech.

I was all for military medicine until I got to my current command. The chain of command was a joke and very disrespectful. When I started this process months ago and feared that I needed a 1306, my COC started putting up hurdles for me, like healthstream courses. (WTF) They dragged their bottoms in getting my paper work and showed me no respect while doing so. Even though I was one of the harder working lab techs, my LPO told me that i was easily replaceable. I know that that may be true, but you don't have to say it like that. Just 1 week ago, I got into a heated debate over the holiday schedule. Even though I was scheduled to work every single weekend this year with 2 holidays of duty, I was told that I must also work Thanksgiving, christmas, and New Year's eve becasue I was leaving in March and they wanted to get as much out of me as they could before they leave. There was no duty schedule or anything, the reason was "just because!" She also went on to tell me that I was not all that beacause I'm applying to med school and should slow my roll. 😡

My advice to you friend: Sounds like you are awesome so far. You seem proactive in your junior troops career path and they need that. My pathologist were not that interested in enlisted career paths and remainedin their offices with their scopes. (with the exception of 3) I had to get support from other doc in other departments like Hem/OC. You seem to be honest about pros and cons of military medicine and people need to hear that. I have encountered many mad mil docs that feel that they got "screwed" becasue they did not know "all" the pros and cons besides a free ride + pay while in school.

To be honest, I was on the fence. If it was not for the new GI bill +this low-cost school (MCG), I would have gone to USUHS or at least used HPSP. Thanks for your reply!

PS: Tell your troops that the MCAT should not be taken lightly. This test does not test smarts. To trick to scoring >35 on this test is to not work and study 5-6h hrs each day for 4-5 months. We military folks don't have that luxury, so they need to study for a few extra months with a course like kaplan in between. Also, tell them that it is not a race. the easiest way to fail is to take on too much. Working 45-50 hrs a week on top of 2 science classes may be very challenging. Take it slow and develop constant study habits. Good luck!

 

[DiveMD]

Congratulations in your admirable dedication.

 

[Gastrapathy]

Thats total cr@p from your LPO. Up to you whether its worth raising the BS flag. I'd probably at least make sure your chief knows. If its at a khaki level, I think I'd wait until I was out (you are the only one with anything to lose) and then I'd write a note to the CMC making the particular point that your chief was fully aware.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

This test does not test smarts. To trick to scoring >35 on this test is to not work and study 5-6h hrs each day for 4-5 months. We military folks don't have that luxury,

If it doesn't test smarts why would you need to study hours a day for months for it?

Now it's been a few years since I took it, but as I recall it tested my ability to remember inorganic, organic, physics, and some basic biology principles as well. If nothing else, it tests your ability to do well on the USMLE, a key part of finishing medical school.

 

[crazybrancato]

If it doesn't test smarts why would you need to study hours a day for months for it?

Now it's been a few years since I took it, but as I recall it tested my ability to remember inorganic, organic, physics, and some basic biology principles as well. If nothing else, it tests your ability to do well on the USMLE, a key part of finishing medical school.

i think what he's trying to say is that a multiple choice test doesn't test your intelligence. it test how good of a multiple-choice test take you are. it would be nice if the mcat (and all standardized tests) had more open reponse type questions. of course they're harder to grade, but such questions are more reflective of a person's thought process (and hence intelligence).

anyhoo, is the USMLE on a computer nowadays?

 

[sethco]

If nothing else, it tests your ability to do well on the USMLE, a key part of finishing medical school.

I'm sorry, but I don't see the connection/correlation.

I did poorly on the MCAT (especially the Verbal section), but rocked the USMLE. I may be the exception to the rule, but I know a lot of people that had a similar pattern.

It's hard to study for the Verbal section of the MCAT

 

[TheGoose]

thats interesting because i heard that the most indicating factor of the MCAT to determine how you will do in medical school is the Verbal Section (from the perspective of admissions people)

 

[NAVYLABTECH08]

Thats total cr@p from your LPO. Up to you whether its worth raising the BS flag. I'd probably at least make sure your chief knows. If its at a khaki level, I think I'd wait until I was out (you are the only one with anything to lose) and then I'd write a note to the CMC making the particular point that your chief was fully aware.

I have decided to shut my mouth, do as I am told, and get out on March 18

 

[NAVYLABTECH08]

i think what he's trying to say is that a multiple choice test doesn't test your intelligence. it test how good of a multiple-choice test take you are. it would be nice if the mcat (and all standardized tests) had more open reponse type questions. of course they're harder to grade, but such questions are more reflective of a person's thought process (and hence intelligence).

anyhoo, is the USMLE on a computer nowadays?

👍👍

 

[elderjack21]

thats interesting because i heard that the most indicating factor of the MCAT to determine how you will do in medical school is the Verbal Section (from the perspective of admissions people)

That must be how I got into school, because my sciences were about dead average.


On the standardized test not testing knowledge/intelligence.

There was a time when this may have been true...but I would have to say that thus far in medical school, our "standardized tests" are ample to challange just about everyone's intelligence. Good standardized test takers included.

There are exceptions to every rule. Unfortunately, playing the "I am not good at taking test" is not going to get you into medical school, because it is all about test taking now and it will be until you give up your medical license.