<p>...do medical schools look favorably upon military service or service in a medical-related job while in the military? I'm wondering because I'm in a situation where I basically have to join the military if I want to go to school (not something I'm excited about) but am still hopeful that I could make the most of it and possibly use the Army in giving me a step towards getting into medical school. Basically I want to know if your job in the Army would matter at all in the admissions process, whether I should choose a medical MOS (or which one in particular) or not.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your help and suggestions.</p>
<p>This isn’t a straight forward answer to be sure.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say military service in and of itself will help or hinder you getting into med school, though there’s always the natural variability in how people feel about the goals and mission of the military and whether they’re able to separate out the politics from whether youre a good candidate or not. I wouldn’t worry about it too much though. Beyond that though, I think the experiences you have while serving will have some powerful impacts on you and those could translate into compelling portions of your personal statement or during an interview.</p>
<p>As for what to do while you’re in the service. I think if you are naturally drawn to the health related jobs, then do what interests you. But that also holds for other areas as well. It’s possible that you’d be ask why you chose a particular path one way or the other, but again, if you “sell” it the right way, everything is possibly a positive point in your application. </p>
<p>The other option that is might be more attractive to you having been in the military compared to someone coming in as a civilian is the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), which provides medical education for free (plus stipend) in return for a 7 year commitment after medical school. Likewise all the services actively recruit med students, and there are different options and requirements. Of course I fully recognize that after you finish your initial stint, you may have different feelings about returning to service, but it’s worth mentioning. It’s also possible that your time in the service will inspire you towards wanting to help your fellow servicemen overcome certain conditions that are more common among our military men and women like PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury or the variety of trauma seen in combat. </p>
<p>I hope that helps answer your question at least somewhat.</p>