Army Correspondence Course Program Us, Navy Med School Scholarship - Good program??
My son has been accepted to medical school. The U.S. Navy has a
program which would pay his way.
Is anyone familiar with the pros and cons? What advice would you
offer your son or daughter as to the opportunity of practicing
medicine in the U.S. Navy after medical school?
To me, the program sounds good. But I have no objective experience.
One cardiologist has told my son, "You're crazy to give control
of your life to the Navy. You won't get your pick of a top residency
hospital."
Myself...I would rather turn over my life to the Navy for 4 years
than sell my medical practice to a big insurance company.
As a Hospital Corpsman working my way to an MD someday
I would recommend this program. Sure you might not
get your chance to go to THE cardio program you want,
but it's not like they send you to a Mexican correspondence
course for your residency. Navy trauma surgeons work
at USC+LAC [the largest and busiest in the US] and MEDStar.
Residency programs are at UCSD Medical Center......
Sometimes I get the feeling that civilian many
doctors are pissed that they had to spend the first
several years out of medical school paying for med school
and that they got paid considerably less as interns
than compared to Navy interns [I don't have a payscale
handy, but all military doctors start out as O3's--Navy
lieutenants]. Eventually civilian doctors make more
than their military counterparts, but by that time the
Navy doctors are able to leave the Navy. Hmmm figure
this one out....would you choose to be paid less AND
have more bills?
Having worked for and dealt with both the civilian and
military medical communities, I prefer the military
one in all situations. I'll leave the medical
reform politics aside.
In conclusion, given the chance to have the Navy pick up
the =~$128K tab to go to med school here at USC in return
for a few years of my life, I would take it. The military
has great internship and residency programs, leads the way
in many fields of medicine [many of the inventions and
innovations are made by military medical personnel--war
is the mother of invention], and offers great medical
and life experiences.
As an ex Medical Officer recruiter, I can tell you that there is no better program than HPSP (Health Proffessions Scholarship Program). Where else can you get your Medical degree for almost nothing. All you have to give back to Uncle Sam is time. And while you are giving back that time, you are getting paid a decent salary, experience, no overhead for practicing, NO MALPRACTICE insurance, and respect from your paitence, and your country. Anyone who has a chance to get in on this program, and passes it up is a damm fool...