<p>How feasible would it be to apply/go to med school 5 years after graduating from WP? Would med schools take mcats that old? Anyone know someone who has done this?</p>
<p>I'm just a Junior but exploring various possibilities.</p>
<p>This may be where your question stems from, but check out the "ADSO for Graduate School" option. It involves a soldier, after their 5 year commitment, recieving full scholarship to grad school in exchange for an extension of their Active Duty Service Obligation. If they're offering this, then people must be taking advantage of it. I had some questions about med school and the academy that got answered on an old post titled "Best Academy for a Future Doctor?" or something along those lines. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>I know this is sort of a dumb reply but why would you go to West Point if you wanted to become a doctor? Why wouldnt you go pre-med somewhere and not spend your entire life trying to earn the title Dr? I mean its possible lots of people do it, it just seems like you'd waste some of the best years of your life going to school.</p>
<p>Have you considered going to med school while being in the reserves at the same time?</p>
<p>That isn't a dumb question, Mumford2009; most people think that the amount of schooling that doctors get is insane anyways, but adding WP probably seems psychotic. I suppose the best way to answer is with a quote from a WWII movie I recently saw called "Saints and Soldiers." In it, one of the medics is b****hing about how he "should be back home setting Little Billy's broken arm because he fell of his bicycle. Instead, I'm stuck here pulling lead out of his 17 year old brothers gut because he wanted to serve his country and lied about his age." Now, this was meant as a complaint, of course, but for me it summarizes why I want to be a doctor in the Army. It is where I can do the most good. Gung-ho students that dream of owning plush offices and BMWs can have them for all I care; that's just not what I want. I want to be the guy patching up my buddies when they've had a brush with a landmine or IED. When someone screams "MEDIC!" I want to be able to do something for them. To tell the truth, being able to help my friends when they need it the most is exactly what I want to do, no matter how many books I have to crack (and who needs a BMW when you've got those great Humvees!;))</p>
<p>Well to make it more clear I am not sure I would want to go to med school, but want to know if I would have the option too.</p>
<p>Also, if I did go to med school it would be after leaving the army, so I wouldn't have their help getting in(I think they have guaranteed slots at some med schools).</p>
<p>Basically, I want to know that if, after 5 years of being in the army, I decide its not the career for me, would it be feasible for me to get into med school(not with the army)?</p>
<p>im not sure but I do know that you have to be in the reserves for 2 years after the 5 active, just so you know.</p>
<p>what does being in the reserves entail?</p>
<p>I believe its 3 years in the reserves after 5 years active duty.</p>
<p>is being in the reserves a full time job or is it like the natl guard?</p>
<p>It's not a full time job, you can persure other career oppportunities but your still part of the army. For those three years you will do occasional training, but will not be stationed at a base. If the army needs you, they will call you and you will have to stop doing whatever it is your doing..school, job, etc. and do what the army needs you to do. Hope that helps.</p>
<p>its a 5 year active duty 3 year IRR inactive ready reserves. its not the same as normal reserves. it just means they can call you up if they need you. you dont have to do anything</p>
<p>So I could hypothetically go to med school during that time?</p>
<p>If so, anyone know someone who has done it?</p>
<p>If you commission for 8 years they will pay for any grad school you want but you still owe time for the schooling. You would have to retake MCATs if you want to go to Med School and you will end up owing them service after you graduate.</p>
<p>Currently the "exchange rate" is you owe 3 days service for every day of graduate school you go to. So med school after 8 years of service will pretty much make you a career officer for sure.</p>
<p>WESTPOINTCDT</p>
<p><a href="http://www.westpointcadet.com%5B/url%5D">www.westpointcadet.com</a></p>
<p>med school is 1 for 1, same for residency</p>
<p>I am pretty sure that is wrong mrgreenapple. I have been told by numerous reputable resources that it is indeed 3 for 1.</p>
<p>"USMA graduates incur an additional 10-year service obligation or seven years of obligated service with a six-year reserve obligation, which starts after residency. If you come to West Point to be an Army doctor, understand that you will be an Army doctor for a long time."
-USMA fact sheet</p>
<p>read</p>
<p>mrgreenapple, it explicitly states in that document that the minimum service for an army doctor out of West Point will be 13 years.
[quote]
USMA graduates incur an additional ten-year service obligation or seven years of obligated service with a six-year reserve obligation, which starts following residency. If you come to West Point to be an Army doctor, understand that you will be an Army doctor for a long time.</p>
<p>Usually USUHS graduates continue their medical education with one year of internship and two to four years of residency. No additional obligation is incurred for internship training.</p>
<p>Obligations incurred for medical training are added to any other active obligation, whether incurred prior to matriculation or subsequent to graduation. For USMA graduates, this means that the seven-year obligation is in addition to the five years for which they are already committed as well as one year of internship. In terms of total service, this means approximately 13 years.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>your point? this means the initial 5 yr commitment for WP and 7 yrs for med school and any internship/residency. I dont see how that works out to 3yrs for every 1 yr of grad school</p>