Question:
Can I attend the medical school of my choice if I join the Navy?
On the Navy’s website it says they’ll pay for tuition fees in full for medical school, but it’s not clear whether I can attend a medical school of my choice.
Also, how does residency work if the Navy pays for my school?
Answer: Great question! Through the Health Professions Scholarship Program, you will have your tuition and fees paid for as well as receiving a monthly stipend. So, you’ll be getting paid to go to medical school!
As far as where you go, it will depend where you get accepted. The Navy will pay for any school that you get accepted to and choose to attend. So, don’t feel limited by tuition when you’re applying.
The trick, then, is getting accepted to the medical school of your choice. That’s what this website is all about!
Right now if you sign up for the newsletter you’ll get a free eBook about the 8 categories you need to excel in to get accepted to the medical school of your choice.
As far as your second question goes, once you graduate medical school you will need to first apply to a residency sponsored by the Navy. If you do not match into a Navy residency, you go to a non-military residency.
After your residency (Navy or otherwise), you will then be a “specialized” doctor. Your residency is what makes you a surgeon or a psychiatrist or whatever you choose.
After you are specialized, you will then pay the Navy back for their support, generally year for year. So, if they paid for all 4 years of medical school, you’ll owe 4 years of service in the Navy. For more about military medical school and the HPSP scholarship, check out this page:
https://medical-school-insider.com/military-medical-school.html
Best of luck to you!