What is it?
This is a new program that is anticipated to open for academic year 2007-2008 for motivated sailors interested in pursuing a career as a Navy doctor. It is going to be fashioned closely like the MECP program, and the selection process will include interviews by medical officers as well as medical officers actually on the selection board. Eligible sailors must have no more than 24 months of coursework left to complete their undergraduate degree and/or prerequisites for medical school.

Who can apply?
Current enlisted personnel of any rate (not limited to Corpsman) interested in pursuing medical school, whether in a Navy sponsored program or on an individual basis. Focusing on being a team player, leading by example, and being an outstanding Navy Sailor or Marine is important. However, academic potential cannot be trumped by being a great Sailor/Marine. What we consider the ideal candidate, is one who has excelled academically and also in the military, but academic potential is the single most important criterion for selection.

Guidelines for preparation of application for Enlisted Commissioning Programs – Medical Officer Option.

These guidelines are general guidelines for current enlisted persons interested in completing college degrees, whether in a Navy sponsored program or on an individual basis. These guidelines were together as a check list for anyone interested in preparing an application for medical (or dental) school in the future – these guidelines may or may not be incorporated into future enlisted commissioning programs, but at the present time there are no formal programs available for enlisted persons to complete degrees and go to medical school other than what they can accomplish on their own.

1. Must be U.S. citizen at time of matriculation – this is not waiverable. You must be a U.S. citizen to be commissioned. No dual citizenship will be accepted.
1. If you are a permanent resident, begin citizenship application now.
2. If you have fulfilled all requirements, try to get a date on which you will swear in as a U.S. citizen.
2. Age waivers can be granted, but in general would like to see applicants age 30 or younger. If you are between 30-35 DO NOT BE DETERRED!!! If you are greater than age 30, a spectacular record both academically and military-wise, may be considered favorably.
3. SAT/ACT scores – standardized testing is critical only as a predictor of performance on other standardized tests. Medical licensing exams are all standardized, and thus SAT/ACT is a predictor of MCAT scores and MCAT scores are a predictor of USMLE and COMLEX tests, the licensing exams for M.D. schools and D.O. schools respectively. Also, most medical schools, including USUHS use National Board of Medical Examiner shelf exams (also standardized) for individual subject final exams both in the basic science curriculum and the clinical clerkship evaluations.
1. SAT scores of 500 verbal and 500 math are set as the minimum standard. This is because it is the MEAN nationwide for high school seniors (college-bound). Scores can be reviewed in the context of the total package, and waivers may be possible.
2. The minimum standard for ACT is 22, and correlates pretty well with the composite MCAT.
3. SAT/ACT should be taken within 5 years of application for commissioning programs. Again, this could be waived if academic performance warrants it.
4. Clinical Experience – most medical schools want to know that you have seen the life that a doctor leads, and that you have a passion for patient care. If you are a corpsman in a clinical setting either as a general corpsman or a specialist, you do not need to do any additional clinical volunteer or shadowing work. However, if you are not in a clinical setting or are not a corpsman, you will need to find something that will communicate your interest in being a physician.
1. You can shadow the doctor in your unit.
2. You can request two days a month at the hospital if you are in a clinic or non hospital unit.
3. You can shadow a civilian doctor while you are home on leave.
4. You can get EMT certified.
5. Etc. Do not limit yourself!
5. Community Service – Among the most important traits in a successful applicant to medical school is the commitment to service to others. The key is that you are giving of yourself to a larger community. This is not about YOU, but about your community. You could combine clinical experience with community service if that option is available in your area.
1. If you are a church-goer, the easiest place to perform a range of service activities is church – this could range from a youth coordinator to chaperoning field trips to teaching Sunday School.
2. If you are not a church-goer, you might consider tutoring elementary school or middle school students in reading and math – you will be surprised how much you learn!
3. If you want to kill two birds with one stone, you could volunteer at a nursing facility, hospice, and camp for disabled kids, etc. Again, the sky is the limit! Mission trips can fall into this category, too.
6. Grade Point Average should be 3.0 or greater – Get your SMART transcript from the Navy – find out what counts and what doesn’t. Some of you, like Lab Techs, may find that you have almost enough credits for an Associate’s Degree – go ahead and complete that degree. You are better off having a degree than just a bunch of random credits.
1. If you already have a bachelor’s degree, you may still need pre-requisites. The most frequently obstacle is one semester of calculus. If you have not had calculus, the first thing you should do is start taking math courses from where you left off until you are ready to take calculus. A few on-line calculus courses have been approved, but only in the context of superior academic performance in other areas.
2. If you do not have a degree, you need to figure out how many credits short you are, and how many pre-requisites short you are. You also need to look at what the degree requirements are for your major (does not have to be pre-med or biology).
3. Look at the competitiveness of the school from which you have received the bulk of your credit hours. Your GPA will be screened along with the competitiveness of the school you are/were attending. For example, a 4.0 from a community college will not have the same weight as a 3.5 from Stanford University or the University of Virginia. Both the rigor of the academic environment and the rigor of your course selection will be evaluated for final selection.
7. Military bearing – again, the focus on being a team player, leading by example, etc. are important. However, academic potential cannot be trumped by being a great sailor – the ideal candidate will have both, but academic potential is the single most important criterion for selection.

ARE YOU READY?

USUHS is establishing Enlisted Premed Clubs called Epsilon Pi Chi around the world at various military sites. These “Clubs” are sponsored by the Office of Recruitment & Diversity, Uniformed Services University.

Why start a club?

Purpose:

1. To disseminate information to all enlisted personnel interested in attending medical school in the future.
2. To interact with active duty military physicians as clinical or academic mentors
3. To mentor junior enlisted personnel and family members interested in pursuing careers in the health sciences.

Plan:

1. Develop bylaws for each chapter relevant to the command climate for such a club.
2. Provide a time line for completing a baccalaureate degree and/or all prerequisites for competitive application to medical (M.D. or D.O. degree granting), dental, or optometry school.
3. Discuss various strategies for standardized testing, resume writing, and interviewing.
4. Develop a Journal Club with a physician-leader from the local command to discuss various medical journal articles.
5. Create and implement a community service project or projects relevant to the local command.

USUHS will provide:

1. Physcian-educators, admissions counselors, and overall guidance to all clubs either in person or virtually.
2. Journal Club articles bimonthly (up to six times per year)
3. USUHS and HPSP promotional materials.
   On line mentoring for all interested personnel as needed.

WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN?

Here at Camp Pendleton we have an elite group of Sailors and Marines that are waiting for that chance to take the next step in furthering their career. It is time to take that next step, if you or someone that you know is interested in exploring more details about the “CORPSMAN TO DOCTOR PROGRAM” contact HM1 Arzate (760-763-6534) or HM2 Wilson (760-725-6641) and get your name on the roster. This will give us an accurate count of all who are interested in our first meeting on May 7th 2007 at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton main auditorium from 1200-1500.

Don’t Wait!!!
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