Pros and Cons of letting the military pick up your tab for Med School?

Question

I realize my chances of getting someone with actual experience with this are slim, so even if you just have a story of someone you know, or can think of some yourself. Thanks

Answer 1

My friend tried to get in through the air force but didn't make it. I recently met a girl in the army who did it.

I don't think it's that bad a deal.

Pros:
Med school is paid for. That's a HUGE debt. ($100K+ in most cases).

Cons:
Obligated to the military for a few years.
Paid according to the military scale (very low, compared to outside the military)
Little to no choice in where you are for those few years. If you're married or have a family, this can be really rough.

Ok, now, I know I listed more cons than pros, but only the not having a choice where you work is all that bad.

Yes, the low pay sucks. However, they essentially pay for all your expenses since you can live on base and they give you a uniform. So, your low pay really isn't that bad because you can save everything you earn. You don't even have any school loans to pay for.

A few years isn't that bad. Once you're this age, time, unfortunately starts to fly by. My buddy, the one who got rejected, is still finishing up his residency. Same age as me. Already, the past year disappeared so quickly, I barely know what happened. I'm not even that old (under 30).

The only real rough thing is if you have a family or husband. I see how this is bad because of that girl doctor I met. My buddy was fine because he's single so he could care less where they sent him. However, the girl doc was married. They shipped her from Texas to California. This caused a problem cuz her husband had to find a new job in a new state. That's pretty hard to do. They also liked living outside the base on their own house. So, they had to pay for housing. However, housing is a TON cheaper in Texas than in CA so their expenses jumped way up while the salary didn't keep up. If they had kids, you got all those complications as well.

Otherwise, I still think it's an awesome deal.

Answer 2

I don't know any doctors who did this. However, I do know some lawyers, so their experience may apply.

The advantages are:

-They pay not just your tuition, but I also believe they pay your other expenses as well - from housing to books. There's a stipend. That's huge.
-There are financial assistance programs which can increase your pay during your residency.
-The training you'll get from the military itself will be very good.
-You get commissioned as an officer.
-Job security.
-Potential for very unique and valuable experience.
-The experiences you get as a military doctor will go far, if you later chose to enter the private sector.
-You'll be doing something to benefit your country.
-The experience looks very, very good on your resume.

The cons:
-Loss of freedom. You'll be commissioned once you graduate, so you'll be in the military. You'll go where they tell you, work where they tell you, etc.
-Stress on your family and yourself re: reassignments, relocations, potential for working in dangerous situations, etc.
-Potential loss of life. You could serve in a combat area.

Only you can decide if the pros outweigh the cons.

Answer 3

i imagine you at the prompt are not searching on the tremendous photograph. You idea you've been youthful at 25, yet had had each of the teen in college memories. you're depriving her of more beneficial than you're giving her ,in case you follow this plan. A GED is not in any respect on par with a real degree. She may resent lacking severe college proms,and so on-memories and attending to understand with/from her peer team that commute will not in any respect grant. you recommend to shrink her free at 20 with tremendous loopholes in her progression. that's egocentric and shortsighted of you. Your husband is nice. Get a clean best buddy and enable her be a young person including her own acquaintances. in the course of the school year and summers, you've many commute possibilities. You attempt this to her and she will be able to not in any respect have a classic existence the position she makes her own options. you're making them for her.

Answer 4

Well having to join the military would be the con for me....free education is great though, you just have to decide if joining the military is worth it.