Reentering service after PA school

[Capita98]

Hello all,

I was wondering if anyone here has gone through the experience of separating from service, attending PA school, then reentering service after graduation. If so:

-How long did the process take for you to reenter after contacting a recruiter?

-Did you start working with a recruiter while you were still in school, or did you wait until after graduation/passing the PANCE?

Thank you in advance for any input!

[Kazymedic]

I am also interested in this information. Bumparoo

[OrthoSurgeryPA]

Talk to them now. Things change and it can be a long process.

[moleashish]

I'm in the process however, I am using HSCP scholarship. That means I am on active duty in training status. I believe it is OIT status. If you have already graduated then I believe direct commissioning is an option. Definitely contact a Medical Officer Recruiter and see what options do you have.

Good luck.  Some of us don't learn the first time, that first DD214 is not enough, we go back to get the second one. Hahaha.

 

[trout]

I did this. I was enlisted, got out, went to civilian PA school and then commissioned in the Army. I reached out to the army in the winter of my 2nd year and was commissioned in October about 2 weeks after I took the PANCE. That was a while ago though, when the Army was hungry for PA’s to send to the desert. 

[armand81]

 I was prior enlisted AF Reserves for 12 years before getting into PA school.  Due to the demands of PA school I separated not long after school started. I met the Louisiana Air Guard recruiter at the annual LA PA conference in my 2nd semester (Fall 2013) and expressed my desire to get back in the AF after graduation as a PA. He told me they were looking and so I kept in touch with him. I had reached out to the AF Reserves but was told they wouldn't even talk to me until I had 6 months experience as a PA. So, I turned my attention to the Air Guard. As graduation neared in Aug 2015 I began getting all the paperwork completed for credentialing. After passing the PANCE all of the paperwork was sent off and I started on the commissioning paperwork. I went to MEPS in October 2015 and all was good except for the weight I had put on in PA school. I returned to MEPS in March 2016 and was cleared so the commissioning paperwork was sent off and finally approved and I was sworn in on 9July. I was told that I was coming in as 2Lt with credit for 2 years. When I swore in I found out I was 1Lt. This past July I made 2 years and pinned on Capt. I hope all of this info helps out and please let me know if you have any other questions.

[ssammyy]

On 9/21/2018 at 8:20 AM, trout said:

I did this. I was enlisted, got out, went to civilian PA school and then commissioned in the Army. I reached out to the army in the winter of my 2nd year and was commissioned in October about 2 weeks after I took the PANCE. That was a while ago though, when the Army was hungry for PA’s to send to the desert. 

So is the Army not needing as many PA's for deployments currently?

[Tyson387]

I'm so happy to find that other people have wondered about the same thing as me!

I have about 8 months of civilian PA school left and am wondering about joining the AF again.  I was in for 2 years when I was younger and got out under the force reduction stuff that was going on.

I'm wondering, will they repay your loans if you commit 4 years or so?  Is there a cap on how much they'll pay?

Does anyone know if there's a mandatory retirement age for PAs in the AF?

[armand81]

On ‎10‎/‎15‎/‎2018 at 4:56 PM, Tyson387 said:

I'm so happy to find that other people have wondered about the same thing as me!

I have about 8 months of civilian PA school left and am wondering about joining the AF again.  I was in for 2 years when I was younger and got out under the force reduction stuff that was going on.

I'm wondering, will they repay your loans if you commit 4 years or so?  Is there a cap on how much they'll pay?

Does anyone know if there's a mandatory retirement age for PAs in the AF?

I remember the feeling of getting to the end of PA school!

I would definitely look for a recruiter in your area. Are you thinking about active duty or reserve/guard? I am in the Louisiana Air National Guard and just received my first year payment of my retention bonus. PAs were authorized $75,000 over 3 years earlier this year. The processing took many months but I was finally paid the first installment. This was a cash bonus. There was also a tuition repayment option but that was only $45,000 over 3 years. I can't say that this is the same for active duty or reserves though.

as far as a mandatory retirement age, I'm not sure. there is a high year of tenure but not sure how age factors into that. although I did have 12 years in the AF Reserves prior to PA school, when I commissioned as a PA I was 35 years old. There is a non prior service PA in my unit that is in his early to mid 40s if age is something you are concerned about.

I hope all of this info is helpful.

 

[Tyson387]

9 hours ago, armand81 said:

I would definitely look for a recruiter in your area. Are you thinking about active duty or reserve/guard? I am in the Louisiana Air National Guard and just received my first year payment of my retention bonus. PAs were authorized $75,000 over 3 years earlier this year. The processing took many months but I was finally paid the first installment. This was a cash bonus. There was also a tuition repayment option but that was only $45,000 over 3 years. I can't say that this is the same for active duty or reserves though.

 

Thanks for your response!
I just got an email back from an active duty recruiter.  He said that they don't offer tuition repayment, which doesn't make any sense to me.  It sounds like Guard would be the way to go!  I'll look into that
Thanks again!