If you`re wondering how to become a medical officer, joining the USUHS is a great option! It has been one of the best military medical schools in the United States for over 50 years. The application process can be a bit overwhelming, so here`s a step-by-step look at the USUHS requirements for medical school. What kind of doctor should I treat in the next article So You Want to Be? As always, thank you all for following our blog. Much love to all of you. So, if you want to pursue a fulfilling career as a military doctor, this article will tell you where to start. We`ll discuss how admission to army medical school works and what a military career really looks like. The average medical officer earns about $150,000 to $200,000 a year, depending on your rank, although this does not fully account for specialty bonuses. As a civilian, you can earn much more depending on your area of expertise. As a family doctor, you will earn a similar amount, but as an orthopedist or neurosurgeon, you will earn 2-3 times more. If you have both military school and medical school in mind, but you can`t decide which career to choose – you don`t have to – you can do both! You can serve your country, travel around the world, and be a medical professional in the world`s largest military. There are two ways to become a military doctor, depending on how much you want to immerse yourself in the military during your medical school. To help you choose, we`ve written this article to see if it`s right for you to become a military doctor. As you begin to think about becoming a medical officer, you`ll learn about the requirements and application process to understand what to expect and how best to prepare for a career in the military.
Read on for some valuable tips for becoming an army doctor. While you can take your Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) at any time during or after your bachelor`s degree, the USUHS requires prospective students to take their MCAT three years before the desired year of care. Since the USUHS eligibility requirements for MCAT are at least 496 and 509, it is important that you pass this test! The USUHS is also known as America`s Medical School. It was created by Congressman F. Edward Hébert of Louisiana as the “West Point for Doctors”. It sits on 100 acres of wooded land on the grounds of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. USUHS is the primary medical education and research center for the U.S. Armed Forces.
When you are admitted to the USUHS, you are an active member of the service and your education is paid for by the U.S. government. The school accepts civilian and military applicants for enlistment in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Public Health Service. It is important to note that there is a growing interest in the school as there are many recruited members who are interested in becoming military doctors. Since the U.S. military pays for your medical school, it`s fair that you have to pay it back, so to speak. You repay it by a depreciation of 1 to 1 in military service. If you have completed your medical studies in four years, you must be a military doctor for at least four years. Your salary and benefits after graduation are the same as those in the USUHS program.
However, military doctors often work in dangerous high-pressure situations. As trained officers, they are on the battlefield or in field hospitals with their comrades to evacuate or treat soldiers in active combat zones. Unlike ordinary doctors, military doctors must be willing to risk their own lives to save others. So you are interested in medicine and want to serve your country, but how do you become a doctor in the army? While you can simply complete your medical doctorate and enroll in the military to become a military doctor, there are two other popular avenues to consider: Moreover, army doctors often work fewer hours than their civilian counterparts. You will enjoy a regular holiday and excellent benefits. You have a guaranteed job with generous retirement benefits. If you prefer to go to a medical school of your choice rather than the USUHS, the HPSP is an interesting option if you want to become a military doctor for free! In order to be eligible for the HPSP, applicants must meet the following criteria: Probably the best advice is: Become an army doctor not only because of money. The financial aid for your education is excellent. But joining the military is an important decision that will change the direction of your life. You must be motivated by more than dollars. If you do not become a GMO, you will continue with residency training in a capacity similar to that of civilians. The main difference is that you have to meet certain military requirements such as fitness tests, exercises, and online training.
Some programs offer the opportunity to attend military schools such as airborne landings, air strikes or aviation medicine. Basically, the requirements for entering USUHS are the same as an HPSP exchange. Since scholarships are limited, it can be a little more difficult to get an HPSP scholarship than to get into USUHS. Enrolment for both programs varies from year to year, depending on government funding. While the armed forces list these age groups as the maximum, good candidates for waivers can be approved to enlist! So, if you are an older candidate, do not be discouraged, you may still be able to realize your dream of becoming a military doctor! There are 4 steps to becoming a military doctor. Step 1: Get a bachelor`s degree. Step 2: Get a medical degree. Step 3: Participate in military service. Step 4: Wait for the agreement with the military residence. Military doctors, who are technically better known as military officers or combat doctors, are more accustomed to green uniforms, high pressure, life-threatening situations, and active battlefields. If you think you are a doctor, the most common image evoked is a white coat, tongue pushers and sterile parts.
However, not all doctors work in these environments. Exemptions are available on a case-by-case basis for these eligibility criteria. Depending on the program, you may want to apply early to give the Army enough time to approve your waiver.