Med School opportunities after the USNA

navy2010
Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:40:01 +0000

Knowing I made a “motion” to “cease and desist,” another thought came to me that I thought important to factor in.

It centers on “control.”

One of the biggest differences between military academies and civilian schools is that you march to their drum, not your own.

What does that mean- in light of “med school”

1. At USNA you will be required to take a set coarse load each semester. While you have some control over the amount of courses you carry, it generally varies by one course. The core classes are pre-determined as to when they get taken.
Compare that to civilian college. If you are anticipating a difficult semester [say it is time for organic chem and micro, either one of them a killer] well, one can opt to take chem now, and postpone micro to lets say a summer session where it can be taken “on its own.”
Now one can certainly take a course at USNA over your free block, but that means no time off, and it is dependent on IF the course you need is offered during the summer. It is a very limited course offering, and the courses offered are usually those requiring remediation [calc, chem]


Based on the above, it is feasible to extend your coursework over a 5-year plan at civilian schools, thus allowing one the opportunity to focus on grades at any particular time.
At USNA you are on the 4-year plan, no exceptions [make that VERY RARE exceptions, and where exceptions are made, it is for one semester]. If you are not a blue-chip athlete playing football, you can forget the exception.
At civilian schools, fail a course- repeat a course.
At USNA, fail a course- you will, in most cases, be allowed to repeat the course- during the very next semester; this pushes, however, your required course to your free summer block [see #1]
example: fail chem I fall of plebe year, repeat in Spring of Plebe year…[absolutely a must to pass on second go around]… Chem II, scheduled for spring of plebe year now gets pushed back to free summer block.
You cannot fall behind your schedule by more than 2 courses at any given time- remember, you are on the 4 year plan.
Academics.
USNA: Fail more than 2 courses [or as the years go on, 2 courses during any given semester] and you will go before the academic board and considered for separation. You may even go before the board with an F and a D in the same semester. No such thing as an incomplete, although you can drop a class if it is early enough in the semester [with the full understanding you have now just lost your free summer block, because the credits have to be made up somewhere]
Civilian school: drop, incomplete- all allowed. F’s and D’s- you can skate by [usually] as long as you maintain minimum GPA…but heck, if you are headed there, then opt for the incomplete or withdraw and retake- on your timetable.




But the true and succinct answer to the question posed is that “yes” there are opportunities to become a Navy doctor available through the Academy. Approximately 25 slots are available each year to attend medical school.

True. That has been acknowledged. There are, indeed, a LIMITED number of slots available.
But the odds of getting one from USNA are less than the odds of getting med-school from civilian schools.

So full circle-
IF your heart is dead-set on medical school, the odds clearly favor the civilian route- with ROTC if you wish.
IF your heart is dead-set on becoming an officer in the Navy or Marine Corps, go to USNA, and consider medical school secondary [it is- the primary mission is officer], optional-hopefully, and DEFINATELY conditional.