Since DO schools are so damn exspensive, I am interested in paying through one of the military programs. However, I have looked over the web pages for each of the branches and none of them say exactly the steps you have to take to enter one of the programs once you have been accepted...except to contact a medical recruiter...which is not really something I want to do until I have an acceptance in my hand (I have had bad experiences with military recruiters in the past).
The first step is always the recruiter...to get any paperwork rolling you must go through them. Some are less than pleasant but so far all the ones I have met with are tolerable. Waiting till you have an acceptance isnt bad either but please look into it more thoroughly before continuing. Military docs who are suffering through the commitment with bad attitudes are no good for patients.
Go to the Military Medicine forum under Residents and Attendings, find the HPSP thread, pros and cons sticky, and others, and just read.
So I am wondering if someone on here, who has been accepted into one of these programs, can give me a brief run down on how it goes? For instance, are these programs competitive? Do you need a specific GPA/MCAT or anything to qualify, or just an acceptance from a med school.
Brief run down...not competitive. I have been told some branches do fill spots though. Like the previous post said, there is no minimums. If you get accepted to medical school, MD or DO, and are physically fit for service then you are set. I have personally not seen physicians who are overweight, but I am told it happens. From what I have gathered from docs and my mom who is active duty in a med group, docs have to meet PT standards like everyone else, especially to get promoted.
Thx.
Mods - Sorry, I know theres a forum for this, just thought I would post here to avoid the flames from all the pre-allopaths since I mentioned i am interested in D.O.
No one in the milimed forum is going to attack you for going DO, one of the greatest physicians I have met is a DO in the military. They will go after you though for not knowing what youre getting into and excitedly talking about paying for medical school. While it seems like a good deal to a poor college student you need to know the worst case scenarios before you sign up. For example, once you complete medical school, if you choose to go HPSP (the scholarship that pays for your school, books, etc and gives you about a 1900 stipend every month) you owe the branch one year of service for each year in school, with a minimum of 3 years. During this commitment you will go where they send you, and will most likely get deployed, 6 months in the AF and Navy and 12 in the army are the norm.
Also you dont just get to pick your specialty, like everyone else you allpy and have to match but there are limited slots in the military residencies and you may not get your pick. You would either have to choose another specialty or serve as a GMO.
There is way too much to put here...just spend a week or so reading through the threads at your leisure...once youve read your fill and still have questions then the milimed forum is your best bet...good luck!
