USUHS upcoming interview and thoughts

[Re3iRtH]

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Hello,

Who else is interviewing at USUHS this Thursday, the 7th?
Just wanted everyones thoughts on the school, and how you plan
to spend your pre-interview/interview day. Thanks for the input!

 

[Re3iRtH]

Does anyone have any suggestions for the interview
and preparation? This will be my first interview, and
it happens to be at an unorthodox medical school,
to say the least.
Thanks.

 

[Sarg's kid]

Go to the Military Medicine forum. DON'T go posting half cocked, but do a search and read the threads about USUHS. They cover what to expect pretty well. Also, the interview ratings on SDN are good too. They walk you through the whole day.

 

[GAdoc]

USUHS...what can I say? I loved the school. I would've gladly gone there, but they didn't see fit to offer me a spot. It is unorthodox, but it is also very traditional. Let's review both:

Unorthodox: it's truly a service academy. You will wear your uniform to class. You will drill, you will attend an officer indoctrination course the summer before you attend, and you will be committed to the military for 7 years AFTER residency. The school is actually part of a military base so you will experience the typical restrictions. They will straight up tell you you can expect to be deployed during your 7 year commitment.

Traditional: While you are a student you are allowed to come and go as you please. Until you finish residency you are only in the military on paper. You classes are traditional lecture based and system based (as opposed to problem based). You can apply for a civilian or military residency and no one will ask questions until you finish residency. They are phasing out Graduate Medical Officer (GMO) tours of duty, so you don't have to worry much about that.

The school is true to their word in that they recruit both military and non-military. One of my fellow interviewees was a biochemistry professor at West Point. Talk about intimidating! If you're a civilian, you'll see other people like you, and you'll see highly decorated men and women in their military uniforms.

You will have two open file one on one interviews. Often they use 4th years. I had a 4th year who's first question to me was "what's your favorite beer?". Be ready for anything. They do expect you want to make the military your career. Civilians are not at a disadvantage as long as you understand this is a life-time commitment (or at least that's what they expect).


Good luck, if I can tell you anything else, let me know!

AL

 

[deuist]

You can apply for a civilian or military residency and no one will ask questions until you finish residency. They are phasing out Graduate Medical Officer (GMO) tours of duty, so you don't have to worry much about that.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think that USUHS students can apply to the civilian match. Also, GMO tours are increasing in the military, not decreasing. This summer the Air Force put into effect a rule that forces all non-matched students to become flight surgeons.

To the OP: realize that since USUHS is a military school, you will be asked if you're ready to join the armed forces. You will need a better reason than, "I don't want to worry about malpractice insurance." I suggest staying with a student host. You'll learn a lot about the program from the students' perspective.

 

[GAdoc]

I know for a fact that you can apply to civilian residencies. In fact, this is what most of the people do. It's not that they prefer them, it's just there are not enough military residencies for all the HPSP and USUHS grads.

As far as GMO tours, I was told the Air Force had completely eliminated them, the Army was on its way to completely eliminating them, and the Navy was the only branch where they might still be a possibility. That was last February and it came from the website, the professors at the school, and the students who attended. Becoming a flight surgeon is a different matter. It is usually highly competitive and I'm not sure, but I don't think you can do it with only one year of Post Graduate medical education. However, as a GMO you will usually only have one Post graduate year of education. That's why most people hate it. You start into a residency and after the first year they pull you into active duty as a "doc in the box" medical officer. This could last for as long as they deem necessary.

One more word to the OP, they will expect you to stick around and talk to the admission committee. They EXPECT you to question them. You need to do this!!!!

 

[FizbanZymogen]

I will be there on the 7th (6th interview though). Am pretty excited. My brother in law went there and is doing his residency in Hawaii right now (peds). From what I have read though GMO is quite typical in the Navy and the army still has plenty who don't match and end up as a GMO in Iraq. The Air Force is notorious for forcing non matched individuals in the flight surgeon path which is a basically an FP for the air force. GMO's are not disappearing.

 

[havingfaith]

My best advice for you is the generic, be yourself, relax, and have fun. They do a fabulous of job making you feel really comfortable and chill. Have answers ready for why military medicine? what leadership experiences/ qualities you can bring? read through the interview feedback on student doctor and read through your personal statement and acitvities. But enjoy Washington DC post-interview (just hop on the red line on the metro). Oh! and if you take the metro to medical center, there's a shuttle service on campus to the actual medical school area. The medical school buildings are located near the back of the campus, and it's a good 15 min walk to get there. (if u're in high heels, it's not the best idea.) good luck!

 

[deuist]

I know for a fact that you can apply to civilian residencies. In fact, this is what most of the people do. It's not that they prefer them, it's just there are not enough military residencies for all the HPSP and USUHS grads.

As far as GMO tours, I was told the Air Force had completely eliminated them, the Army was on its way to completely eliminating them, and the Navy was the only branch where they might still be a possibility. That was last February and it came from the website, the professors at the school, and the students who attended. Becoming a flight surgeon is a different matter. It is usually highly competitive and I'm not sure, but I don't think you can do it with only one year of Post Graduate medical education. However, as a GMO you will usually only have one Post graduate year of education. That's why most people hate it. You start into a residency and after the first year they pull you into active duty as a "doc in the box" medical officer. This could last for as long as they deem necessary.

One more word to the OP, they will expect you to stick around and talk to the admission committee. They EXPECT you to question them. You need to do this!!!!

I think that you are mistaking the term "flight surgeon." You are referring to the residency in aerospace medicine (RAM). RAMs have an internship, two years of experience as a GMO with flight crews, an MPH, and a residency in aerospace med. They are called flight surgeons. 4th year medical students who do not match in the Air Force are required to do a one-year internship, followed by the one-month aerospace medicine primary course (AMP). These docs work as GMOs with flight crews. They are also called flight surgeons. The title is confusing because you have to be a flight surgeon to become a flight surgeon. You were correct in that GMO tours had been on their way out the door. This past summer, however, the surgeon general ordered that anyone not matching would be placed into AMP to become a flight surgeon.

 

[GAdoc]

You're probably 100% correct about the GMO stuff. That shows how much can change in a years time. It also highlights a very important point...if you sign on the dotted line, you are in the military FIRST, and in medical school second. They can change your plans just by giving the order.

I stand by my feeling that it's a great school that turns out great doctors, but it's not for everyone. Don't go into it thinking you'll "get lucky". If you can get into USUHS you should be able to get into another US MD or DO school and you could always do the HPSP which comes with a max. four year commitment and offers a lot more freedom during your school years.