How did you become a PA in the military?

[Mark V.]

I am a junior in HS. I'm trying to plan out my future and a PA looks like the career i want to pursue. I want the experience of being in the military while doing something i love.

Just curious, how can i become a PA in the Army or Navy?

 

What steps did you take?

 

Do you first have to get your education at a college then enlist or are there other options/routes? The only problem, for me, if i were to go to college first, is paying back loans/debt.(Yes i know their are scholarships and financial aid)

 

Any other advice or tips is much appreciated

 

P.S. I know that ROTC will pay for college in exchange for service, but the aspect of being a fresh faced officer with little experience in the military doesn't appeal to me. It seems that one would not have the same level of respect from his/her subordinates, especially Tops who have several years on their belts compared to a 23 yr old butter bar. Not to say it a bad thing, it just not for me...

[Friction]

I'm guessing you don't have any, or very little, HCE given you're a Jr. in high school? I'm thinking, as I'm sure others will attest to, that you should get a CNA/EMT/MA license and get your feet wet before you decide that PA, and healthcare in general, is your cup of tea. I'm not even a PA and I can tell you, just from working as an ED tech with PAs, that its definitely a lot better in thought than in practice. Kinda like buying a car, you want to test it out before you sign on the dotted line.

 

Regarding the military and your concerns, I would suggest that you join a Reserve/National Guard unit when you finish high school if ROTC is not something you don't want to pursue. This will allow you to get some vary good training and will expose you to the enlisted ranks and its associated lifestyle. I think there is a lot of truth to your statement regarding coming in as an officer with no prior military experience. Being able to relate to enlisted members will definitely give you a leg up when it comes time to lead your troops.

 

I'm biased since I'm a Navy FMF Corpsman... That being said, I would look to go that route if its still available. Nothing against Army/AF/CG medics, but I believe that Navy Corpsman, especially FMF, get the best training of any enlisted medical providers in the military. That's not just my personal opinion, its something that I've heard from numerous medics from other branches.

[Mark V.]

Given that i don't even know what HCE is, your probably right haha (what does HCE stand for by the way?)! Anyways, i see that your are pre-pa. In regards to that are you planning continuing your career in the military or are you transitioning back into the civilian world as a pa? Also, where are you studying to be a PA?

[CAdamsPAC]

Mods........why is this in the "Professional PA" section? OP did you read the rules of PAF?Attention to detail and following instructions is a major element of the military and practicing medicine.

[uscbigdawg]

To the OP, here's what I would do if you're serious:

1 - Graduate high school. However, see if you can attend basic training the summer before your senior year and then when you graduate, you can go right to the Combat Medic course.

2 - Work as a combat medic (68W - Healthcare Specialist) and maybe pick up a couple of additional skill identifiers/MOS changes (Flight Medic, Airborne, Ranger, W1, SF)

3 - Attend school for free (or greatly reduced) while you're in and prepare everything for the IPAP (Interservice Physician Assistant Program).

4 - Drop your packet for the IPAP and you're in as a PA at no cost (and you get all the perks - bonuses, faster promotion rate, etc.).

 

Rich

[HMtoPA]

To the OP, here's what I would do if you're serious:

1 - Graduate high school. However, see if you can attend basic training the summer before your senior year and then when you graduate, you can go right to the Combat Medic course.

2 - Work as a combat medic (68W - Healthcare Specialist) and maybe pick up a couple of additional skill identifiers/MOS changes (Flight Medic, Airborne, Ranger, W1, SF)

3 - Attend school for free (or greatly reduced) while you're in and prepare everything for the IPAP (Interservice Physician Assistant Program).

4 - Drop your packet for the IPAP and you're in as a PA at no cost (and you get all the perks - bonuses, faster promotion rate, etc.).

 

Rich

 

Agree with above, with a few caveats.

 

1. Go Navy, obviously.

 

2. After HS, go to CC college for a couple of years & knock out at least some of your pre-reqs. These will be much harder to do once you're already on active duty. And tuition assistance has more or less dried up, for the foreseeable future, anyway. Plus, you'll be able to gauge your academic fortitude a little bit before you sign on any dotted lines.

[JohnConner]

Enlisted military medic (any branch) is considered prime HCE (health care experience) for most PA schools. Also, there are PA schools that actively target and recruit prior military medics. This is the path that worked for me:

 

-Enrolled in college directly out of high school. Found out I wasn't ready for college...

-Joined the air force as a medic (4N0x1); spent 4 years accumulating HCE. Decided I wanted to be a PA.

-Took pre-req courses while on active duty such as A&P I, II, micro, stats, psychology and other gen ed courses using TA.

-Got out and enrolled in a local university to complete a BS in public health (graduate this May)

-Applied this past cycle to PA schools and found out I was accepted in Feb. I start PA school this October.

 

Joining the air force was one of the best decisions I ever made. As uscbigdawg mentioned, you can apply for the IPAP while on active duty. I chose to get out and pursue the civilian route because I did not want to rely solely on the IPAP for acceptance. You can still join the military after PA school as on officer. Also, as HMtoPA? mentioned, TA has been cut but apparently, it will be reinstated > http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/03/military-back-on-track-to-reinstating-tuition-assistance-program/

[3GeronimoPA]

Mods........why is this in the "Professional PA" section? OP did you read the rules of PAF?Attention to detail and following instructions is a major element of the military and practicing medicine.

 

Ha, that Alaskan bush has made you a real ball buster... I got another 20 hours of Cat I CME done on the clock!

[CAdamsPAC]

Ha, that Alaskan bush has made you a real ball buster... I got another 20 hours of Cat I CME done on the clock!

 

Naw, the bush is where I mellow out.........having been in your Bn Med Plt A/O made that evil NCO streak sneak back out!!:-)

[jsfelder0417]

I would agree with the above, try to get some pre-reqs while in the Reserve/NG component before going active. I had a hell of a time finding my classes and taking the GRE while in Iraq and Korea. I was able to figure it out, but I wouldn't recommend it.

[mtentis]

Mark V.

 

You have a lot of good advice above to refer to. I'll tell you my experience quickly. I joined the Army National Guard right out of HS and became a medic (68W). The Guard was my choice because I could attend college full time; I knew what I wanted to do in my civilian life, so it made sense. Active duty is fine, but I dont see you having the same flexibility with pursuing your college degree as you would in the Guard. My assumption though.

 

When you look into picking your undergraduate degree, make sure you consider the typical PA program pre-req classes. I didnt do this and ended up taking a number of classes after graduating with my bachelors. I earned a BS in athletic training, which was great in terms of medical training, experience and applicability to serving my soldier, BUT it didnt require many of the hard sciences I needed for PA school.

 

It was mentioned to get additional skill identifiers. I think the point is to gain a variety of experiences in the military and take advantage of leadership and professional development opportunities. Programs will look at you as a whole person when considering you.....well, most will.

 

Anyway, I've been in the Guard for almost 9 years, have been on two deployments and last year I applied to numerous programs, including IPAP (mentioned above). I have been accepted to a great civilian program and should hear back from IPAP any day now. Its exciting, but it took me a little over 10 years to get to this point and everything I have done since graduating HS went into that resume and application process. Point is, develop a plan, build your resume and dont get distracted by unnessary BS (doesn't stand for a degree ;) )

 

The military is a great route and it will set you apart from your peers. Join to serve your country, gain great experience, enjoy the benefits and opportunities that service provides and you can't go wrong.

 

My two cents anyway...

[Mark V.]

Mark V.

 

The military is a great route and it will set you apart from your peers. Join to serve your country, gain great experience, enjoy the benefits and opportunities that service provides and you can't go wrong.

My two cents anyway...

 

Some of the reasons I want to serve! Thank you!

[Friction]

I don't want to disagree with uscbigdawg, mostly because I'm a born and bread Trojan, but I know IPAP (Interservice Physician Assistant Program) is not as simple as applying and being accepted. It is HIGHLY, HIGHLY competitive. While its a great opportunity if you can get in, the fact is that many of the service members selected for this school are non-medical rates/MOS'. Unless you're top notch, grade A, and picking up rank fast and often, I don't think you're guaranteed anything. I wouldn't want to be limited to "what ifs" when signing 5 years of my life away.

 

As I and others have said, I think going the Reserve/National Guard route will get you that great training and still allow you to work and finish your college pre-reqs for civilian schools. Once you get in and finish school, you'll have an endless amount of opportunities for whichever branch you choose. That's my two cents anyways.

 

Good luck.

[Corpsman2PA]

This is the path that worked for me:

 

-Enrolled in college directly out of high school. Found out I wasn't ready for college...

-Joined the air force as a medic (4N0x1); spent 4 years accumulating HCE. Decided I wanted to be a PA.

-Took pre-req courses while on active duty such as A&P I, II, micro, stats, psychology and other gen ed courses using TA.

-Got out and enrolled in a local university to complete a BS in public health (graduate this May)

-Applied this past cycle to PA schools and found out I was accepted in Feb. I start PA school this October.

 

 

Same path for myself, except I wasn't able to complete any prereqs while active duty due to the Marine Corps' love of the "field" and deploying....

 

What I recommend is similar to what has already been said. However, I would recommend doing the DEP (Delayed Entry Program) out of high school, and subsequently enrolling in college. Don't do any pre-reqs for PA school yet. They'll probably become outdated in 5 years, and you'll have to retake them. Plus you may change your mind altogether. Take your core courses like English, Math, Lib Arts, etc. That way when you do get out of the military (after being an FMF Corpsman) ;) you'll be primed and ready to crush your required pre-reqs for PA school. AND, since you did the DEP program, you'll have less IRR time on the back end. Then one day you'll be drinking coffee and red-bulls and answering questions from pre-pas on the PAforum when you should be studying cardiac meds.

Best of luck.

[RetNavyPAC]

. . . I know IPAP (Interservice Physician Assistant Program) is not as simple as applying and being accepted. It is HIGHLY, HIGHLY competitive. While its a great opportunity if you can get in, the fact is that many of the service members selected for this school are non-medical rates/MOS'. Unless you're top notch, grade A, and picking up rank fast and often, I don't think you're guaranteed anything. I wouldn't want to be limited to "what ifs" when signing 5 years of my life away.. .

 

Friction is right. It is incredibly competitive. When I got picked up in '93 I was in one of the last 'big' Navy PA classes (PA-5) and we had 35. It's nowhere near that many now. But I digress.

 

It was so competitive that in the last few years before I retired in '08, I was sitting on interview boards for HMs and DTs who were applying for their 2nd or 3rd (and one even the 4th) times! Looking at these sailor's records I was amazed at how spotless there evals were, how stellar their grades were and how much diverse experience they had. These were very deserving corpsmen.

 

I was very dismayed - but I'm sure not near as much as the applicants who kept pounding their heads against the IPAP wall. When corpsmen at my last command would ask me about applying for IPAP I would counsel them to ask themselves one BIG question: "Do I want to be in the Navy or do I want to be a PA?" Most of them I advised that it might be an easier route to PA to use their tuition assistance to knock out as many of their pre-reqs as possible while they were in, get out and use the MGIB to apply and finish PA school on the outside.

 

Bottom line - finish undergrad, go to PA school and then talk to medical recruiters from whatever service(s) you're interested in and hope for a slot.

[68W2PA]

I was just recently accepted into IPAP. I start this August.

 

Here was my plan and how I got in:

 

• Enlist as a 68W in the Army National Guard. Graduate top of your class or an Honor Grad.
  
• Make sure you are assigned to a unit with at least one PA. I am in a Medical Command unit so I am lucky to have multiple PAs. Work with them. Allow them to mentor you.
  
• Be a super squared away soldier and the absolute best medic you can be.
  
• Use Tuition Assistance and the GI Bill to take all your Pre-Reqs at a local community college. Get As in EVERYTHING.
  
• Don't just take the minimum requirements. Take extra Bio and Chem classes. It will better prepare you for IPAP and make your packet stand out.
  
• Contact the PAs at a nearby VA for shadowing opportunities. See if you unit's PAs will let you shadow them on the civilian side.
  
• See as much and learn as much as possible.
  
• Study and prepare to retake the SAT to get a high score.
  
• Get letters of recommendation from your PAs and your CO.
  
• Put together packet and submit it to the board.
  
• Cross fingers.
  

 

Right now, the Guard gets 12 slots per class with three selection boards a year (soon to be two boards.) If you don't get in the first go, you can resubmit a few months later.