Hello all. Although I am new posting here i'm not new to readings on the forum. I had been working with a Marine Corps OSO up in Chicago where I go to college, but after getting a NROTC scholarship offer, I switched to Navy. I have a few questions I was hoping I could get some advice on from all the guys here. I am happy with my decision to join the Navy and become an Officer, and I've always dreamed of being an aviator. However, I had always planed on joining the Navy, serving, and getting out to go to medical school - as being a doctor is my end goal and what I want for a long term career. When I was working with the Marines I knew the time of service obligation was 6 years for Helicopters (Which is what I want to fly) but now that I switched to the Navy I was told it was 8+ no matter what you did since your time doesn't even start ticking until you get your wings which, I was told, usually takes nearly 2 years. My question is this: is there anything that I am not thinking of (as I thought being an NFO still came with nearly an 8 year obligation) that is 6 years that would still let you be around aircraft? Also, I am really interested in being stationed overseas, and possibly serving in Iraq (or wherever we're needed in another 2 years when I commission) so what other community/MOS would give me that? I really like to work with my hands and all that jazz and want the best chance to get deployed. Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.
-
Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?
Go here:
Edit Account Details and Profile
Little Help on Decision
- Thread starter IrishRed
- Start date
greysword
Boldly lick where no one has licked before
Although this is an aviation forum, I personally think SWO duty is pretty great. As an enlisted ESWS, I thought that the Surface Officers did some pretty fun things, such as standing watches in the engineroom or the bridge, learning to navigate using a sextant, studying to become a TAO.
In addition, as a SWO, you have a very wide range of duties you can perform, and could get command of your own ship quickly (if it is small like a PC or ARS).
Of course, I guess it depends on how badly you want to fly and whether just taking any job in the Navy is good enough. I do know there are Navy scholarship programs for physicians, and maybe you could apply for those and skip everything else.
Just some thoughts from a different perspective
I just re-read your post, and if you like to work with your hands and want to be deployed ASAP, then possibly accepting a billet as an engineering division officer would be good. These are SWO positions, though.
In addition, as a SWO, you have a very wide range of duties you can perform, and could get command of your own ship quickly (if it is small like a PC or ARS).
Of course, I guess it depends on how badly you want to fly and whether just taking any job in the Navy is good enough. I do know there are Navy scholarship programs for physicians, and maybe you could apply for those and skip everything else.
Just some thoughts from a different perspective
I just re-read your post, and if you like to work with your hands and want to be deployed ASAP, then possibly accepting a billet as an engineering division officer would be good. These are SWO positions, though.
UCIslandgirl
Registered User
So... you want to be an aviator and a then a physician?
I don't know much about the length of the aviation programs but the Navy has the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP). You have to be accepted into medical school first but they pay tuition yadda yadda. But medical school is 4 years on instruction plus residency. That = LOTS of time. What about if you became a Navy Physician that deployed with the aircraft carriers... that way you can *kinda* be near the aircrafts - you just won't get to fly them.
Where you planning on doing med school applications and MCAT testing while you were a pilot? Med school apps alone can take up to a year.
I don't know much about the length of the aviation programs but the Navy has the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP). You have to be accepted into medical school first but they pay tuition yadda yadda. But medical school is 4 years on instruction plus residency. That = LOTS of time. What about if you became a Navy Physician that deployed with the aircraft carriers... that way you can *kinda* be near the aircrafts - you just won't get to fly them.
Where you planning on doing med school applications and MCAT testing while you were a pilot? Med school apps alone can take up to a year.
navychick
Registered User
Also, keep in mind that if you go the aviation route (ie get into flight school, spend your 6/8/10 years) and really you want to be a navy doctor, the chances of you being able to do that the way you have it visioned is very slim to none. They Navy doesn't like to pay for you to go through flight school, get your wings only to then pay again for you to go through med school to be a doc. If after your aviation career is over and you get out and go through med school on your own then get back in then maybe that would be your only way.
I was/am in kinda that same boat. I really wanted to go JAG but also wanted to be pilot and its just not the most realistic thing. I would just pick one and go for it! If you have an open mind, things will work themselves out for the most part.
Good Luck!
I was/am in kinda that same boat. I really wanted to go JAG but also wanted to be pilot and its just not the most realistic thing. I would just pick one and go for it! If you have an open mind, things will work themselves out for the most part.
Good Luck!
NavyLonghorn
Registered User
Ever heard of the G.I. bill?
Yeah, I was more thinking along the lines of being a pilot in the Navy and getting out to go to medical school. My worry was just that I would be too old with the 6/8/10 years it takes for flying. I would be 22 when I got commissioned, which would end me up being 28ish when I started going the med school route if I was a Helo pilot - which is what i'm gunning for. It's just hard, because I have wanted both for so long. If I didn't become a pilot, being in the Navy itself would be rewarding enough, I am just such an action junky (and my two brothers are in the Marine Corps) so I want to go out there are really go all out.
It's kind of a side question, but my brothers wanted to know since they had both been deployed twice to Iraq a year or so ago - do any Navy guys get sent over there (to Iraq) yet or is it all still Army and Marines? I had someone tell me that some Navy helicopter pilots were getting sent over but I didn't know how accurate it was.
It's kind of a side question, but my brothers wanted to know since they had both been deployed twice to Iraq a year or so ago - do any Navy guys get sent over there (to Iraq) yet or is it all still Army and Marines? I had someone tell me that some Navy helicopter pilots were getting sent over but I didn't know how accurate it was.
I don't actually know the chances, but I know people have done it. They were aviators and down the road got the Navy to train them as doctors, some of them even became flight surgeons. Several people on AWs knows some of them personally.
As for going law after aviation you should check out the LEP. It is a program for warfare qualified (I think) officers to go JAG before their 6th year of commissioning. I think it is limited to 5 people per year, but keep that in mind down the road.
Thisguy
Pain-in-the-dick
The Navy has been there for a while. Ask anyone who's done an Individual Augment (IA). I'm surprised your brothers didn't run into anyone in the Navy.
wilsonator
Registered User
I actually know a couple of people who have done this both ways (two that have gone aviation to doc) and one doc to pilot (although he was AF). Once your committment is up the Navy is not going to not pick you up for a med program with the hopes that you'll stay in and fly. Getting out of your aviation committment early would be a whole other story though. Not sure why you want to plan your life so precisely but anyway it can be done.
My flight surgeon was a P-3 NFO, did his commitment and then got the Navy to pay for med school.
ROTC scholarships take out your GI Bill benefits.
One thing to consider is this: If you go the aviation pipeline, you'll be around 30 when your commitment is up. If you consider that most people around that age are married and have/looking at having children, you might not be too inclined to drop a steady paying job and go back to school if you're in that situation. Going to school single and without kids is different than married with children.
Well, they obviously had Navy docs with them as Corpsmen and all that jazz but they said they hadn't seen anyone else over there and weren't sure if it was just Army/Marine Helo pilots that got to go or if Navy guys were going to end up helping out as well. My friend that is in Marine Intel said he was around some Navy Intel guys and a few Navy engineers too, but I just thought i'd ask and see.