So you've figured out what branch to apply to, you've hopefully got a med school acceptance (or soon will), and you're talking to the recruiter, what next?
A lot of paperwork. Or if you are in my situation then a lot of paperwork and then a lot of waiting. Because my GPA didn't meet the minimum requirement of 3.2 (undergrad GPA - they don't factor graduate school into that) I had to get a GPA waiver. This involved official copies of all my transcripts and a resume. It took about two months before the committee reported back that I could move on with my application. (The minimum MCAT score is a 24 or so says my unofficial research.)
Once that was finished it was mid January. I had to submit the forty page application which details everywhere you lived and worked in a certain time span, references, medical questions, and security questions. Along with this I had to submit a personal/motivational statement (my recruiter helped me out with examples) and five letters of recommendation. I got three from supervisors and two from peers from my EMS job.
After submitting that you need to head to MEPS, Military Entrance Processing Station, to get a physical. It will be your first demonstration of preferential treatment as an officer candidate and alienation from the potential enlisted folk. Three years prior to this I went to MEPS to try and enlist as a combat medic. I ended up not going through with it due to there being no spots for female medics and my recruiter attempting to push me towards a MOS, Military Occupation Speciality (or job), I didn't want. So I had gotten the enlisted experience at MEPS and now I was getting the officer experience.
When I went I was the only officer candidate. I didn't have to spend the night previous to the physical in a hotel. I was trusted and expected to show up in the early morning hours on time and ready. I stood and waited with my recruiter for the rest of the future soldiers to get there.
Once in MEPS, I noticed that people were perhaps more considerate and critical of me. I wasn't a teenager acting like a fool. I dressed comfortably, but respectfully and spoke in turn. I listened and obeyed all the rules. One time it was asked who was the officer candidate in the room when we were filling out some forms. I attempted to confidently raise my hand. The only reason for it was to address how I would fill out my paperwork slightly differently.
So other than that and the physicians treating me well after hearing I would be going to medical school, it was a very similar experience to the one I had as an hopeful enlisted solider. At the end of the ordeal, I passed my physical, and happily called my recruiter to tell him the news. On to the next step.
If you want more info about MEPS, there are some great blogs talking about the process, though I am currently too lazy to find them.
When we next continue: Waiting anxiously, Boards, something called a scroll, and commissioning!
*Word of advice: don't bring anything that can be confused as a weapon, like an oxygen key to MEPS. The security guards really don't care for it.*
2LT Lister
Friday, February 20, 2015
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Thinking of applying to HPSP
Great! You've decided to join the ranks as a future military physician and maybe you've even decided which branch to apply to. Next up? Contacting a recruiter.
If you're really certain you'll get into medical school before December then I recommend starting the process after you interview. You don't need a medical school acceptance to talk to a recruiter, but you will need one to get the scholarship.
I started the process in November after I received my first acceptance. The first time I went through this process I never got a medical school acceptance, so for the second time around I didn't want to waste a recruiter's time until I was sure.
My first bit of advice for you all is to do your own research! Hopefully a recruiter won't lie to you, but they will paint the sunny side of things without stressing the sacrifice. It's their job to recruit, so listen to them very carefully, but keep an open mind. Pretty much since I first discovered the HPSP I have researched the program.
I got most of my information from blogs such as this one, student doc forums, and reading between the lines of contracts. I learned a lot and will pass on some of my information on to you guys.
First up, do not apply for the HPSP if you're doing it solely for the money. The military will pay for your tuition, but it's not free. You are a member of the military and while your friends will be subspecializing or setting themselves up in a practice, you will be who knows where in the world for four years AFTER residency. So if you don't think you can abide with the military lifestyle understand that you will be in the military for 11-15 years until your contract is fulfilled.
Additionally from what I've read the lack of student debt is nice, but since civilian doctors make more money than military ones, it eventually all evens out financially. Plus if you are planning on having a family anytime in the next ten years think about how that will affect your family/future family.
I'm not trying to discourage anyone from joining up, but I do want you all to have a point of view that doesn't come from behind a recruiter's desk. Truth is, I am very happy with my decision. It was the right one for me. With thought and research, it could be the right one for you too.
2LT Lister
If you're really certain you'll get into medical school before December then I recommend starting the process after you interview. You don't need a medical school acceptance to talk to a recruiter, but you will need one to get the scholarship.
I started the process in November after I received my first acceptance. The first time I went through this process I never got a medical school acceptance, so for the second time around I didn't want to waste a recruiter's time until I was sure.
My first bit of advice for you all is to do your own research! Hopefully a recruiter won't lie to you, but they will paint the sunny side of things without stressing the sacrifice. It's their job to recruit, so listen to them very carefully, but keep an open mind. Pretty much since I first discovered the HPSP I have researched the program.
I got most of my information from blogs such as this one, student doc forums, and reading between the lines of contracts. I learned a lot and will pass on some of my information on to you guys.
First up, do not apply for the HPSP if you're doing it solely for the money. The military will pay for your tuition, but it's not free. You are a member of the military and while your friends will be subspecializing or setting themselves up in a practice, you will be who knows where in the world for four years AFTER residency. So if you don't think you can abide with the military lifestyle understand that you will be in the military for 11-15 years until your contract is fulfilled.
Additionally from what I've read the lack of student debt is nice, but since civilian doctors make more money than military ones, it eventually all evens out financially. Plus if you are planning on having a family anytime in the next ten years think about how that will affect your family/future family.
I'm not trying to discourage anyone from joining up, but I do want you all to have a point of view that doesn't come from behind a recruiter's desk. Truth is, I am very happy with my decision. It was the right one for me. With thought and research, it could be the right one for you too.
2LT Lister
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Why do I want to become an Army Doc?
"Why do I want to become an Army Doc?" is such a big question, but I'll try and be succinct and keep it simple.
I have always wanted to be a doctor, well perhaps not always, but since I was around eight years old. My Grandma sent me a Fisher Price doctor kit and I fell in love. I diagnosed and treated all sorts of teddy bear maladies and barbie doll injuries. From that point onward I knew that's all I wanted to do in life. I'm not sure where my passion for medicine comes from, maybe it's God given, but one thing is for sure: I am supremely grateful for that passion.
I hate to be a cliche, but since sometimes cliche happens, 9/11 is what made me really consider the military for the first time. I was a young teenager living close enough to NYC to feel threatened by the events of that morning. If I was old enough I might have signed myself up right then and there. But there was one major problem: I wanted to be a doctor.
Enlisting right off would delay my college plans and frankly I didn't think I was tough enough to be one of the enlisted. I thought about ROTC in college, but even then that was likely to delay and perhaps even derail my medical school plans. Of course as a teenager, TV was a big influence and I had been mainlining MASH episodes. The military had to have doctors! Hawkeye wouldn't lie to me! So I began researching military medicine and that's when I found HPSP.
I was fifteen the first time I found out about the Health Professions Scholarship Program. It's a too good to be true deal. If you qualify the military (Army, Air Force, and Navy) pays for your medical school, your textbooks, tests, and gives you a monthly stipend. In return after you finish all your training you owe the military four years of active duty service (for a 4 yr. scholarship).
It was the perfect choice for me. But why Army, you ask? I had three choices: Army, Air Force, and Navy (the Navy provides medical care for the Marines as well). I didn't have any immediate family that was in the military. In fact my parents and siblings did their best to talk me out of the decision to serve. But the point of no connections was that I was free to evaluate all the services and make a decision independent of outside biases.
The Navy as a choice was out for me almost immediately. I read places that after medical school you don't go straight into residency, you serve as a GMO, General Medical Officer, for a number of years first. I wanted to specialize. I wanted my residency.
Then it became a tough choice between the Air Force and the Army. Air Force seemed like the more comfortable of the two services and having a greater number of women. As a woman, this was a concern to me. I even shared a few emails with a AF recruiter before finally deciding on the Army. Why? Again it came down to the residency. I wasn't sure what type of medicine I wished to practice, but I wanted choice. And the Army has the most amount of specialties for its residents mostly because the Army has the greatest number of doctors.
So there you have it. My story to the Why of this. Now a quick disclaimer: the military isn't right for everyone and there is something truly great about each branch of the Armed Forces. This is my opinion alone. I hope through this blog I can help give light to us gluttons for punishment: the future military docs.
2LT Lister
I have always wanted to be a doctor, well perhaps not always, but since I was around eight years old. My Grandma sent me a Fisher Price doctor kit and I fell in love. I diagnosed and treated all sorts of teddy bear maladies and barbie doll injuries. From that point onward I knew that's all I wanted to do in life. I'm not sure where my passion for medicine comes from, maybe it's God given, but one thing is for sure: I am supremely grateful for that passion.
I hate to be a cliche, but since sometimes cliche happens, 9/11 is what made me really consider the military for the first time. I was a young teenager living close enough to NYC to feel threatened by the events of that morning. If I was old enough I might have signed myself up right then and there. But there was one major problem: I wanted to be a doctor.
Enlisting right off would delay my college plans and frankly I didn't think I was tough enough to be one of the enlisted. I thought about ROTC in college, but even then that was likely to delay and perhaps even derail my medical school plans. Of course as a teenager, TV was a big influence and I had been mainlining MASH episodes. The military had to have doctors! Hawkeye wouldn't lie to me! So I began researching military medicine and that's when I found HPSP.
I was fifteen the first time I found out about the Health Professions Scholarship Program. It's a too good to be true deal. If you qualify the military (Army, Air Force, and Navy) pays for your medical school, your textbooks, tests, and gives you a monthly stipend. In return after you finish all your training you owe the military four years of active duty service (for a 4 yr. scholarship).
It was the perfect choice for me. But why Army, you ask? I had three choices: Army, Air Force, and Navy (the Navy provides medical care for the Marines as well). I didn't have any immediate family that was in the military. In fact my parents and siblings did their best to talk me out of the decision to serve. But the point of no connections was that I was free to evaluate all the services and make a decision independent of outside biases.
The Navy as a choice was out for me almost immediately. I read places that after medical school you don't go straight into residency, you serve as a GMO, General Medical Officer, for a number of years first. I wanted to specialize. I wanted my residency.
Then it became a tough choice between the Air Force and the Army. Air Force seemed like the more comfortable of the two services and having a greater number of women. As a woman, this was a concern to me. I even shared a few emails with a AF recruiter before finally deciding on the Army. Why? Again it came down to the residency. I wasn't sure what type of medicine I wished to practice, but I wanted choice. And the Army has the most amount of specialties for its residents mostly because the Army has the greatest number of doctors.
So there you have it. My story to the Why of this. Now a quick disclaimer: the military isn't right for everyone and there is something truly great about each branch of the Armed Forces. This is my opinion alone. I hope through this blog I can help give light to us gluttons for punishment: the future military docs.
2LT Lister
Welcome to the Show!
I am one of those fickle souls who could not choose between her love for medicine and her desire to serve her country. So I decided to do both. No, I'm not a combat medic, those guys are way cooler than I am. Currently I am a first year medical student going to medical school under the Army HPSP, or Health Professions Scholarship Program. I have been a commissioned Second Lieutenant since last year. There aren't too many resources for HPSP students out there, so this blog is to help them out, as well as give me a forum to rant about medical school.
I'm more than half way done with my first year, but I thought for a while we would backtrack and start from the beginning.
2LT Lister
I'm more than half way done with my first year, but I thought for a while we would backtrack and start from the beginning.
2LT Lister
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)