How To Go to Med School During Military Service

Earning a medical degree during active duty is tougher than earning other degrees. Medical school requires rigorous study and most medical courses cannot be completed online. However, many military members earn medical degrees while on active duty.

Keep reading to learn more about how to go to med school during military service.

Steps for Attending Medical School During Active Duty

Going to medical school while serving as an active-duty service member can be tricky, it's not impossible. Below, we've broken down the steps for attending medical school during active duty.

1. Understand Military Regulations

While attending medical school during your military service is possible, it's important to understand that specific rules are in place. Anyone under contractual obligation to the military, including active-duty service members, reservists, and National Guard members, must request permission to apply to medical school.

To do this, you should contact the personnel command center of your branch of service to get instructions for obtaining approval. This should be done at least four months before starting your application.

2. Find a Military-Friendly Med School

Several medical schools across the U.S. are friendly to military members. Some offer credit for medical training you obtained in the military, while others provide special assistance for military members.

For example, the University of Minnesota Twin Cities offers a Military Medic to Medical School Program. This program is designed to make the transition from the military to med school go as smoothly as possible.

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS)

The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) is a military university in Bethesda, MD focused on healthcare. Its military medical school is the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine.

The USU is for civilians and active duty military members and offers a comprehensive curriculum that includes over 500 hours of military-unique training. This curriculum also includes specialized training in areas such as:

• leadership and interdisciplinary teamwork
• cross-cultural medicine
• trauma training
• disaster response
• tropical medicine

Students accepted to the program pay no tuition and commission as officers into one of the four uniformed services before beginning classes. In return, they will complete an active duty service commitment upon graduating: seven years of service for the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and ten years for the Public Health Service.

Students who graduate from USU must first apply for military residency, in which they work as military physicians or military doctors in military medicine settings. They can apply to civilian residency programs if they don't get a military match.

3. Complete the Prerequisites

Before you can apply to medical school, there are a few things you need to do. The first is to complete premed courses. These can vary between schools but usually include core biology and chemistry courses. For example, the USU requires:

• one year of biology
• one year of general or inorganic chemistry
• one year of organic chemistry
• one year of physics
• one year of English, foreign language, writing-intensive humanities, social science, or psychology courses
• one semester of calculus or statistics

You must take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). Students must take this four-section standardized test to get into medical school. The average MCAT score is 511.

4. Apply for Medical School

Once you've completed all your prerequisites, you can start applying to medical school. Most medical schools, including the USU, use the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). This is a centralized application system that the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) offers.

You must submit your transcripts, GPA, and MCAT scores for your medical school application. You'll also likely need to submit personal statements and letters of recommendation, although it depends on the school.

After you've submitted your application, you may be invited to do a med school interview with the admissions committee. This allows them to get to know you and also allows you to talk about how your military training will help you succeed as a medical student.

5. Coordinate With Military Duties

If you're still fulfilling your service obligation, you can't just jump into being a medical student. There are steps to take, which may vary slightly depending on what branch of the armed forces you're a part of.

Request Leave

Because you have to request permission to attend medical school as a member of the U.S. military, it shouldn't surprise your superiors when you need to request leave. Medical school takes four years, and rotations take another few years.

Work with your superiors to determine how your leave will work and how it may affect your military career. Will you return in the summer? Can you complete your military duties part-time, around your medical education?

Communicate With Superiors

If you're communicating with your superiors, your superiors should already have a plan to coordinate your duties. Staying in communication also keeps them appraised of your availability and what duties you may still be able to fulfill while studying.

Your superiors may also be able to help you as you transition from active duty to med school. They may be able to guide you through using your education benefits or through balancing your education and military commitment.

6. Utilize Military Educational Benefits

Education is expensive, especially medical school. However, you may remember your recruiter mentioning that one of the benefits of joining the military is free college.

Depending on how long you've been in the military, your benefits may not cover your full tuition, but many programs can help you fund your education. We've listed a few below.

Post-9/11 GI Bill

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is a program that helps active duty members who served after 9/11 pay for their school expenses. In addition to tuition, it offers a stipend for books and supplies and a monthly stipend for living expenses.

The amount you receive from the Post-9/11 GI Bill depends on several factors, including how long you've served. The program covers public, in-state tuition and fees if you qualify for the maximum benefit.

Montgomery GI Bill

The Montgomery GI Bill (Chapter 30) is another GI Bill that covers active service members and Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and National Guard selected reserve members. It's similar to the Post-9/11 GI Bill in many ways but has slightly different eligibility requirements.

Also like the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the amount you receive depends on several factors. These include your years of service and whether you're on active duty or are a reserve member.

Tuition Assistance

Tuition assistance is a program for active service members. It covers course tuition and mandatory fees but not things like course materials and books. Eligibility requirements vary by branch. Students can use military tuition assistance with their GI Bill to help pay their medical school tuition.

Military College Funds

Military College Fund programs are programs you enroll in when you first enlist. They offer an additional amount toward your Post-9/11 GI Bill. Like the tuition assistance, requirements, and eligibility vary by branch. However, all branches require you to have a college diploma. The Air Force is the only branch that doesn't provide a college fund program.

Military Scholarships

Scholarships are a type of financial aid you don't need to pay back. Many scholarship programs are available to military members.

The Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP) provides financial assistance to military students receiving education or training in healthcare, including those studying to be doctors or physicians. The HPSP scholarships cover tuition and offer a book and monthly stipend for living expenses.

7. Seek Support Resources

Transitioning from a military to a medical career can be difficult, whether in your first year of medical school or residency training. You can stay grounded in your degree program and career path by seeking support resources.

Campus Resources

Many colleges and universities offer on-campus resources to help students navigate their higher education. These may include student advisors or mental health counselors to help students.

Veteran Affairs

While advisors and counselors are there to help all students, Veterans Affairs is specifically for current and former military members. In addition to financial aid, the VA offers numerous resources to help military members through various situations.