<p>I am a freshman in a high school specialized for allied health occupations and I want to go to a military academy as a biology major and then go to medical school to become a surgeon through the military. I have a 4.0 unweighted gpa taking one full year dual enrollment class and all other honors (but this is only the first 3 semesters of freshman year). Next year I plan to take 3 semester dual enrollment classes and all other classes as honors. These dual enrollment courses are administered through Rutgers and are all medical and healthcare based (Dynamics of Healthcare, Medical Terminology, Community Health, things like that) and are taken in spots of electives at a normal high school. I also plan to take AP biology, AP chem, AP math analysis, AP calc AB, AP British lit, AP Euro, and maybe honors physic throughout my high school career. I also get CPR, EKG, and EMT certified through my school and take a semester of interning at a local hospital or clinic during senior year. I run winter and spring track and plan on adding cross country next year. I hope to varsity letter either sophmore or junior year. I am also in Health Occupations Students of America, Student Movement Against Cancer, Student Growth, and I irish dance competitively on a national level. </p>
<p>First, which military academy should I apply to considering that I want to be a surgeon. Also which do I have the best chance getting accepting into medical school upon graduating. </p>
<p>Second, I know it might be too early to tell, but how do I stand competitively for getting accepted by one of these colleges.</p>
<p>Also I am a girl and i know it does matter when it comes to the military. </p>
<p>I am not sure of the academies. I do know you can also apply for an ROTC scholarship and then go to medical school. Had a friend who was a year behind me do this route. </p>
<p>If you want to go into med school right after the academies, you have to be one of the tops in your class when you graduate otherwise you join at some other position. You can go to any one of them, just make sure you graduate at or near the top of your class</p>
<p>As for the academies, I applied this year to the military academy, but was rejected for medical reasons (I have a lazy eye). Your grades seem alright but make sure to work on your fitness as the test is extremely hard to do if you’re unfit, but for a girl I would assume it would be easier. The only way I passed was through doing 3 sports. The application process has a ton of precise steps and you need to make sure you’re on the ball with everything.</p>
<p>Each of the academies addresses this question to some extent on their websites. West Point says that “up to 2%” of each graduating class can proceed directly to medical school. The Air Force Academy says up to 3% of its graduates can do so. The Naval Academy does not share any percentage which I can find, but I hear that it is about 2%.</p>
<p>First, do not go to any of the military academies unless you are willing to accept the possibility of not going to medical school but instead serving as a regular Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Navy officer. Just because you get accepted to medical school does not mean that the military will let you attend. The military tells your what your career is. All you can do is tell them what you want.</p>
<p>Second, the Air Force is probably your best option; not only because it will allow a higher percentage than does West Point, but also because women seem to be happier in the Air Force than in any of the other services. Or at least more women are in the Air Force… about 22% of Air Force is women. In both the Army and Navy, women are about 16%. The Marines only have about 7% (but the Marine Corps has no doctors, or even nurses. All medical treatment for Marines comes from Navy medical staff). Plus, all in all, the Air Force will allow you to have a more normal medical experience than the other services.</p>
<p>Do remember that you are allowed the first two years at any of the academies to decide if a military career is what you want. It is not like you are totally obligated from the first day.</p>
<p>So, it is okay to go to the academy with the hope of becoming a doctor. If after two years you decide that you cannot accept being anything other than a doctor, then you should transfer to a civilian university. You would not owe the military anything for those first two years (unless you take some sort of loan from the military). Most of your academic credits would probably be accepted at any university.</p>
<p>I think most services have a ROTC scholarship specifically for medical students. That, IMO, gives you a better shot at your goal than going through a service academy. The military certainly needs doctors, nurses, and lawyers, but the academies are not designed to make them. </p>
<p>I’m not saying you can’t become a doctor through a service academy, People do it every year. That said, the opportunities are more limited than elsewhere.</p>
<p>Actually, NROTC has no program for medical school. It does have a program for nursing, but not doctors. See this which I copied from the Georgia Tech NROTC website:</p>
<p>QUESTION: “Can I go from the NROTC program directly into medical school, and then serve my obligated time as a Navy doctor?”</p>
<p>ANSWER: “Maybe. At this time, a maximum of 8 NROTC Midshipmen nationwide receive permission to apply to medical school each year. If admitted to medical school, they attend immediately following graduation. Under this program, students begin to serve their obligation following their residency. To enter this program, the student must gain acceptance into a medical school. Once again, outstanding academic performance or lack thereof will be the greatest enabler or barrier for this goal. Bottom line is that the NROTC program is not designed to educate and produce medical doctors. If becoming a medical doctor is your only goal, the NROTC program is not for you.”</p>
<p>Maximum of 8 nationwide… not so good. Better off trying the Naval Academy route. I cannot speak for Army ROTC or Air Force ROTC, but my guess is that they are about the same as NROTC</p>
<p>My nephew is at West Point and a junior and wants to be a doctor, only 20 cadets in his class are allowed to go to medical school, he is one of them </p>
<p>Remember West Point picks for you and every aspect of your life once you commit, he is told where he spends his summers and how</p>
<p>He did ROTC in HS, was valedictorian, national honor merit scholar, 35 on ACT, and his father went to West Point </p>