question about Navy AT/school orders

[lizzers729]

So, I've searched this forum, read the student handbook, and emailed MDAD/OH, and I'm still unclear about this. I'm finishing my first year of medical school right now. I did Navy ROTC in college, so I don't have to do ODS. What do I do this summer? It says I'm required by law to go on active duty, can I request school orders for say April-May? The research clerkships seem kind of like a waste of time, and plus I've been accepted into a lab for the summer. The lab is in CA, though, and I go to school in SC, so I'd either have to take school orders now-ish or from mid-Aug to end of Sept, which is cutting it close with the fiscal year. I'm scared the Navy will just throw me on school orders in the middle of my research program...

Any help about this process is appreciated!

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[glamqueen]

So, I've searched this forum, read the student handbook, and emailed MDAD/OH, and I'm still unclear about this. I'm finishing my first year of medical school right now. I did Navy ROTC in college, so I don't have to do ODS. What do I do this summer? It says I'm required by law to go on active duty, can I request school orders for say April-May? The research clerkships seem kind of like a waste of time, and plus I've been accepted into a lab for the summer. The lab is in CA, though, and I go to school in SC, so I'd either have to take school orders now-ish or from mid-Aug to end of Sept, which is cutting it close with the fiscal year. I'm scared the Navy will just throw me on school orders in the middle of my research program...

Any help about this process is appreciated!

Not sure if the Navy is like the AF, but I just asked all of those questions re: where do I have to be physically located i.e. my body during school orders to our managing body, AFIT, and they said don't leave the country, and we don't care where you go. I even have it in writing from them. So you should be able to go to CA during school orders even. Just don't leave the country. Hope this helps. Not sure if the Navy has a version of our AFIT that manages these things, but I just called emailed back and forth all these questions with AFIT, and they answered them. They are pretty nice. Just to show my OCD - I even called to double check. Find out who your "AFIT" is for Navy. It will help you in the future!

 

[lizzers729]

My understanding for Navy at least is that you aren't allowed to leave the city that your school is located in for those 45 days. I don't know how strict that is because the handbook also says that we aren't required to report anywhere. From reading old posts, it seems that if I don't request anything, the Navy will just automatically put me on school orders from mid-Aug til 30 Sept? Does anyone know if this is correct? (And if I did need to go somewhere during this time, could I request special permission? My boyfriend is supposed to get back from deployment during that time period)

 

[NavyFP]

So, I've searched this forum, read the student handbook, and emailed MDAD/OH, and I'm still unclear about this. I'm finishing my first year of medical school right now. I did Navy ROTC in college, so I don't have to do ODS. What do I do this summer? It says I'm required by law to go on active duty, can I request school orders for say April-May? The research clerkships seem kind of like a waste of time, and plus I've been accepted into a lab for the summer. The lab is in CA, though, and I go to school in SC, so I'd either have to take school orders now-ish or from mid-Aug to end of Sept, which is cutting it close with the fiscal year. I'm scared the Navy will just throw me on school orders in the middle of my research program...

Any help about this process is appreciated!

You can pick any 45 consecutive days in the fiscal year for your school orders. Yes you are supposed to stay in the area of your school. No, no one is checking on you. It is only a problem is something bad happens while you are on AT. If you are injured, killed, or had legal issues while on AT and not where you are supposed to be, the paperwork would be a nightmare.

 

[NishikiCycles]

So, I've searched this forum, read the student handbook, and emailed MDAD/OH, and I'm still unclear about this. I'm finishing my first year of medical school right now. I did Navy ROTC in college, so I don't have to do ODS. What do I do this summer? It says I'm required by law to go on active duty, can I request school orders for say April-May? The research clerkships seem kind of like a waste of time, and plus I've been accepted into a lab for the summer. The lab is in CA, though, and I go to school in SC, so I'd either have to take school orders now-ish or from mid-Aug to end of Sept, which is cutting it close with the fiscal year. I'm scared the Navy will just throw me on school orders in the middle of my research program...

Any help about this process is appreciated!

As an Academy guy on HPSP, I was also exempted from ODS. I did school orders 3 out of 4 of the years I had HPSP. The previous posters are correct--you can pick ANY 45 days out of the year (as long as your orders don't span two fiscal years) for your school orders. I would HIGHLY recommend doing school orders rather than a Navy clerkship, especially if you can get a paper or two out of your research time. This will go a long way towards your residency applications, as publications give you more "points".

When I was on school orders, my local reserve center did not even require me to come in person to get my orders signed. I got my orders through NROWS and that was that. When my school orders were over, I again didn't have to do anything. The extra paperwork comes when you want to travel when on AT on the Navy's dollar. If you want to go to CA from SC, you will probably have to pay for it yourself, since you *technically* are not supposed to do that on school orders (hence the name--you are *supposed* to stay near your school). Nobody's checking on you, but just don't get in trouble with the law and you'll be fine.