Admissions requirements to military or civilian medical school are similar.
Undergraduate students can enroll in military medical school by joining any branch of the armed services and applying to the Uniformed Services of the Health Sciences (USUHS) F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine located in Bethesda, Maryland. Students can also apply to a civilian medical school of their choice, as long as they're trained to practice in war zone conditions. Admission requirements are similar for either medical school, except USUHS has additional physical requirements. Students must take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), pass a security investigation, and meet academic requirements that include earning a bachelor's degree and studying biology, physics with a lab, inorganic and organic chemistry with labs, calculus, and English for one year each. Military medical students are elligible to receive scholarships, training and loan repayment forgiveness in exchange for their military service.
Instructions
1. Join a branch of the armed services. Talk to the recruiter about educational requirements to apply to military medical school, career and specialty medicine options, and financial arrangements and scholarships.
2. Take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) before applying to medical school. You're not allowed to take the test and enroll in the same year. Plan accordingly. The test scores are good for three years prior to enrollment.
3. Apply to either a civilian medical school or the USUHS F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine. You must be a U.S. citizen between the ages of 18 and 30 and meet all academic and enrollment requirements.
4. Apply for a scholarship to pay for medical school costs through the Armed Forces Scholarship Program (HPSP). Students who attend the USUHS and receive the HPSP don't have to pay for any tuition or fees and receive the same salary and benefits that uniformed officers do while they attend the university in exchange for committing to seven years of active military service duty. Students also receive a signup bonus up to $20,000. The Navy Health Services Collegiate Program (HSCP) also offers tuition, salary and health benefits totalling $157,000 to $269,000 to students attending civilian medical school. Benefits may vary for active duty members in the National Guard or Reserves.
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