Posted on Apr 11, 2018
SGT Human Resources Specialist
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I am enlisted in RA and looking at different options to commission. I am most interested in pursuing a career within the medical specialist corps. From my research I found serveral AMEDD programs(HPSP, IPAP, MSW) but these scholorship programs seem to be geared to specific MOSs I am not interested or have requirements I do not meet. Green to Gold seems like a viable option but from the research I gathered a specific MOS can not be guaranteed upon being commissioned throught the G2G program. My questions are: Are there other AMEDD scholarship programs for all the other AMEDD specialties, that are not part of the programs I previously mentioned(ex. Programs for Pharmacist, clinical pharmacologist, etc.)? If not, could the G2G program be used to get a Masters degree in a specific field associated with a medical profession; there by making the requirements for a specific medical MOS and guaranteeing that medical MOS after graduation?
Background: BA in Social Sciences, 5yrs active service, 30yrs old. Any information/guidance is much appreciated.
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CPT Health Services Administration
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I can’t answer to the other programs but I finish Green to Gold ADO in May and I was given Medical Services - AMEDD. I was 30 when I put in my packet and I got picked up - I used it to finish two degrees - BA History and BS Psychology. When I was going through my packet being reviewed - I was told that Masters degrees get placed in a higher tier because they are in high demand for the Army. And I know a few guys who are going G2G for their Masters.

When they issue branches they go off the OML - basically, a list that ranks Cadets in their final year. OML is based off GPA, PMS ranking, activities in school, camp performance, and a few other smaller things. Based off that, they rank you then look at your top ten choices for Branches - the higher you are ranked the better your chance of getting your top choice. Since I have been in the Program, no one has gotten lower than their fourth choice. The BDE Commander talked to us and told us Cadet Commands goal is to give at least something in their top three. If you don’t get your first choice - you can ADSO where you serve a longer contract (add three years) for your choice of branch or duty station. I’ve never heard of anyone not getting an ADSO who attempted it. So, you are right, your branch isn’t guaranteed but you would really have to underperform or just not try to not get it.

I also want to eventually go Clinical and work in Behavioral Health - I’m going to try to get my Masters online then work towards utilizing one of the AMEDD programs for my Doctorate.
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SGT Human Resources Specialist
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Thanks for the insight. Knowing that most get 1 of their top 4 is reassuring. Also, if you have any advice on the application process I would appreciate any details. I have what is needed as far as what goes into the packet but if there was anything specific that you figured out along the way that would be a helpful tip I would appreciate it.
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CPT Health Services Administration
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Talking with the HRC representatives who handle board packets, they told me that most of the time people don’t get it because they don’t complete the packet. So, even when it is stessfuk or it seems like you will never make it - keep going. I almost gave up a few times because something wasn’t formatted right, signatures were wrong or in the wrong spot, or I need this from this person but they are sitting on their hands. If you have everything you need, then it could never hurt to just submit the packet and see - even if accepted you don’t have to do it, once they approve your packet, they send you a form to sign that officially commits you to that path.

The board meets earlier now than when I did mine - I think you have to have it in by November. During that time just work towards making your packet look better. Your company commander and battalion commander write their approval - make sure they write it well. Letters of recommendations help tremendously - I had six from various ranks and two from outside the Army; one a professor and another a restaurant chain owner. You have to submit two APFTs no more than six months apart - plan that and work to get your best score.

I had a buddy in my unit put in a packet with me and he wasn’t accepted. He had a better APFT than me but my GPA was higher and that was literally the only difference - he had a 300 (+) score I had a 272 but his GPA was 2.6 and mine was 3.9. But for you I am not sure they factor in GPA, just as long as you can get accepted to a masters program.

My advice, just submit it and see - you might surprise yourself; I didn’t think I would get it. Good luck!
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Capt Daniel Goodman
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Elaborate, OK? You gave a good deal, however, try to give more, I'll try to suggest more...reading, hobbies, interests, GPA, any grad-level coursework thus far? What specific clinical fields do you want, as explicitly as you can explain, and why? Believe me, I realize what you want, I wanted to be on the clinical side so badly I could taste it, I could never get it, however, I've been through just about all of it, I assure you. So, I do think I can suggest things to you, however, I'd need to know a good deal more...do a really thorough, detailed bio sketch, and paste it in here, take the time to really do it right, the more info you can give, the more I can suggest, OK? Also, must it be Army? Would you want to try for the other services? Have you looked at the other services? Have you spent time thus far in any circumstance around anyone clinical, in any field, to observe? Are you EMT? AEMT? Paramedic? I'd seen you're HR...did you ever want corpsman? Did you ever think about or try for corpsman? Trust me when I tell you, I've taken just about everything, passed everything I took, trained and worked before my total perm disability with physicians, dentists, allied health of all sorts, shapes, types, professions, and descriptions...a good deal of clinical work is sheer repetitive, banal drudgery...as Erma Bombeck wrote once as the title of a book, "The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side of the Septic Tank", OK? I trained in 10 different teaching hospitals before my disability, assisted as a resident with some 300 surgeries, treated, all told, somewhere around 10,000 patients, I assure you. We shut my license off due to my disability sevl yrs ago, however, I can assure you, I've been all over virtually everything that walks, crawls, talks, and and flies in the clinical world, I've made every mistake conceivable, I've seen just about every possible mistake others could also make, as well, so, trust me, I do quite honestly think I can help you, however, it's not about what you want, it's about who wants you, for what, and why, OK? You need to have a very, very clear idea of why you want a given field, exactly what you expect from it, or think you expect, and to realize that the bloom wears of the rose real fast, when you're stuck seeing patient after patient, hour after hour, on call forever, endlessly, rushed through to keep up with your patient load, or get castigated constantly if you take too long with any one particular patient, been there, done that (BTDT), I assure you, OK? So, if you'd want to chat, I'm here, just give me a good deal more, so I can try to suggest more to you...and trust me, you'd get all the clinical, with all the military, you could possibly want with USPHS...if that weren't the case, believe me, I wouldn't have suggested them to you, promise, OK?
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Capt Daniel Goodman
Capt Daniel Goodman
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One other thought...for allopathic med (MD) in the US, with a 3.0 or thereabouts, I doubt it, not to be a naysayer, just to be a realist with you...however, osteopathic (DO), if you can boost your GPA and do decently in bio and organic chem, with a decent MCAT, I'd say "maybe"...I've been trying to figure them out for years, honest, and I couldn't get it, I got close, I could never get them to take me...you might have a chance with them, thought...also, I'd read some Carribean schools, some, occasionally, if students are allowed to do their rotations in the US, I'd "heard" that "maybe" the svcs "might" find them...underscore "might"...do I know for certain? No. Have I occasionally run into those who've asked? Yeah. Do I know if they got anywhere trying, being as those schools are outside the CONUS? No. Is it worth asking? "Maybe", OK?
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Capt Daniel Goodman
Capt Daniel Goodman
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Capt Daniel Goodman
Capt Daniel Goodman
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https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2014/11/23/enlisted-soldiers-wanted-for-medical-school/

And this...this might actually be your best shot at going that route, I'd heard of this for awhile now...it didn't exist when I was in, obviously (sigh)....
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Capt Daniel Goodman
Capt Daniel Goodman
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If you want more help, I'm here...absorb what I gave you first...I know I dumped a lot on you, however, trust me, it's all well worth your time to peruse...you want more help, just ask, OK?
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Capt Daniel Goodman
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