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Interested in joining the military as a Physician Assistant


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Hey everyone! I was recently accepted to UMDNJ's PA program and will be attending in August of this year. I currently work as a Respiratory Therapist in a Level I trauma emergency room/in the ICUs. I was hoping to get someones take on what its like being in the military and a physician assistant. My boyfriends in the Navy and is currently deployed..so I know the sacrifices that exist with the military. However, I am interested in knowing if they will pay for tuition/living expenses while I am in school if I sign up now? Also, will I be able to do critical care work like I do now? And which branch of military (navy, army, air force, etc) would you recommend. Thank you :)

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Here's a link to two separate programs offered by the Navy, HSCP and HPSP: https://portal.utpa.edu/utpa_main/daa_home/ogs_home/ogs_imagesfiles/Navy.pdf

 

There are some key differences between the two. I don't know too much about either program, but there are a few folks on here who have been through them and will probably chime in shortly. To my knowledge, all the services offer HPSP but I think HCSP is Navy-specific. Not 100% sure, though. I would do as much research as possible online and then contact the Navy healthcare reciter in your area if interested.

 

Also, in the Navy at least, PA's do not work in critical care. The main focus is primary care, but it's a bit different than in a civilian setting (in an operational setting you may be seeing emergent patients, for example).

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Thanks for all the information guys! I definitely am going to talk to a recruiter... Haven't decided whether to talk to a navy or air force recruiter yet. It may sound silly but I actually kind of want to be deployed. My main concern though is that I dont end up just doing mundane primary care all the time. I am fine with doing it for a bit but I prefer to work in fast paced critical environments. Also there is a govt program that pays back student loans if you wotk in an area of need in the us. That is tempting but i want more. I do well in trauma situations and earned respect from several doctors at my hospital. I think I've suprised them because I'm a small quiet girl. But when an intense situation lika e multiple gunshot wound comes into the er I am focused and unphased by it. Is there any branch that can allow me to see serious traumas? I am not worried about deploying to Afghanistan or wherever I just want to do what i am good at and help our amazing military

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