Navy Ois

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
M

MEDIC060406

Junior Member
10+ Year Member
5+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2004
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
I am going to Navy OIS and have heard a lot of talk about how Navy OIS has gotten much harder than it was 3 or 4 years ago. From what they are saying it is on par with OCS. I understand that they did away with a lot of the weekend leave. However, OIS has been cut from 6 weeks to 4 weeks so I undertsand the need to get rid of leave. Can anyone that has been to OIS last year or the year before let me know how OIS is now. Any advise from those who have gone would be helpful too.
Members don't see this ad.
 
A Navy nurse at the NRD (Navy Recruiting District) here in Dallas told me that OIS was tougher than when she went through. However, that was some time ago since she is a 23 yr vet who is retiring this May. Had I gone through Navy OIS at this point, I could give a better answer, but seeing as I haven't this is somewhat speculative. According to the CD rom that the NRD gave me, OIS is six weeks. Maybe some of the others who have recently went to OIS can give more definitive responses. God Bless.
 
I already have my orders for 4 weeks so I am sure it is only 4 weeks now.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I went to OIS last summer from July through August. I was much different from what all the Navy docs I spoke with prior to going went through. Over the past two years things have changed greatly from fork and knife school that OIS was known to be.
You will have a Chief and an officer assigned to your company (group of fellow HPSP'ers), my company had ~30. The Chief is a 'Red Roper' the Navy's version of a Drill Sergeant. They will be in direct control of just about every aspect of your life for the full 4 weeks. The average day is as follows: From 0430-~0600 PT. If you don't exercise regularly, start running now. The first day or so you are there you will undergo the PRT (physical readiness Test -?-) which consists 1.5 mile run, push-ups and sit-ups. If you don't fall within the guidelines for your age, you will be placed on remedial PT along with manditory nutrition and life-style education. This takes away from the few hours of sleep you have each night (I averaged 5.5-6hrs/night). 10-15min for AM chow, and ABSOLUTELY no talking; hand gestures to pass the salt. Drill practice for a few hours, in between any administrative stuff you have to do (dental exams, immunizations, etc.) and classes. Expect several hours of classes involving instruction on various aspects of the Navy and being a Naval Officer. Noon chow and evening chow follow the same rules, you will only earn the 'privilage' to drink anything other than water some time in the second or third week and don't expect to have desert privileges until probably the last week. Expect afternoon PT frequently. You will have NO down time for the first 15-20 days. The Chief will say goodnight to the company @~1900 and from that time on you will have to complete daily 'homework' assignments of all sorts (personal essays, reports on Navy stuff and study time for weekly tasks of memorizing various Navy creeds, oaths, etc.). You will be constantly hounded about every detail from dress, hair cut, shave (for the guys) to reciting memorized material. Rooms must be in inspection-ready condition at all times (ended up sleeping on top of the precisely made rack <bed> every night). No liberty (the ability to leave the 2 square miles of 'training country') until the weekend before graduation and you must be in by 2230 each night.
Having said this, It's important to keep things in perspective. True, your AF HPSP counterparts will have Ethernet in their well-adorned, non-inpsected rooms and the Army guys get to shoot and blow stuff up and get liberty every weekend BUT: Navy OIS, albeit the most challenging of the services' medical officer initial training (as attested to by my HPSP classmates from the other two services) is a mere taste of what the any services' recruits go through but for much greater lengths. OCS, for example is 13 weeks of having you junk busted constantly. Upon completion of OIS you will have a much more keen sense of what the Marines, Sailors, Soldiers, and Airmen you will eventually be treating have gone through in order to earn the honor to serve.
A big push for this recent change was due to reputation of the Medical Corps (doctors) for being 1/2 A**ed officers. Current OIS training will ensure you will have, at the least, the basics of conducting yourself appropriately as an officer. You will have an understanding of the pride those guys have with each new stripe or ribbon and the wearing of the uniform.
Sorry for the length but this should give you a bit of a 'heads-up' that I wish I had.
 
Mmmm, Ft. Sill. I was there for 2 weeks the summer of '93. Very hospitable place, nice people, never want to go back again. 😉 Still, it's the only military location I've been to that has it's own model airplane runway...
 
I'm so sorry to hear that Heavy D.

I think my class was the class that ruined it for everyone. Sorry guys! The following year my CO sent an email to all of us in the class describing the changes that were going to occur.

When I did OIS, it was like summer camp. For 2 days our CO busted us hard, and then he relaxed completely.

We got liberty pretty early on, and I remember going out into Newport. Everyone loves buying the Navy folks drinks, so if/when you get liberty make sure you wear the dorky whites. At every restaurant we went to people bought us rounds. One night some rich guy bought about 30 of us in my company drinks for the whole night. That was good stuff.

I'm sorry to hear that things have changed. It might have something to do with that one kid who got drunk and passed out in the head where he was found by some LT the next morning. Good times, good times.
 
I had one question about PT. According to the information I was sent from OIS Command men should be able to run 3 miles in 24 minutes. There was no break down based on age for it just males need to do it in 24 and females need to do it in 27 minutes. They also sent the breakdown for the 1.5 mile run that was based on age. Did anyone that went last year get timed on a three mile run? Or do I only need to worry about passing the 1.5 mile timed run. In the information they also did not tell us how many push-ups were required in the 2 minutes. They just have in the packet and on the web-site to be able to do 15 before you come. I assume that if you are going to pass the test the first day you need to be able to do a lot more than 15. Thanks for all the help in advance.
 
Here is a link to a PRT site. Has just about everything covered: http://neds.nebt.daps.mil/Directives/6110/seven.pdf
I believe the minimum will be the "Good-low" rating. See the site and this will make sense.
I don't know if they will tone things down this year a bit following the Unauthorized Absence (UA aka:AWOL) of a board certified Psyciatrist during my class. Following OIS she was headed out to the fleet. The first day of liberty she was last seen at 0600. Later that night we were all rallied on the training field doing a head count. By the time I left a week later, the Navy was able to track her down by phone. Seems she wasn't OK with her 'chops' being 'busted'.
 
This thread inspired me to go jogging this morning! Getting up at 0430 is not a problem because I do that now. 😉

Sounds like 4 weeks of hell to me! 😀

Do we have access to internet at NAVY OIS?
 
There is internet at OIS but access is to it is difficult for a couple of reasons. First, depending on the size of you Batallion (whole class), you will have to wait for various lengths of time for one of the ~20 computers to be available. Secondly, time available for you to try to get on a computer is very limited, especially in the first two weeks.
Bring a cell phone and lock it with ringer OFF in your closet. Although you're told not to make any calls, just about every night of the first week before 'lights out' is called, every room has calls are going out.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
JKDMed,

I was told by a guy who went last summer to the Army's OBC (?) that the Army HPSP'ers went to the shooting ranges on different occasions and were able to lob grenades and such. This is second-hand stuff so if one of you Green folk want to weigh in on this statement's accuracy, it would be great.
 
I hope we get to blow stuff up, but I'm pretty sure we only get to shoot our M9 Beretta a few times and that's about it.
 
evines said:
I hope we get to blow stuff up, but I'm pretty sure we only get to shoot our M9 Beretta a few times and that's about it.
Click to expand...

I remember reading that only the JAG guys at OBC get to qualify and carry the M9. As far as I know, docs aren't allowed to carry weapons.
 
At my AMEDD OBC all we got to do was familiarize fire with the M9. No grenades, no crew served weapons. You should get to do the CS gas chamber though. And learn land navigation. BTW, medical personnel are authorized to use "small arms"--in the Army the M9, the M16, or the M4--in self-defense or in defense of their patients' lives. Most docs in TOE units are assigned the M9.
 
denali said:
At my AMEDD OBC all we got to do was familiarize fire with the M9. No grenades, no crew served weapons. You should get to do the CS gas chamber though. And learn land navigation. BTW, medical personnel are authorized to use "small arms"--in the Army the M9, the M16, or the M4--in self-defense or in defense of their patients' lives. Most docs in TOE units are assigned the M9.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Does anyone know if this is across all services? By the way, what is, "TOE"?
 
I believe you can qualify for M-16/M-4 and M-9 as a Navy doc if (at least) you go to the 'Green' side, serving in the Fleet Marine Force (FMF) as a batallion surgeon. All of the Marines' medical needs are supplied by the Navy. During Op. Desert Storm Navy HPSP's head guy (CAPT Cohen) was w/ the Marines and had said he carried an M-16 w/ him at all times. He has 'expert' qual. ribbons for both the M9 and rifle.
 
Sorry 'bout that. TOE stands for "Table of Organization & Equipment" and is the Army's way of saying "field units" as opposed to fixed, or institutional units. For example, Wm. Beaumont Army Medical Center is a "fixed" hospital, while the 31st Combat Support Hospital is a "TOE" or field unit.
 
I shoot all the time, mostly 9mm, some M-16 and the occasional grenade launcher. Docs are allowed to shoot, my unit encourages it, it's fun. A fellow intern ended up in a fire fight in OIF with his M16. I think everyone in the military ought to be able to pick up a pistol or rifle and make use of it, including the physicians. Everyone here seems to agree.
DD
 
Speaking of the M16...

When I was enlisted, I had a difficult time using this particular firearm. Although I qualified with the weapon twice, I barely met minimum standards. I am right handed but left eye dominant. Does anyone have any advice on how to overcome this obstacle to become a proficient marksman?

Thanks for any guidance you can offer.
 
Practice does work; last time I qualified on an M16 and M9 I shot both expert. Took a lot of practice though. A Marine instructor once suggested to me to fire left-handed. He said you re-learn shooting from the ground up--no bad habits plus you get to use your dominant eye.
 
HeavyD said:
The average day is as follows: From 0430-~0600 PT. If you don't exercise regularly, start running now. The first day or so you are there you will undergo the PRT (physical readiness Test -?-) which consists 1.5 mile run, push-ups and sit-ups. If you don't fall within the guidelines for your age, you will be placed on remedial PT along with manditory nutrition and life-style education. This takes away from the few hours of sleep you have each night (I averaged 5.5-6hrs/night). 10-15min for AM chow, and ABSOLUTELY no talking; hand gestures to pass the salt. Drill practice for a few hours, in between any administrative stuff you have to do (dental exams, immunizations, etc.) and classes. Expect several hours of classes involving instruction on various aspects of the Navy and being a Naval Officer. Noon chow and evening chow follow the same rules, you will only earn the 'privilage' to drink anything other than water some time in the second or third week and don't expect to have desert privileges until probably the last week. Expect afternoon PT frequently. You will have NO down time for the first 15-20 days. The Chief will say goodnight to the company @~1900 and from that time on you will have to complete daily 'homework' assignments of all sorts (personal essays, reports on Navy stuff and study time for weekly tasks of memorizing various Navy creeds, oaths, etc.). You will be constantly hounded about every detail from dress, hair cut, shave (for the guys) to reciting memorized material. Rooms must be in inspection-ready condition at all times (ended up sleeping on top of the precisely made rack <bed> every night). No liberty (the ability to leave the 2 square miles of 'training country') until the weekend before graduation and you must be in by 2230 each night.
Click to expand...

😱 😱 😱 😱 😱

I was not envisioning it to be that scary. Thanks for the heads up!!!

Medic, the OIS website has all the time standards on it. Here's a link for the 1.5 mile run.

https://otcn.cnet.navy.mil/ois/ois_running program.htm

Maybe I'll see ya in July. 🙂

Is there a swimming test? I remember reading about one somewhere, but I didn't seen anything about it on the OIS website.
 
There are a couple of 'water confidence' aspects to OIS. One is a actually a really fun time (although remember what they teach you-it might save the ship and you/your shipmates in it!). You will learn basic damage control measures aborad the USS Buttercup. It is a mock ship's compartment that floods while you and fellow shipmates employ newly learned skills of stemming the incoming water. It is basically 'how to stop a really big leak'. Really wet and lots of fun. Secondly, you must pass a 2nd class swimmer exam. I think it requires the following: you to step off a platform ~6-8ft above water and fall into the pool, be sure to surface; tread water for 2min; swim (and I think any stroke will due) 50 meters ????. In addition, you will learn how to convert pants/long sleeve shirt into floatation aids. Super easy if you can swim/ have any confidence in the water whatsoever. There were several that require remedial swim instruction during the 4 weeks I was there in order to pass. If you aren't so sure around the water, I would encourage you to become so before arriving to Newport. Remedial swimming (and PT for that matter) is done at '0-dark thirty'. You loose precious sleep time to get up early for this stuff so do yourself a favor and do what you have to in order not to require remedial training.
 
Booklet that I have from OIS says third class swim test which is pretty much the same as described above. I got this information off a website describing the test.


The following is a description of the test and the standards that are used to determine if the individual is meeting the acceptable standards.

Third Class Swim Test
The test consists of two modules:

Module One is composed of three separate events:

Enter the water feet first in the abandon ship position from a minimum height of 5 feet (we use a platform of about 10 feet).
Swim 50 yards using any combination of water survival strokes (American crawl, breaststroke, sidestroke and the elementary backstroke).
Prone float for 5 minutes.


Swimmers who successfully pass an event of Module One, do not have to repeat that particular event.

Module Two Coverall inflation.

The prone float (Module One) and Coverall inflation (Module Two) must occur in deep water (deep water is defined at water too deep to stand with mouth and nose above the surface).

Deep Water Jump

Jumps are performed from a 10 foot platform.

Swimmers must display the ability to swim to the surface unassisted.

The following standards will be applied:

Component Acceptable Performance Standards
Body Position Waist must be straight. Head held with the neck straight, eyes staring
Arms Arms must be crossed with the hand of the arm closest to the chest pinching the nose with thumb and forefinger and the little finger positioned on the bottom of the jaw beneath the chin. The hand of the arm furthest from the chest grasps the biceps and triceps of the opposing arm.
Leg Legs must be straight and crossed at the ankles.

50-Yard Swim

Immediately after entering the water, swimmers must complete a 50-yard swim without stopping, standing, or holding onto the sides of the pool. The following strokes may be used:

Breastroke

Sidestroke

Elementary Backstroke

Crawlstroke

Back to Top

Prone Float (face down)

A 5-minute prone float will be administered with the following acceptable standards:

Component Acceptable Performance Standards
Body Position Any face down posture is acceptable.
Arms Any arm action is acceptable, with no forward or backward swimmer movement.
Kick Any kick or no kick is acceptable, with no forward or backward swimmer movement.
Breathing Swimmer must inhale from the mouth and exhale from the mouth and nose. Breathing should be slightly above resting rate (approximate 20 breaths per minute). Breathless- ness, gasping, erratic breathing or swallowing water is unacceptable.
Coordination Swimmer's arm and leg actions must keep him/her on the surface at all times. Swimmer must stay in the general starting location; excessive forward or backward movement (swimming) is unacceptable. SWIMMER MUST APPEAR SAFE, CALM AND RELAXED.
 
Swim quals suck. We had to do these during my training, but remember that the DIs have the authority to **** with you while you're doing it, thus it's not as easy as it sounds.

It was kind of cool outside the day we did this and there was a cold breeze blowing. The water wasn't bad but the dingus instructors opened the sliding doors on each side of the building we were in, letting a nice cold breeze blow across the pool. Try doing this stuff when you're freezing your ass off.
 
Middle of August last year in Newport was allegedly the most hot and humid summer in years (although I'm sure glad it wasn't in San Antonio). Any pool time was more than welcome in my book; a nice break from marching around all day in PT dress. At OIS, they are VERY concerned w/ water safety and that all officers passing their test. The only 'harrassement' you will recieive from staff in the pool is them pulling you to the side of the indoor pool if you fail to maintain you head above water for any length of time.
 
Table of Organization and Equipment. Every unit in the military has a TO/TE. The TO lists all the billets (or jobs) in the unit and the TE lists all the equipment. Each TO line number has a corresponding weapon required for the billet. The TE lists the equipment necessary for the unit to accomplish its particular mission.
If you can get to a battalion there will be plenty of opportunities to fire weapons. Just take advantage of any ranges that the operations officer schedules. Most likely, the person running the range will be happy that the medical officer is interesting in learning more and unless you do something unsafe, they will invite back. However, don't expect to participate in any complicated training such as close quarters combat. The officers understand that your primary job will be to save their men's lives if they are wounded. If you really want to blow things up (with explosives) try to get orders to a combat engineer battalion. They spend a lot more of their time using explosives.
 
HeavyD said:
I believe you can qualify for M-16/M-4 and M-9 as a Navy doc if (at least) you go to the 'Green' side, serving in the Fleet Marine Force (FMF) as a batallion surgeon. All of the Marines' medical needs are supplied by the Navy. During Op. Desert Storm Navy HPSP's head guy (CAPT Cohen) was w/ the Marines and had said he carried an M-16 w/ him at all times. He has 'expert' qual. ribbons for both the M9 and rifle.
Click to expand...

Interesting, I am supposed to meet with CAPT Cohen later in the month.
 
This guy's a stud in my book. Whole bunch of operational medicine under his belt- Fleet Marine Force, DMO, operations with allied navies, etc. Bad thing about his enthusiasm for Navy medicine, however, is that I'm affraid he'll light a fire under everyone's back side to apply for DMO. Don't need any more competition!
 
gravy4thebrain said:
Table of Organization and Equipment. Every unit in the military has a TO/TE. The TO lists all the billets (or jobs) in the unit and the TE lists all the equipment. Each TO line number has a corresponding weapon required for the billet. The TE lists the equipment necessary for the unit to accomplish its particular mission.
If you can get to a battalion there will be plenty of opportunities to fire weapons. Just take advantage of any ranges that the operations officer schedules. Most likely, the person running the range will be happy that the medical officer is interesting in learning more and unless you do something unsafe, they will invite back. However, don't expect to participate in any complicated training such as close quarters combat. The officers understand that your primary job will be to save their men's lives if they are wounded. If you really want to blow things up (with explosives) try to get orders to a combat engineer battalion. They spend a lot more of their time using explosives.
Click to expand...


LOL. Also, there are usually medics assigned to ranges when live firing is occuring, you can always make a "supervision" visit when the particularly good weapons are being fired (my personal favorite, next to the M61 20mm Gatling gun on my F4, was the M2 .50 cal).
 
I noticed that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom at OIS. What is it like there academically? In what ways are you tested? Is there anything you would recommend reading before you get there?

Thanks
 
If you have been accepted into medical school, the information that you will learn and will be tested on is totally simple and you will have no problem with. Tough thing is staying away in class. Seriously, any given class there will be a dozen or so shipmates in the back of the room standing b/c they couldn't keep their heads off the desks. All education is military-specific (obviously). Everything from command structure to planes, ships, and weapons to how to fill out the paperwork to have you personal prop. moved once on active duty. Some stuff is really cool I thought. Other info is much less stimulating and subsequently sleep-provoking.
 
If, and only if you have so much free time you don't know how to use it in a more enjoyable way there are a few things you can read that will save you a few hours of sleep. Know the sailors creed, oath of office, Alpha-numerics, anchors away. This is a good start.
 
Interesting. I went through OIS in summer of 2001, and it was truly "summer camp." As a former enlisted Marine, I'm actually pleased to hear that OIS is trying to become more than a "fork and knife" school.

What's disappointing, though, is despite their best efforts in training, all seems to be lost once you actually get into the Naval Hospitals.

I'm doing an AT at Portsmouth right now, and am shocked and appalled at the lack of military bearing. It turns my stomach. I have junior enlisted's calling me by "Hey" or by my first name. I've spoken with some of the other priors, and they tell me that it pissed them off at first, too, but that you can't change anything because the command won't back you up if you try to enforce basic military customs and courtesies.

Example: One of the residents here is prior-service Navy (former pilot), and had an active duty patient tell her to "f--- off." The resident (a Lieutenant) attempted to bring her up and charges, but when the Captain got involved...she (the Capt) actually was more concerned with placating the patient! She actually came down, and instead of chewing the patient out, asked her "What's wrong? What can I do to resolve this conflict." Then the resident was reprimanded.

Unbelievable.

We're civilians in uniform. Nothing more.
 
Hey, so does anyone know for sure if Navy OIS is 4 or 5 weeks this year???? I know last year they changed it to 5 weeks so I assumed it was gonna be 5 weeks again this year (hopefully it's 4). Also, I keep getting emails about physicals..........are we gonna be told if we need to do another physical before OIS??? My paperwork to go in July is in but I haven't received my orders yet. I took my physical awhile ago and can't remember if it's over a year old or not. Anyone know how I can find out and if it's necessary before I go to OIS?? Thanks.

Jetson
 
I went to OIS last year. Our batallion (the whole group of students at OIS) was made up of two types. Those who were HPSP'ers, like myself, and those who were headed out to the fleet to begin their active duty tours upon graduationg OIS. The HPSP'ers had 4 weeks whereas the fleet folks stayed an additional week for further administrative training. Don't know for sure how it will be this year. You can always drop a quick e-mail to the dep. director of OIS @: [email protected] I would recommend either contacting OH (the HPSP registrar at NMETC, Bethesda) to confirm your status of annual physical condition or going to the nearest Navy Reserve Center and having the paperwork filled out and an HIV draw. Downside of contacting OH - the LT registrar seems to be very emotionally labile so you want to be on the positive side of her LH surge. Finally, check on the NOWS system for your orders processing @: https://nows.cnrf.navy.mil/nrows/logout.do If you have a tracking #, you should be good to go (as long as the tracking # isn't accompanied by "disapproved" under status).
 
Has anyone else received their orders for OIS this summer??? Is it 4 weeks??

Jetson
 
I was approved 2 weeks ago for the early June class. I printed the orders off NROWs. When I was approved they called me to tell me I could print them.
 
I just did the math and OIS is about five (5) weeks long. I will be there 34 days total.
 
How do we get a copy of our medical records to take to OIS?
 
Do you guys know if OIS graduation is something that a lot of families attend? I am trying to decide if my family should make plans to come.
 
OIS graduation is fairly cool but brief. You will most likely conduct some form of 'pass and review'; you will be marching in formation in front of grand-stands for your family to see. Following will be a short, formal ceremony where each of the OIS big-wigs give a quick speech then hand out diplomas. Many families do attend but several members in my company did not have family there. Something for them to see but not necessarily a mandate if it will be a hardship for your family to make it. You will be given more info on graduation once there and there will be a chance to make arrangements while at OIS if you are still in limbo about it before you leave.
 
NMETC in Bethesda will arrange for your medical file to be at OIS when you are. That is what they did for us last year at least.
 
One week left until I leave for OIS! Is everyone ready that is going in the first round?
 
I'll be there in the July class. You will have to let us know how it goes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
Navy ADT Aways
Replies
3
Views
869
MTGas2B
MTGas2B
T
Navy HPSP - Dropping out of school
Replies
2
Views
1K
Monty Python
Monty Python
N
Seeking Navy Reserve Mentorship
Replies
0
Views
1K
Nomad Doc
N
M
Status of GMO spots in navy
Replies
19
Views
3K
orbitsurgMD
O
T
HPSP and Navy Neurology Training Spots
Replies
2
Views
2K
DrMetal
DrMetal
Top