So I am a rising junior undergraduate premed student and I am really interested in military medicine and USUHS. However, there are two things that worry me: 1. Am I able to complete the same residencies as civilians and specialize in the field that I want to? For instance, I want to be a plastic surgeon. Can I do this at USUHS. 2. Secondly, when faced with decisions between USUHS and Hopkins/Duke/Harvard, does USUHS rankings match up at all? or board passing rates? Can someone help???
First, spend some time reading most of the threads on this forum. Why are you interested in military medicine? If it is because being an officer in the military is more important to you than being a doctor, you are going the right direction. If medicine is more important or if you are just looking for a good way to pay for the enormous cost of med school, run now and never look back. To take a stab at your questions: 1. No. You can only complete a residency that the military allows you to complete. If your wants and the military's needs match, then you are OK. Otherwise, you are not. You'll also change your mind about what specialty you want as you progress through med school. 2. USUHS grads (I'm not one) seem to be happy with their experience... until they get out and start practicing in the real military. USUHS students are protected from the military BS to a great extent. Med school is med school. You'll learn the same stuff and take the same board exams whether you go to State U or Harvard. Their board pass rates are probably similar too. Tryto make the most informed decision you possibly can regarding the military. Don't believe anything a recruiter says. Also don't make your decision based on anonymous posters on this or any website. Do a LOT of research. Talk to several practicing military doctors. Be honest with yourself as to your motives for joining the military. Financially it is a stupid move in 99.9% of cases. For a lot of us, this is why we joined and why we were/are so unhappy with the decision. If you are content to give up your free will and ability to choose how you live your life, perhaps the military is a good fit for you. Most physicians, however, desire a certain degree of autonomy that the military simply doesn't allow. Caveat emptor. Good luck.
1. Question number 2 is insane...I think that if you are able to get into Hopkins/Duke/Harvard, then you should probably be able to answer this for yourself. 2. Once you get accepted to all/any of the above schools, you should re-engage question #1 if you haven't answered it yet. But until then, get good grades, score high on the MCAT, and keep chugging away at your ECs...
Though you won't find anyone ranking USUHS with Duke/JohnsHopkins/Harvard I do think I read that they have a fairly high pass rate for boards. Though I can't recall where I read that.
