Hello!
I’m interested in becoming an army medic. I’m currently a high school sophomore and I have no idea where to turn to with this aspiration. What colleges are good for someone who aspires to be an army doctor? I’ve considered the military academies, particularly West Point, but I was informed that the service academies are a very poor choice for someone pursuing the medical field.
I’m not sure that I want to be in the military for the rest of my life (though I don’t have any qualms with it), and I’ve had thoughts about becoming a trauma surgeon after multiple years of service (if I ever do serve).
Would going to an ordinary medical school and being in the ROTC be the best route? Is it actually a decent idea to go to USMA to pursue this path?
Thank you for your time!
Hello there! I am currently a senior in HS, and I will be going to college next year on a Army ROTC scholarship. Personally, I don’t know much about going into medical fields, but I can give you advice for whether to do rotc. The service academies have a very strict schedule, and it’s not a lifestyle for everyone. If you think that is what you want, then go for it! But don’t think about going to the military academies just because you want to be an army medic; a majority of the officers usually come from ROTC programs anyways.
Keep in mind that if you want to be a doctor in the army, you will need to go to med school; the combat medic (MOS 68W) has no officer positions, so you wouldn’t be able to do that going through USMA or ROTC. Becoming a doctor through ROTC programs will require a longer service obligation if I recall correctly, not sure. But, if your intention is to serve in the US military as an officer, I can’t think of a better way than the ROTC program! If you have any questions about the program or how to apply (you won’t have to worry about that until summer of your junior year) feel free to message me. Good luck!
An Army medic is not a physician. You can be a medic right after high school after training (boot camp, AIT).
To be an Army physician - most physicians enter in medical school under the HPSP scholarship (health professions scholarship program). It pays tuition, books plus a monthly allowance. Some enter by going to USUHS (the military medical school in DC). Some join directly after already being a physician. They offer loan paybacks for physicians and bonuses.
Going to an academy or ROTC would almost ensure you a full military career in the military as by the time you finish residency plus payback it could be 12-14 years of active duty. The only risk with ROTC or academy is possibly not being allowed to attend medical school, as they are training you to be an officer - they allow a certain number to defer their active duty obligation to attend medical school but it’s not guaranteed. When I was in ROTC, they allowed a total of 25 in the whole US in Navy ROTC to defer their military service (ROTC is to train you to be a line officer) to attend medical school. I was lucky that I was one of the 25 and was allowed to go to medical school.
The guaranteed route is the HPSP scholarship or USUHS if you know you want to be a military physician.