NAVY CORPSMAN TO PA

[DocScott254]

For all the Corpsman out there past and present how is what we are taught as HMs helped you so far in the PA program?

Just got out on the 4th of this month planning on applying next year as long as everything goes as planned.

[RuralER/Ortho]

I have nothing really to contribute as I have no military background.... but... thank you for your service! Best of to you. You guys are the bed rock of our profession.

[DocScott254]

I have nothing really to contribute as I have no military background.... but... thank you for your service! Best of to you. You guys are the bed rock of our profession.

 

thank you

[hmtopa28]

@DocScott254 I also just recently got out about 4 months ago and currently in the process of applying to PA school. I cant really say anything about being in the program since im still applying, lol, but being a HM did prepare me for this. I have to say the application process itself is tedious and require almost 95% time effort and money (this is the easiest part)! not kidding its a very expensive process, but it will be worth it in the end. Being an HM not only thought me medical stuff but also skills that i know im going to use during school and as a practicing PA. Goodluck on your plans and for next year! Hope youll get in! and thank you for your service brother!

 

 

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[DocScott254]

@DocScott254 I also just recently got out about 4 months ago and currently in the process of applying to PA school. I cant really say anything about being in the program since im still applying, lol, but being a HM did prepare me for this. I have to say the application process itself is tedious and require almost 95% time effort and money (this is the easiest part)! not kidding its a very expensive process, but it will be worth it in the end. Being an HM not only thought me medical stuff but also skills that i know im going to use during school and as a practicing PA. Goodluck on your plans and for next year! Hope youll get in! and thank you for your service brother!

 

 

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Yeah I have been looking at few different school but planning on hopefully getting into Duke but they are all pretty expensive but the gi bill should cover everything besides the app fees and stuff like that. and I appreciate and thank you for what you have done as well bro

[hmtopa28]

@DocScott254 you are mistaken about GI bill brother, it will only cover 23k per year! but theres alot of program out there that could help, Yellow Ribbon, Voc Rehab. Make sure apply for compensation right now, it will take forever to get evaluated.

 

 

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[DocScott254]

@DocScott254 you are mistaken about GI bill brother, it will only cover 23k per year! but theres alot of program out there that could help, Yellow Ribbon, Voc Rehab. Make sure apply for compensation right now, it will take forever to get evaluated.

 

 

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Your right I meant glad you caught that, and yeah got my appointments next week so hopefully I can start getting my compensation by January. As far as Voc rehab goes will that cover 100% of PA school or am I better off apply for the HSCP? 

[hmtopa28]

Your right I meant glad you caught that, and yeah got my appointments next week so hopefully I can start getting my compensation by January. As far as Voc rehab goes will that cover 100% of PA school or am I better off apply for the HSCP?

 

I am not an expert on Voc Rehab, but I talked to a student who is in the program and its amazing. It is way better than GI Bill. It will pay 100% plus everything you need in PA school and monthly stipend. There is a qualifications needed and you have to apply but once your in you have to worry about nothing. lol. HSCP is great only if you want to get back in. and I am not sure if you are getting GI Bill BAH with HSCP BAH you just have to check on that.

[IDCtoPA]

The GI Bill only pays 23K to Duke because it is a private school. There are lots of public schools out there with great PA programs that the GI bill will pay full 100% In State tuition for. I am going to Eastern Virginia Medical School and it is paying 100%. I recommend to apply to public universities in the state where you are a resident. There is no reason to go into debt. Having DUKE on your degree is not going to get you paid any more than having UNC on your degree. At the very least look for schools where the Yellow Ribbon match is 100% so that you are not paying out of pocket. Voc Rehab is a great deal IF you qualify. But even if you don't qualify for Voc Rehab, you can still get your PA degree at ZERO cost to you if you go to a public school in your state of residence. 

 

Also.. I am a 25 year HM and an 15 year IDC. There is plenty of credit you will get for your HM experience and training. But, it really is not the ace in the hole that many folks think it is. I know a good friend who had 20 years as an HM and several IDC tours and a decent GPA, who could not get admitted. You still have to have the GPA and you have to be able to convince an admission panel that you will be there to learn and be a team player. If you come off as someone who thinks they know it all already it will not help your case. I expect my HM experience to help me in clinical rotations and patient interactions, but I expect to struggle just as much if not more, than everyone else in the classroom didactic portions. I say this because I realize I have a great deal of medical knowledge in my head from 25 years of Navy classes and OJT. But, that is not necessarily going to provide me with the answer that the exam expects based on the text book info. It can be difficult to set aside what your experience tells you should be the right answer and recognize what the text book and the professor are telling you is the right answer. 

 

Good luck to you both! 

 

And, thank you for your service. 

[DocScott254]

The GI Bill only pays 23K to Duke because it is a private school. There are lots of public schools out there with great PA programs that the GI bill will pay full 100% In State tuition for. I am going to Eastern Virginia Medical School and it is paying 100%. I recommend to apply to public universities in the state where you are a resident. There is no reason to go into debt. Having DUKE on your degree is not going to get you paid any more than having UNC on your degree. At the very least look for schools where the Yellow Ribbon match is 100% so that you are not paying out of pocket. Voc Rehab is a great deal IF you qualify. But even if you don't qualify for Voc Rehab, you can still get your PA degree at ZERO cost to you if you go to a public school in your state of residence. 

 

Also.. I am a 25 year HM and an 15 year IDC. There is plenty of credit you will get for your HM experience and training. But, it really is not the ace in the hole that many folks think it is. I know a good friend who had 20 years as an HM and several IDC tours and a decent GPA, who could not get admitted. You still have to have the GPA and you have to be able to convince an admission panel that you will be there to learn and be a team player. If you come off as someone who thinks they know it all already it will not help your case. I expect my HM experience to help me in clinical rotations and patient interactions, but I expect to struggle just as much if not more, than everyone else in the classroom didactic portions. I say this because I realize I have a great deal of medical knowledge in my head from 25 years of Navy classes and OJT. But, that is not necessarily going to provide me with the answer that the exam expects based on the text book info. It can be difficult to set aside what your experience tells you should be the right answer and recognize what the text book and the professor are telling you is the right answer. 

 

Good luck to you both! 

 

And, thank you for your service. 

 

Thanks for the advice and wisdom I will look into that option as well my location just sucks because the schools I am close too are all private schools so I may have no other choice but I will be going with the cheapest school but also a good school. Also you are right about military medicine being a  different ball game when comparing it to civilian medicine which I am starting to experience now working in a civilian practice and I am not able to do near as much as what I am use too and it kind of sucks cause I feel like a turd just sitting around watching YouTube and Netflix until I'm need. I wish you the best of luck as well and thanks for everything you have done

[hmtopa28]

@IDCtoPA Thank you for service. Are you starting PA school next year? Goodluck to you! 

[IDCtoPA]

Yes, January 3rd! I admit I am a little nervous.

 

When you look at schools, first look at first time PANCE pass rate and then look at the class size vs how many passed the PANCE on first try (Attrition rate). It is important that the school have a high first time pass rate but, if the admission info tells you that they admit 85 students per class and their 99% PANCE pass rate is for 60 people then what happened to the other 25 people! (thats a 30% attrition rate) Either they got dropped out or they got set back to the next class. Neither is great but set back is better than drop out. This is an important question to ask up front to the admissions office. How do they handle a student that struggles academically?  The most important thing is that the number of people passing PANCE on the first try needs to be pretty close to the incoming class size. That is the best indication of a GOOD program. It means that they do a good job of screening their applicants and then do as good a job of preparing them to pass the PANCE. This is MUCH more important than the name of the school. I would not consider a school that had a first time pass rate of less than 95% or that had an attrition rate of more than 6 or 7%. Those numbers are my opinion. Others may disagree. If accepted you are going to spend a great deal of money (either your own or the governments) and in any case it is money YOU EARNED. Make sure you are going to have the best chance of success. 

[hmtopa28]

@IDCtoPA I know what you mean brother but I know you will do great things. I got accepted to one school but I am still waiting for my top choice, which I am waitlisted. I am hoping for the best but at least I know I will start PA school one way or another. I am happy and proud of your accomplishments doc. keep it up and let us know how it goes since your starting class way before me. lol 

 

-russ

[DocScott254]

Yes, January 3rd! I admit I am a little nervous.

 

When you look at schools, first look at first time PANCE pass rate and then look at the class size vs how many passed the PANCE on first try (Attrition rate). It is important that the school have a high first time pass rate but, if the admission info tells you that they admit 85 students per class and their 99% PANCE pass rate is for 60 people then what happened to the other 25 people! (thats a 30% attrition rate) Either they got dropped out or they got set back to the next class. Neither is great but set back is better than drop out. This is an important question to ask up front to the admissions office. How do they handle a student that struggles academically?  The most important thing is that the number of people passing PANCE on the first try needs to be pretty close to the incoming class size. That is the best indication of a GOOD program. It means that they do a good job of screening their applicants and then do as good a job of preparing them to pass the PANCE. This is MUCH more important than the name of the school. I would not consider a school that had a first time pass rate of less than 95% or that had an attrition rate of more than 6 or 7%. Those numbers are my opinion. Others may disagree. If accepted you are going to spend a great deal of money (either your own or the governments) and in any case it is money YOU EARNED. Make sure you are going to have the best chance of success. 

 

Not sure if you woke up this morning and told yourself that you are going to shower a select bunch of prior Corpsman with enough knowledge to open their eyes or what, but thanks for this info never really thought that far into it even though I did look at the pass rate but I didn't look at every school I'm looking to apply to pass ratings. Didn't even know chapel hill had a PA program until 15 minutes ago. Thanks for your help

[IDCtoPA]

UNC Chapel Hill is a new program.  So they will not have any PANCE statistics yet. But, UNC is a great school in general and has an excellent reputation. I would feel very confident about attending their program. They have a strong veteran focus which is also good. UNC was my #2 choice if I did not get into EVMS which is also an excellent program and only 1 mile from my home. 

[8404PA]

that is not necessarily going to provide me with the answer that the exam expects based on the text book info. It can be difficult to set aside what your experience tells you should be the right answer and recognize what the text book and the professor are telling you is the right answer. 

 

 

 

We have bad habits as corpsman. I've had to learn how to over come them, which sometimes means harder work than my peers. The quote above couldn't be more true. I have missed questions on exams because I know what the real answer is, but its not the answer the professor or book wants. Very real thing. 

[Wake PA-S]

Speaking to the PANCE pass rate, I think you have to couple that with the attrition rate.  A high pass rate with a high attrition rate should set off some big red flags as to how the material is presented and tested.

For UNC, I know they are military focused, but as far as admission I couldn't find any aspect that helps veterans.  They still have the normal prereqs and most if not all schools accept time in the military as a medic towards HCE.

And to the original question, the more health care experience you have the better!  I feel my time as a corpsman gave me an advantage compared to those with minimal patient interaction.

[andrewb]

University of South Alabama in Mobile puts their money where their mouth is as far as incentives for veteran applicants. I'm an army vet (military linguist) and I got an offer for the following year. One great thing is they try to always have one of their veteran staff/faculty interview the veteran candidates which gives you a huge advantage in someone that understands your world.

 

They have a lot of tangible recognition of veteran applicants from scoring extra points for mil service to saving seats in the class for vets. From their site http://www.southalabama.edu/colleges/alliedhealth/pa/veterans.html

 

"Our program is dedicated to recruiting and accepting veterans into the program. Qualified veterans who meet our minimum requirements will receive an interview. Currently the program reserves 10 seats for qualified Veteran applicants for the 2016 matriculate class who successfully complete the application and interview process. The USA PA program is the recipient of a 2012 HRSA Title VII PA Training Grant with one of its targeted objectives being the recruitment of veterans to the civilian healthcare workforce by leveraging their military training to becoming certified physician assistants."

[Boatswain2PA]

Wasn't a Corpsman, but here's my 2 cents.

I would take a military operator over damn near anyone, for damn near anything. I would take the guys who have pushed themselves to the physical, emotional, and cognitive limits in extreme circumstances, and succeeded.  I would take the guys with a proven ability to wake up at 0200 for a mission without crying about it..and get the mission done.  I would take the guy who has made the COMMITMENT to their teammates to do ANYTHING necessary to succeed.

If you're that guy, then all of those characteristics will help you immensely in PA school (or anything else you do in life).

Oh, and your medical training/education will help too.

[roger777]

The GI Bill only pays 23K to Duke because it is a private school. There are lots of public schools out there with great PA programs that the GI bill will pay full 100% In State tuition for. I am going to Eastern Virginia Medical School and it is paying 100%. I recommend to apply to public universities in the state where you are a resident. There is no reason to go into debt. Having DUKE on your degree is not going to get you paid any more than having UNC on your degree. At the very least look for schools where the Yellow Ribbon match is 100% so that you are not paying out of pocket. Voc Rehab is a great deal IF you qualify. But even if you don't qualify for Voc Rehab, you can still get your PA degree at ZERO cost to you if you go to a public school in your state of residence. 

 

Also.. I am a 25 year HM and an 15 year IDC. There is plenty of credit you will get for your HM experience and training. But, it really is not the ace in the hole that many folks think it is. I know a good friend who had 20 years as an HM and several IDC tours and a decent GPA, who could not get admitted. You still have to have the GPA and you have to be able to convince an admission panel that you will be there to learn and be a team player. If you come off as someone who thinks they know it all already it will not help your case. I expect my HM experience to help me in clinical rotations and patient interactions, but I expect to struggle just as much if not more, than everyone else in the classroom didactic portions. I say this because I realize I have a great deal of medical knowledge in my head from 25 years of Navy classes and OJT. But, that is not necessarily going to provide me with the answer that the exam expects based on the text book info. It can be difficult to set aside what your experience tells you should be the right answer and recognize what the text book and the professor are telling you is the right answer. 

 

Good luck to you both! 

 

And, thank you for your service. 

You are correct it will be a lot more helpful in clinical year. Including, but not limited to the confidence and gung ho attitude that many of us have.

 

As far as the didactic portion goes, you will likely find that, depending on the type of program you attend, your years of exposure to death by Powerpoint in the military will serve you well. I am in a PBL program so PP over an hour per day was unusual. I consider that kids stuff and could usually remain engaged throughout. I found that even the most indifferent pharm adjunct  was captivating compared to a SHARPs training or the endless slog of the EMT portion of medic school. This is the payoff:)

[Marinejiujitsu]

Don't you mean medical technician to PA?

 

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[LT_Oneal_PAC]

Don't you mean medical technician to PA?

 

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They reversed that decision

[Marinejiujitsu]

They reversed that decision

Awesome. Got love for my corpsman.

 

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[Laker1]

For all the Corpsman out there past and present how is what we are taught as HMs helped you so far in the PA program?

Just got out on the 4th of this month planning on applying next year as long as everything goes as planned.

My biggest piece of advice is apply EARLY.  No joke.  Filling out the application is easy because its mostly you just submitting transcripts and filling out personal information.  The hard part is going to be your personal statement because as a prior corpsman, this is where you get to really separate yourself from the other applicants, but you have to be able to convey the right message.  The thing is that with the personal statement or statement of purpose (whatever you choose to call it) is not like a brag sheet that you fill out and list all of your accomplishments.  There is a balance between highlighting unique experiences that us as corpsmen have, which separate us from our civilian counterparts and not coming off as a pompous jerk.  The personal statement is what will take you, by far, the most time to finish. 

 

 Most, if not all schools, review applications on a rolling basis, which means they review them as they come in.  I did not know this when i applied to schools and for some of the schools i applied to i submitted my application like a day or two before the close of their application window and those were the schools that i didn't receive interviews to.  the schools i applied to early are the schools i received interviews to. This may not be news to you but maybe someone reading this thread later will find this useful.  

 

 

Being a corpsman really gives us a leg up when it comes to these schools evaluating our applications.  As long as you have decent grades and good LOR's, experience weights heavily when vying for an interview.  I would venture to say that most schools you are applying to receive around 4-5,000 applications and only give between 70-150 interviews for 30-40 seats.  Also just make sure you research the schools you are applying to because each school is different in regards to not just prerequisite but when they have to be finished.  Some schools want your undergrad completed the calendar year prior to your class beginning, some schools start class in march and some schools just want your degree completed before you begin your program in the fall.  I know this may be a little mind numbing but if you start preparing early and can submit your applications by May/June, you'll have a much better chance of getting an interview and getting in.

 

Good luck and drink to the foam.