There are two things I've wanted to be for as long as I can remember: a Marine and a surgeon.  This fall I'll be a junior in college and will be taking the test for med school this coming April.  I believe I stand a very good chance of being accepted and becoming a very good surgeon, but I want to serve my country as well.  My question is, has anyone on this board gone this route?  It sounds like a good way to see what being a Marine is all about.  I'd go through training over the summer, then have the option of joining or not.  If I decide the Marines is something I want to do, then I'd go for it, and apply to med school afterwards.  Am I right in thinking this would be good?  I couldn't get much info from the Marines website.

OCC=you have a degree and will commission upon graduation of OCS.  PLC J/S=6 weeks in the summer with no commitment.  However OCS is all PT, it is really nothing like the Marines.

Go to medical school.  If you must, go to OCS for the summer, but you do realize there are no medical MOS's in the Marines.  Better yet do both.  Join the Navy, have them pay for your med school, and then become a flight surgeon or a Battalion aid Surgeon.

If you do not go to med school right away, realize the likelihood of you ever attending decreases with each life event you might encounter.  New job (you will not have time as a new Lt.), marriage and kids (if that happens).

Quoted: Go to medical school.  If you must, go to OCS for the summer, but you do realize there are no medical MOS's in the Marines.  Better yet do both.  Join the Navy, have them pay for your med school, and then become a flight surgeon or a Battalion aid Surgeon. If you do not go to med school right away, realize the likelihood of you ever attending decreases with each life event you might encounter.  New job (you will not have time as a new Lt.), marriage and kids (if that happens).

+1

Having been both a Marine and a physician Ill give you this advice:
There are no medical MOS in the Marines. It is Navy Corpsmen, Physicians, and Nurses who provide medical care for our Marines.
Navy medical people are WELL respected by the Marines and are considered part of the team.
As was posted earlier, it is VERY hard to go back to school and it gets harder the older you get.
My advice would be to go to med school on a Navy scholarship and then request assignment with a USMC unit (Air as a flight Doc or Ground as a GMO) upon graduation. You will get to train and deploy with the grunts if you want and even wear the Marine Officer's uniform if you are within standards.
One of my friends lost his legs in Afghanistan...I can gurantee that Docs can get very close to the action.

Quoted: My advice would be to go to med school on a Navy scholarship and then request assignment with a USMC unit (Air as a flight Doc or Ground as a GMO) upon graduation. You will get to train and deploy with the grunts if you want and even wear the Marine Officer's uniform if you are within standards.

I'll look into this.  Do you know of a website that gives in depth details?  Besides the navy's website, that is.

Navy medical people are WELL respected by the Marines and are considered part of the team.

Most of the the jarheads I've met talk crap about them. Even the medics that serve in the field with the infantry.

The Army has a great medical corps. Don't rule them out. Plus you won't have to worry about being not seeing land for several months at a time.

And it's much easier to be placed closer to the field. And the Army has a great MEDEVAC system.

Quoted: Navy medical people are WELL respected by the Marines and are considered part of the team. Most of the the jarheads I've met talk crap about them. Even the medics that serve in the field with the infantry. The Army has a great medical corps. Don't rule them out. Plus you won't have to worry about being not seeing land for several months at a time. And it's much easier to be placed closer to the field. And the Army has a great MEDEVAC system.

So great that it's the system of choice for all theater assets.
Go Army!!!

Quoted: Navy medical people are WELL respected by the Marines and are considered part of the team. Most of the the jarheads I've met talk crap about them. Even the medics that serve in the field with the infantry.

16 plus years in the gun club, never, ever heard that.  Most docs are much a part of a unit as any Marine.  What you find in small percent of Corpsmen are those no well suited for service with the Marines, they prefer not having to PT, live in the field under rough conditions, etc.

Those guys don't do well in the FMF and try to get to the blue side.

Quoted: Quoted: Navy medical people are WELL respected by the Marines and are considered part of the team. Most of the the jarheads I've met talk crap about them. Even the medics that serve in the field with the infantry. The Army has a great medical corps. Don't rule them out. Plus you won't have to worry about being not seeing land for several months at a time. And it's much easier to be placed closer to the field. And the Army has a great MEDEVAC system. So great that it's the system of choice for all theater assets. Go Army!!!

You as a FGO should know it has nothing to do with who is better or not (and Army MEDAC are very good), but doctrine for certain levels of care and evac.  Because of that doctrine the Army gets personnel billeted for those missions.

+1 for the navy guys who don the gear being looked at as OK.

Most grunts have a problem with the "officer club" types ("real" Navy) who live on Navy bases, but are cool with the FMF medical staff.

(I work with several former FMF Corpsmen and 'heads who thought they were OK)

Watch out for the old recruiter "bait 'n switch" - offered to myself and my cousin. They fill you full of hot air, and offer you the chance to 'test' for an OCS slot, but you "have to sign this piece of paper first".  

That harmless "piece of paper" is in fact a six year enlistment contract. Oh sure, if you get one of the OCS billets you're golden.

If you don't.... report to the Island, maggot.

Better to go in on your terms... as an officer, if possible.