<p>If your motive for applying to a Service Academy does not involve wanting to be a military officer and/or serving your country, do not apply.</p>
<p>If your primary goal is to become a medical doctor, there are other much easier ways to do so. </p>
<p>Getting into medical school straight from an Academy is very, very, very competitive. There are a limited number of billets available for medical (around 15 I think) for the whole graduating class of around 1000. Service selection (or I guess its called branch selection in the Army) is based a lot on class standing.</p>
<p>Service Academies do have good science departments, however Academies have a limited number of majors. They do not have every major under the sun, as my BGO put it. Cadets/Midn that apply for Med slots are primarily chemistry majors.</p>
<p>The service obligation that a Cadet/Midn inccurs from attending a Service Academy is 5 years active duty and 3 reserve. If you get into the medical program, there is an additional committment on top of that, I believe they tag on 7 years or so. When you add up the time you would spend at the Academy, Med School, and fullfilling your service committment, it comes out to be 16 year in the service that count toward time in the service. In reality when you add in the time spent in school, you will have worn the US Army uniform for 20 years. However, you will not be eligible for full retirement benefits until you reach 20 years in the service at which point you would have worn the uniform for 24 years.</p>