UNC vs. USUHS

[lee88]

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Hi everyone,

I know that the pros and cons of HPSP and USUHS have been hashed out on other threads but I was recently accepted into UNC(my top choice civillan school) and USUHS. I am somewhat unique in that I did Navy ROTC for my undergrad. I have to be honest it was ok, but I didn't love my ROTC experience. I really liked UNC and a part of me would like to take 4 years "off" from the military environment. I also realize, however, that the benefits offered at USUHS are top notch and it makes the most sense to go there since I am pretty much set on making military medicine a career. My question is, would going to USUHS give me concrete career advantages over going to UNC? Also as a side note, my boyfriend is a second lieutenant in the Army(he is at armor BOLC now) and I would like to be able to be stationed with him at some point if we stay together. I don't know if either school would help with this. thoughts?

 

[DocArmy]

Lee88,

I don't have too much advice, past doing some math. You already owe 4 years AD for ROTC. While attending school at USUHS, you will be, for all intents and purposes, on AD (money, wear a uniform every day, PT, counts for retirement retroactively) and then you owe 7 after residency.

So, 4 plus 7 is an 11 year commitment post residency, plus 4 years medical school plus 3 years residency means that you would be in the military for 18 years, minimum, with 14 toward retirement.

If you go to UNC, without HPSP, you would still owe them 4 for your ROTC days, which I assume they'd take after residency (not completely sure how this would work). Then, once those 4 years were up, you would be eligible for the big retention bonuses. You would also have unfettered choices for residency. You could look into FAP for that as well. That would put your AD obligation closer to 9 years, but has it's own financial incentives.

Now, USUHS is an awesome school. The curriculum is really neat and the facilities and leadership opportunities are amazing.

So, it's up to you. There's nothing that says you can't keep reupping once you're in and retire at 20. I don't know that I'd commit for 18 years to any organization. That's a long time.

 

[backrow]

My question is, would going to USUHS give me concrete career advantages over going to UNC? Also as a side note, my boyfriend is a second lieutenant in the Army(he is at armor BOLC now) and I would like to be able to be stationed with him at some point if we stay together. I don't know if either school would help with this. thoughts?

USUHS would likely give you a better chance of switching to the Army which would exponentially improve your chances of being stationed with your boyfriend if it is that serious.

Since you already owe Navy time for ROTC the Navy wants you and likely would not support a transfer for an HPSP scholarship, if you go to USUHS that gives you about 3-4 more years of "dating" before you really have to make a decision to try and transfer to the Army. At USUHS it seems to be fairly easy to switch services as long as there is a valid reason (spouse counts as valid).

You would also likely be able to set up some of your rotations at a base he would likely be stationed at for 3rd/4th years.

Anyway, USUHS + ROTC = 12yrs now I believe as ROTC was increased to 5yrs a few years back I think. ROTC+HPSP = 9 years. That would be the advantage of UNC.

 

[ieatpizza]

I would personally pick UNC. I have no affiliation with UNC, but Chapel Hill is a cool town and UNC medical school and hospitals in academic circles are well reputed. You will get a tertiary/quaternary care experience your 3rd and 4th years that you will not get at military hospitals. Medical school will be your only opportunity to experience civilian medicine for a long time given your commitment (I chose HPSP after graduating from an academy).

 

[lee88]

backrow, do you have any more information on how a possible service switch would work? Would I need to find someone to switch with me? just wondering.

 

[backrow]

backrow, do you have any more information on how a possible service switch would work? Would I need to find someone to switch with me? just wondering.

The standard is usually a 1 for 1 switch. At USUHS this usually isn't too hard to find given things like intraclass marriages between services and things like that which end up opening up plenty of opportunities for those who need it.