How to Become a Military Doctor
/What is life like as a military doctor? Learn how to pursue a career in military medicine, including admissions strategies to get into military medical school
Learn how to become a physician in the U.S. military
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Part 1: Introduction
If you dream of becoming a doctor, you’ve likely imagined the types of patients you’d like to treat and the environment you’d like to work in. If that picture includes serving your country, caring for active-duty military personnel, and practicing medicine in sometimes austere locations, then you may be interested in a career in military medicine.
Physicians in the military are trained to be officers first and doctors second, dedicating their careers to caring for those in harm’s way. For those who choose to take on this calling, there are multiple avenues that can lead to becoming a military physician.
In this guide, we’ll cover all the information you’ll need to decide whether military medicine is right for you. We’ll also provide an overview of the paths you can take to achieve a career in military medicine, plus admissions strategies to get you on your way.
What is life like as a military doctor?
It depends! There is tremendous variety in day-to-day life, as well as between branches, service stations, and deployments. Your specific role as a physician depends both on your residency specialty, as well as the needs of the military at the time of your service.
Deployment is a temporary assignment, usually lasting between 3 and 15 months, in which you serve as part of a mobilized military operation. During deployment, all your military, medical, and leadership training comes into play as you practice medicine in sometimes austere environments.
The frequency of your deployments varies between branches. If you are not deployed, you will serve at an installation hospital or clinic, caring for service members and their families.
If you’re interested in operational medicine, you may choose to defer residency training after the completion of intern year and instead serve as a General Medical Officer (GMO). GMO billets, which are available to Navy and Air Force officers, are exciting hands-on roles. These physicians are attached to a specific unit, ship, or clinic, serving in a capacity similar to a general medical practitioner focused on preventative care.
Navy physicians can also specialize in the clinical field of aviation or in dive medicine, attaching to flight squadrons as flight surgeons or dive units as undersea medical officers. These physicians bring the practice of medicine to the air and the sea.
The exciting and unique opportunities of military medicine come with a certain degree of unpredictability, so military physicians must be flexible and open to change. Military physicians often do not have control over their practice locations and their debt-free education comes tied to a multi-year service commitment.
Some physicians find the thought of multiple deployments to be daunting, as they can place strain on family members staying behind. Deployments can also be located in hazardous areas and last for months at a time.
Furthermore, depending on the specialty, military physicians may make less money than their civilian peers. Because the needs of the military come first, military physicians might find themselves constrained when it comes to sub-specializing in the fellowships of their choice.
All said, a life in the military is not for everyone. It takes the right type of person—one looking for adventure and service to your nation—to enjoy it and thrive.
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Part 2: How to become a military doctor: USUHS vs. HPSP
In this section, we’ll discuss the two options that lead to becoming a military physician: military medical school, the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USUHS or USU), and the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP).
The main differences between USUHS and HPSP are your status in relation to the military and the type of medical school you attend.
HPSP students attend civilian medical schools. During this time, they are commissioned as officers in the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) and receive full tuition plus stipend to the medical school of their choice. In contrast, USUHS students are active-duty officers who spend more time in a military environment while attending medical school at USUHS.
Next, we will take a closer look at each of these options.
Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USUHS)
The F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine at USUHS, or “America’s Medical School,” is a four-year, allopathic medical school located near the nation’s capital on the grounds of the Naval Support Activity Base in Bethesda, Maryland.
Students without prior military experience must complete their service-specific orientation program (at other military bases within the United States) prior to matriculation. During this officer training, students spend 4–6 weeks learning about the customs of life in their respective services, as well as the responsibilities of a uniformed officer. At the end of officer orientation, all medical students are commissioned as active-duty service members in one of the following branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, or U.S. Public Health Service.
Once students step foot on USU, they begin their medical education as officers in the military and must wear the uniform of the day to classes and clerkships. The USU curriculum incorporates military training, which we will discuss more in the next section.
USU’s medical education is paid for by the U.S. government. As a result, students do not pay tuition to the school. In addition to free tuition, students receive a military salary and benefits, including a housing allowance and supply reimbursement. As an O-1 officer (a second lieutenant in the Army or Air Force, or an ensign in the Navy), students will receive active-duty pay and benefits commensurate to an O-1 rank, which amounts to over $70,000 yearly.
For their debt-free medical school education at USUHS, students owe a seven-year active-duty commitment to the United States Military, or ten years for the Public Health Service. This commitment begins after residency is completed. Time spent in internship or residency training does not count towards payback.
What is it like to study at USUHS?
The medical education at USUHS integrates basic and clinical science with over 500 hours of military-specific training, centering on leadership, trauma training, and disaster response.
The first eighteen months of the curriculum focuses on pre-clinical medicine through an organ-systems-based approach, while also incorporating military-relevant clinical care and population health.
In their third and fourth years, students complete clinical clerkships (in family medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, gynecologic surgery and obstetrics, medicine, and surgery, along with a four-week selective) at military hospitals around the country. With 24 different locations for core clerkships throughout the U.S., they may take you as far away as Hawaii or as near as Portsmouth, Virginia, and all expenses are covered during rotations from travel to lodging.
Working at various sites ensures that students interact with different members of the military system, including veterans, active duty members, and their families. Through clerkships, students also gain exposure to potential residency training sites and have the opportunity to network with faculty.
In addition to clerkships, USUHS teaches tactical combat casualty care, simulates deployments in medical platoons, and hosts field practicums to expose medical students to hands-on training designed to increase military readiness.
Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP)
For students interested in attending a civilian medical school, the Army, Navy, and Air Force offer service scholarships as part of the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP).
If accepted to this program, students receive full coverage of medical school tuition, as well as reimbursement of health insurance and other school expenses (e.g., books and licensing exams). HPSP students may also receive a signing bonus of up to $20,000, plus a living stipend that amounts to approximately $2,000 per month.
Each year of medical school supported by the HPSP scholarship accrues one year of active-duty commitment. Thus, students who receive a four-year HPSP scholarship owe four years of active duty to that specific service branch.
Students may accept between two- and four-year HPSP scholarships. Minimum service obligations may also apply for students not receiving a four-year scholarship. During medical school, students must participate in 45 days of active duty annually and attend their service-specific officer orientation prior to graduation.
Both USUHS and HPSP students are eligible to apply for civilian-sponsored residencies, although the military must grant civilian deferment for training at a civilian institution during residency.
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Part 3: Military medical school admissions
Applying to both USUHS and HPSP requires you to submit an AMCAS application and follow the standard medical school application process, including composing your personal statement, assembling your Work & Activities section, writing secondary essays, and going on medical school interviews.
In addition, since HPSP students attend civilian medical schools, this path will also require you to put time and effort into picking the right schools.
How to apply for an HPSP scholarship
To apply for and receive an HPSP scholarship, you’ll need to first select the branch of service you are interested in. Then, you’ll need to begin gathering the appropriate documents for applying (such as your academic transcripts, MCAT scores, and AMCAS application). This can be done with the same materials used to apply to medical school.
Next, you’ll speak to a recruitment officer. The recruiter will help walk you through the necessary documents as well as specialized portions of the application process, such as the security clearance and medical screening.
Ultimately, your application will be screened by the recruitment board for selection. Selection boards are primarily concerned with academic, medical, and professional potential. They are held twice per month and, on average, 85% of applicants are offered a scholarship. The average successful applicant has a GPA of 3.65 and an MCAT of 507.
Note that, in order to be eligible for HPSP, you must also gain acceptance to an accredited medical school.
How to apply to USUHS
Next, we’ll discuss applying to USUHS. Since the USUHS application process has some key differences from that of its civilian counterparts, we’ve provided an overview below of what you need to know to submit a competitive application.
Both military applicants and civilian applicants without prior experience may be considered for admission to USUHS. Approximately 60% of accepted students have no prior history of military service.
In order to be eligible for USUHS admission, you must meet the following requirements:
Be a U.S. citizen as of November 1st in the year in which you apply (if you have pending citizenship, you must be scheduled to receive it no later than the November 1st following matriculation)
Be at least 18 but no older than 36 years old as of June 30th in the year in which you matriculate (if you are older than 36, you may request an age waiver; waivers are reviewed on a case-by-case basis)
How hard is it to get into USUHS? Over 3,000 applicants apply each year for around 170 spots, and the USUHS acceptance rate is around 9%. Representation varies by branch, but generally there are 63 Army students, 51 Air Force students, 51 Navy students, and 2 Public Health Service students.
To apply to USUHS, you’ll need an MCAT score of 496 or higher and a GPA of at least 3.0. However, take note that the average MCAT score of successful applicants is much higher at 511, while the average GPA is 3.7. Academic requirements closely mirror those of other medical schools, and all prerequisites must be completed before June 1st of the year of matriculation.
Of note: applicants must submit a premedical committee letter packet or at least two science letters and one non-science letter of recommendation. In addition, a recommendation is needed from a physician or other healthcare professional who has observed you in a clinical setting.
If you are currently or were previously a service member, it’s recommended that you submit an additional letter of recommendation from your supervisor or another superior officer. Active duty military must also procure a letter of approval or letter of release.
Not all students will be interviewed for admission, but students who are will be evaluated on their motivation and potential as a future military physician. For example, the interview committee will be looking for students with integrity, leadership experience, and a willingness to respect, as well as sacrifice, for others. This is the heart of military medicine.
USUHS secondary essay (with example)
USUHS’s secondary application consists of three essay questions. Each is limited to a 1,500-character response, so remember that brevity and clarity will be key.
While the majority of USUHS’s secondary prompts are similar to prompts you might see in your other medical school applications (e.g., a diversity essay), one question in particular gives you an opportunity to elaborate on your calling for military medicine.
Let’s take a look at this question and an example essay that answers it successfully.
“Medicine and Officership are time-honored professions that unite at ‘America’s Medical School’ in rewarding and challenging ways. What are your thoughts and impressions about serving as a uniformed medical corps officer, and why do you want to pursue this career path?” (1,500 characters)
This question explicitly addresses USUHS’s mission of training physicians and military officers. Therefore, you’ll want to make sure that your essay can convince its readers that whatever aspect of yourself you choose to write about will contribute to this specific mission. In other words, you should demonstrate that you have an understanding of and passion for both military service and medicine—and the ways they intersect in the military medicine field.
Example:
While performing research at the National Institutes of Health, I admired the collective mission of the world’s largest biomedical research program, whose aim is to serve the public by enhancing health and lengthening life. Though I am eager to pursue a medical career, I want to continue to serve a calling that is both greater than medicine and greater than myself. I wish to work jointly in a system that considers both the domestic and global impact of improving health. I can be a better physician by training in a system backed by the resources of our government with opportunities for travel and unique educational experiences. To this end, an unremitting desire of mine has been to find new horizons both through intellectual and physical undertakings and by journeying to new places. A military lifestyle, in this sense, is as enticing as it is formidable. It would be a privilege to work alongside others with similar ambitions, to attend to those who make this possible, and to become a part of this team. I understand that what sets military medicine apart is the men and women who would be in my charge, those who have willingly sacrificed themselves for a cause. By tending to them, as both a physician and military officer, I hope to become a part of this cause.
What works about this essay?
This nontraditional applicant describes in detail how their work at a national research institute helped guide their awareness of the importance of a greater calling, which fits nicely with USUHS’s mission of training at “America’s Medical School” and caring for those in harm’s way.
Not only do they use this space to elaborate on an experience that would otherwise be just a line on their resume, they are also able to show how that experience has helped them develop a purpose in medicine and an appreciation for teamwork. In combination with their sense of adventure, they demonstrate why military medicine is a good fit for them.
Final thoughts
Both the Uniformed Services University and HPSP seek students who have a calling for service, a commitment to leadership, and a passion for overcoming challenges. The primary mission of both USUHS and HPSP is to prepare its graduates for service to the United States, both at home and abroad in the medical corps. Students motivated to pursue military medicine should be eager to serve something greater than themselves through a career that will truly define who they will become.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.