Should I do college first or do college and join the navy?

Question

I want to be a doctor for the navy eventually... I plan to try and get into a military medical school. But for the first 4 years to get my bachelors degree I'm not really sure what to do. I was thinking of just flat out joining the navy after I graduate highschool so I could get some financial help for getting through my pre-med stuff.

Or should I just go to a normal college and not join up until I have to go into the medical school...

any info or opinions would be great =D thanks.

I'll try and get into med school... not 100 % sure if I will.. I really want to ... not saying I for sure will get in though

Answer 1

Go talk to a Recruiter and see what your options are when it comes to the Navy. You don't have to sign the papers that same day! But it wouldn't hurt to sit down with someone and go over everything.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Answer 2

Take your ASVAB.... Depending on your score determines what enlisted job you can get. If you score high then I would suggest going HM with a guaranteed Advanced Lab C school (go HM if you can no matter what) because you want to be a Doc. The Credits your enlisted school gives you will apply to your PhD. While enlisted take advantage of TA. TA pays for 16 credits a year, all you buy are books. You can also request more credits and most of the time the requests are approved. So your buying books to get your Bachelors. Once you get your bachelors, apply for STA-21 to go to med school. Now here is where the credits you earned for being an HM come into play. Your stay at Med School is shorter because you have earned more than a few credits already.

So, do you go into decades of Debt from student loans to earn your bachelors, or do you let the Navy pay for everything but a few books and become a Doctor? Its your choice, but recent studies have shown most college grads who take out student loans spend 2 decades paying off the loans. Just think, you could be retired from the Navy and starting your own practice by the time other doc's are finally done paying off student loans.

Answer 3

The Navy needs docs of all kinds; corpsmen, PAs, MDs, etc... Many people go in as medical corpsmen and work on their degrees. Just beware that your job in the Navy is your priority and off duty education is at best second or third. You do get great experience and working in all levels of medicine.

The Navy's tuition assistence program isn't that great either. Yes, it's 75% of your tuition, but....there is a cap on how much you can use each year. It might pay for a couple of courses. Most serious students are having to use their GI Bill while in the Navy.

You might look into a ROTC program for Nurses or PA. They often have a pretty good stipend and you can focus on studying instead of duty.

Personally, I'd either go ROTC cause being an officer is definately the way to go. Alternatively, I might consider a reserve postion as an enlisted corpsman so I could drill for pay and benefits, but a lot of risk of being called to a.d. right now.

Answer 4

My advice is to finish your BS, then talk to the Navy about medical school. The military will allow you to enter an officer program, probably OCS (Officer Candidate School), then send you to medical school. In return for paying for your education, the Navy will require a term of service. But, I will be a doctor and an officer.

If you need money for college now, you can join the Navy and
apply for training as a corpsman (Naval rating of HM). You will be trained to work in the medical field and get the money to pay for your pre-med college. Then, if you decide to become an officer, you can go the OCS route.

Answer 5

You have a specific goal - and that helps determine the answer to this question.

If you know you want to be a doctor and you are already a good student with well disciplined study habits then you need to go to college first. Choose a school with an NROTC program (UNC @ Chapel Hill is a great example). Get your education first. It is WAY to easy to get sidetracked when you enlist and lose sight of the dream you have.

If you need financial assistance apply for NROTC scholarships or speak to the dean in your school about scholarships that not everyone will be aware of - there are a lot!

Good luck in college!

Answer 6

Go to college first, Then you go in as an officer.
Your recruiter may tell you, that you will get med school, but
their office is not the office making out the orders after basic.
And if they give you a school you didn't request. You have to
take it, and after finishing the school. You have to work at it
for one year because they paid for your training and expect
you use that training. After one year. You are then intitled to
"request" another school.
If you turn your first school down. You will not be granted
another. but you still have to serve out your enlistment in a
field they determine. So school first.

Answer 7

I suggest talking to your guidance counselor and a navy recruiter. Why not see if you can have the Navy help pay your way through college by taking Navy ROTC as they have a medical option (see https://www.nrotc.navy.mil/ ). Not every college may offer it of course, so that may affect your decision, but it seems like the straightest shot at becoming a Navy MD.

Answer 8

Go to college firt and become an officer after. Or do ROTC while in college and still go in as an officer. You will get a special sign on bonus if you have a medical degree (usually).

Answer 9

I think there is a serious flaw in your planning. You seem to be saying you'll just get in to school to be a doc because you want to. That assumption had better be backed up by a lot or it's wrong.

If you join the navy they will assist with the schooling if that is something that you care about.

Answer 10

Do whatever you feel most comfortable with, however, I do know that if and when you join the militairy 95% of the time, they'll pay for your education. I guess it really depends on whether or not you can pay for College, if you can't I'd encourage you to join the Navy so they'll pay for it, and if you can afford it, do whatever you feel the most comfortable with. Good luck, hope everything works out for you.