How To Transition from Active Duty to Med School

Whether you've been away on deployment or stationed at home, transitioning from being an active duty service member to a medical school student can be jarring. There are several different steps required, including classes, exams, and interviews. This process is similar to what non-military students go through, with a few exceptions.

Keep reading to learn how to transition from active duty to med school.

Steps for Transitioning from Military Service to Medical School

Switching from military service to medical school can be tricky, but there are ways to make your transition smooth. Here is a basic guide for transitioning from military service to medical school.

1. Research Medical Schools

There are nearly 200 medical schools across the United States, but not all are created equal. There are several things to consider when you research medical schools, including:

• graduation rate
• licensure rate
• specializations offered
• location
• tuition costs
• military benefits

Some colleges and universities offer pathways for military service members, specifically military medics, to enter medical school. These can be a great way for military members to become medical students.

Military Medical School

The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) is a healthcare and medical school specifically for service members. It's located in Bethesda, MD. Those who want to become physicians will attend the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine. It's tuition-free for active-duty service members and offers a unique curriculum, although students must still meet basic admissions requirements.

2. Meet Admissions Requirements

Admissions requirements for medical school can vary. However, there are some general admissions requirements, including:

• a bachelor's degree
• a high GPA
• a solid score on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)
• prerequisite courses

The specific GPA and MCAT score you'll need vary by institution. For example, the average GPA for acceptance into the USU medical school is 3.7 and the average MCAT score is 509.

Complete Prerequisites

Prerequisites refer to courses you must take before you enter medical school. These are generally basic knowledge courses and biological and life science courses.

Again, the specific prerequisites can vary between medical schools. The prerequisites for the USU medical school include:

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

3. Gain Clinical Experience

Clinical experience is experience within a clinical healthcare setting, like a doctor's office or a hospital. Many medical schools require that you have clinical experience or experience in a patient care setting. Depending on your role in the military, you may already have this experience. For example, military experience as a medic will often count.

Shadowing and Volunteering

If you don't have any clinical experience from your time in the military, you can pursue other options. Shadowing and volunteering are great ways to do this. When you shadow someone, you'll follow an experienced medical professional throughout their day. You can also volunteer at healthcare facilities, like community clinics, helping with simple tasks.

4. Pass the MCAT

All medical schools require students to take the MCAT, a standardized, computer-based examination. The MCAT is meant to assess your readiness for medical education.

There are four sections on the MCAT:

• Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
• Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
• Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
• Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CART)

After completing the MCAT, you'll receive individual scores for each section and an overall score. Most schools require a score of at least 508, but the average MCAT score for accepted students is 511.7.

5. Apply to Medical School

Once you've completed your prerequisites and obtained an MCAT score that you're happy with, you can begin the application process for medical school. Most medical schools use the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS).

This is an application service that makes it easy to send your medical school application to several different medical schools. The AMCAS application period goes from June 1st to November 1st the year before your enrollment. As a military member, you will likely need to submit a letter of approval or release from your service commitment if you're still on active duty.

6. Prepare for Medical School Interviews

Most medical schools include interviews as part of the application and admissions process. In these interviews, you'll sit down with admissions committee members so they can get to know you. This is a great time to talk about your experience in military medicine. You'll also talk more about yourself and expand on any personal statements you may have written for your application.

7. Use Military Educational Benefits

Once accepted into a medical school, you'll need to figure out how to pay for your medical degree. While USU offers free tuition to active duty service members, most medical schools do not. We've listed a few excellent ways military members can pay for medical school.

Post-9/11 GI Bill

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is a financial aid program that pays for education expenses if you were an active duty service member on or after September 11, 2011. It usually offers a maximum of four years of education. Four years is also about how long medical school takes to complete. If you haven't used up your benefits for your undergraduate program, you can use it to pay your medical school tuition.

Montgomery GI Bill

The Montgomery GI Bill (Chapter 30) is another option for active duty military and Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and National Guard selected reserve members. Like the Post-9/11 GI Bill, it can help you pay for medical school tuition and other costs. Several factors affect how much you receive in aid. You can learn more at VA.gov.

Military College Funds

Military college fund programs are for those enrolled in the Post-9/11 GI Bill and offer additional money you can add to your Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits. The Navy and Air Force are the only branches that don't provide this program. You'll need to have a high school diploma. Additional requirements, incentives, and amounts received all vary by branch.

Tuition Assistance

Each military branch offers tuition assistance programs that help you pay your tuition. Your school must be an accredited institution within the United States to qualify. Again, the requirements and amount you can receive vary between branches. Check with your branch's local education center to learn more.

Military Scholarships

Several scholarships are available to help military members pay for their tuition. One popular one is the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP), which offers financial assistance to students receiving medical training. HPSP students receive full tuition and approved fees paid directly to the school. The HPSP scholarship also provides a monthly stipend for living expenses and an additional stipend for books and other materials.

8. Complete Residency and Fellowship

After medical school, all students need to complete a residency program. In residency, students focus on a specific field of medicine, like pediatrics or oncology. While in medical school, you'll attend rotations, which gives you a few weeks in each department. This gives you a chance to explore different medical career paths.

Students at the USU must apply for a military residency, where they work as military physicians and doctors in a U.S. military healthcare facility. You can apply for a civilian residency if you don't secure a military match.