<p>OK, I have some personal experience here. My DS is a college junior on a 4 year Army ROTC scholarship. ROTC scholarship is an option for you if you want to have your undergraduate school paid for by military (I’m speaking Army only, each branch is different) (You need to start working on the application process now). DS has no guarantee that he will get to go directly to medical school after he graduates, but everything we’ve seen and been told is that if he gets accepted to medical school, then the military will defer his duty so he can go to medical school (they are always needing doctors so they will usually allow you to attend medical school if you are admitted). The Army will pay for medical school also. This will mean that when he finishes he will owe 4 years for his undergraduate time (because of scholarship) and will owe whatever years he incurs from medical school. Once he completes medical school, he will do his remaining medical training as an active duty Army Officer (with all training adding to his military obligation). He’s fine with this arrangement because he wants to be a career Army Officer.</p>
<p>Many will tell you that if you want to go to medical school directly after college to NOT get an ROTC scholarship or join NG, etc. You have to understand that once you commit, there is no guarantee of medical school. They may need officers in various branches and be short your graduation year–if so, then they will send you off to be an officer first. You could then do your 4 years and get out then go to medical school. National Guard requires you to train one weekend a month and one month a summer. I don’t have any idea how they would handle a request for medical school, but I’d guess you’d need to finish your commitment first.</p>
<p>If you want to go to college and do ROTC, as others have said, you can join ROTC for the first 2 years without making any decision about military service. If you want to get the HPSP scholarship, then you should wait until you finish your undergraduate degree.</p>
<p>If you join the military during or just after high school, then you will not have any options until you are finished with your commitment. You can try to get into 68W, but unless you can convince a recruiter (based on your test scores) to put in WRITING that you will DEFINITELY go into 68W, then you will not necessarily get that MOS. Also, if for some reason you didn’t complete the advanced course for that MOS then they could send you to another MOS. </p>
<p>Do a lot of research and ask a lot of questions. It really depends on what is most important to you and in which order you’d like things to happen. Good luck!</p>