Child WANTS to be a dr...considering military to help her fund her dream.....feedback (Army, reserves)

[deeds]

child wants to be dr.....considering military for funding......is willing to committ ......feedback......branches of service........

[macjr82]

some will rag on someone looking at the military exclusively for the benefits. So get ready for those posts. Personally, if you serve your time honorably and do your job well, what your personal motivations are is irrelevant to me.

With that set, she needs to be sure if the military and which branch would be the best fit for her. Talk o recruiters from each branch and people close to job fields she would be in.

Speaking of job fields, I advise against a medical job unless her desire is to be a nurse. If she specifically wants to be a doctor I suggest a support/managerial job. Like admin, supply, comptroller, or maintenance management. Th reason these jobs, more than any, tend to keep normal working hours, they don't deploy as much, and even when they do they have a pc in front of them and access to the internet. This makes it easier to take classes while you are in. She could use tuition assistance while she is on active duty to get her undergrad degree for free and then use the post 9/11 GI BIll to get paid to go to school for her masters or doctorate once she gets out.

[ArtyGuy]

Need more info. Wants to enlist for the GI Bill? Is she ready to go to medical school and wants a military branch to fund it? Nobody can give an intelligent answer based upon how little info you provided.

[Poncho_NM]

Originally Posted by deeds

child wants to be dr.....considering military for funding......is willing to committ ......feedback......branches of service........

Here is one option... Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

[princesasabia]

Airforce!

[GeorgiaTransplant]

Originally Posted by deeds

child wants to be dr.....considering military for funding......is willing to committ ......feedback......branches of service........

You haven't given any details on age of child, already has undergrad, grades etc.

My *assumption* is they are still in high school. Based on that:

I can address ARMY only. 6 routes to 'funding' for school (undergraduate):
1. Enlist and enroll in the GI Bill. Will pay full tuition and fees plus a living stipend if they honorably complete their service.
2. ROTC Scholarship. Students are competitively selected for 4-year and 3-year scholarships out of high school that pay full tuition and fees to the school they go to. Doesn't require an enlistment, pays less money than GI Bill, but results in an officer's commission at the end if successfully done. Students can apply for an 'educational delay' at the end of the undergraduate program to do medical school, but that funding is on the student to secure.
3. ROTC Non-Scholarship. Students can enroll, complete, and commission in the Army without being Scholarship. In point of fact, MOST ROTC students are non-scholarship.
4. Reserves/National Guard no ROTC-enlist and serve in Guard or Reserve. Most states and the Federal reserve provide tuition assistance, GI Bill, and student loan repayment of some type. The amount and type varies by state/component.
5. Reserves/National Guard WITH ROTC-Students can be in Guard or Reserve (or join) and can be a 'simultaneous member' of ROTC. Too complicated to even explain here.
6. USMA. Better have a relatively high GPA, SAT/ACTs, sports, lots of extracurriculars, and a bit of luck getting a nomination.

I can give more detail on any of these based on your student's personal situation. I have personally lived 1., 4., 5., and have some intimate knowledge of the processes for 6.

If they already have an undergraduate degree:
2 routes to 'funding' for school (medical school):
1. USUHS as Poncho linked.
2. Army Health Professions Scholarship Program:
HPSP Scholarship | GoArmy.com

Of note: for the undergraduate possibilities, virtually all these are competitive and continuous performance. Students can, and do, get eliminated from ROTC for not doing the 'right thing', and lose the scholarship (and have to pay back funds already received). So your student better be sure it's what they want to do; students with a mercenary goal only stand out and don't last. It's analogous to a very encompassing extracurricular activity in college-it takes a lot of time and it won't always be convenient or as supportive of the 'Dr.' thing as a primary goal as students may like. They have to want to be an 'officer' first, THEN a Dr., not a Dr. who is forced to be an officer to pay for it.

[dmarie123]

The Air Force also has an HPSP scholarship, as well as a FAP Program. Google USAF Medical School FAP.

[dmarie123]

Also google USUHS, this is FREE medical school, with pay while attending, if you commit to the military AFTER. So you work as a military doctor. This way she doesn't have to enlist and wait for benefits.

[stan4]

I would tell her not to do it.
The trade-offs may be too high.
She may not get to choose which specialty she wants.

Now if her dream is to be military, that's another thing.

[totsuka]

I would think Air Force, Army, Navy in that order. The Air Force has the reputation of treating it's people the best so it is
harder to join.