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Dang it, I have a typo in the title and can't figure out how to edit it. Should be "corpsman".
My son wants to enlist and become a Navy hospital corpsman. Ultimately, he wants to become a surgeon. I think he may be misunderstanding a few things:
1) he thinks he can choose where he serves
He will be given an opportunity to request where he wants to go.
Though the needs of the Navy come first.
Quote:
... 2) he doesn't seem to be phased by being stuck on a ship or submarine. I would think this is a huge adjustment.
Some people enjoy it.
Quote:
... 3) he believes he will not be in any combat areas
The majority of sailors will not serve in combat.
Though if he completes his A school, he will be given the opportunity to volunteer to be a Field Medic embedded into a Marine platoon.
Quote:
... 4) He thinks this is a "contract" position. I mean, it looks like enlistment to me. I'm not thinking he can quit until he serves his time.
An enlistment is a contract.
It is a total of an eight year contract, within that eight years he could choose to serve 4 years on Active duty and 4 in the in-active reserves. So even if he only serves for four years, if in 6 years from now Congress decided to call up all reserve forces he would be obligated to respond.
I did 20 years of Active Duty service, and my obligation continues until I die.
Quote:
... 5) If he enlists, will they really let him be a hospital corpsman or can they change their minds and put him in another area, based on need?
If he enlists to be HM Corpsman the Navy will send him to that A school. From that point on it is entirely up to him. If he completes the schooling then he will be a HM Corpsman, but while in school if he fails the classes, then the Navy will send him somewhere else and he will have no say in where they send him.
On the other hand, during school, if he consistently places at the top of his class, then at graduation they will offer him an assortment of specialties for C schools he could go on to. Some of those specialties are pretty cool.
I wish him luck
However, he needs to consider this. Lets assume he is 18, and he serves for 6 years. When he gets out he will be 24, and not a single day of college in his belt. At that point, he could start college say as pre-med, on the GI-bill. Four years later at age 28 he will complete his pre-med bachelor's degree. And at 28 he will apply to medical schools to pick him up.
A Navy vet with 6 years of experience as an HM Corpsman does not have any greater access to becoming a doctor, as compared to any other civilian on the sidewalk. In the Navy he may set broken bones, do minor surgeries, and he may prescribe medications, but once he leaves Active Duty that is all gone.
There are programs I have seen that offer a segway for HM Corpsmen to become a P.A. [physician assistant] but NEVER to become a doctor. These programs only accept HM Corpsmen who have served for 20 years or more. [not 6].
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
4,640 posts, read 11,930,296 times
Reputation: 9885
Quote:
Originally Posted by Submariner
He will be given an opportunity to request where he wants to go.
Though the needs of the Navy come first.
Some people enjoy it.
The majority of sailors will not serve in combat.
Though if he completes his A school, he will be given the opportunity to volunteer to be a Field Medic embedded into a Marine platoon.
An enlistment is a contract.
It is a total of an eight year contract, within that eight years he could choose to serve 4 years on Active duty and 4 in the in-active reserves. So even if he only serves for four years, if in 6 years from now Congress decided to call up all reserve forces he would be obligated to respond.
I did 20 years of Active Duty service, and my obligation continues until I die.
If he enlists to be HM Corpsman the Navy will send him to that A school. From that point on it is entirely up to him. If he completes the schooling then he will be a HM Corpsman, but while in school if he fails the classes, then the Navy will send him somewhere else and he will have no say in where they send him.
On the other hand, during school, if he consistently places at the top of his class, then at graduation they will offer him an assortment of specialties for C schools he could go on to. Some of those specialties are pretty cool.
I wish him luck
However, he needs to consider this. Lets assume he is 18, and he serves for 6 years. When he gets out he will be 24, and not a single day of college in his belt. At that point, he could start college say as pre-med, on the GI-bill. Four years later at age 28 he will complete his pre-med bachelor's degree. And at 28 he will apply to medical schools to pick him up.
A Navy vet with 6 years of experience as an HM Corpsman does not have any greater access to becoming a doctor, as compared to any other civilian on the sidewalk. In the Navy he may set broken bones, do minor surgeries, and he may prescribe medications, but once he leaves Active Duty that is all gone.
There are programs I have seen that offer a segway for HM Corpsmen to become a P.A. [physician assistant] but NEVER to become a doctor. These programs only accept HM Corpsmen who have served for 20 years or more. [not 6].
Thank you. I shall print this out and share it with him.
I do have a question, though, I just do not understand what a HM Corpsman actually is, in civilian speak. Does HM Corspman = EMT?
Serious question; isn't submarine service one of those where folks opt-in? And doesn't it bring with it better pay since the nature of living on the sub is more difficult?
Yes, Submarine Service is strictly voluntary.
It includes automatic Hazard pay [re-named as Sub Pay].
Submariners generally do not associate with surface sailors so we have our own independent bases.
Dang it, I have a typo in the title and can't figure out how to edit it. Should be "corpsman".
My son wants to enlist and become a Navy hospital corpsman. Ultimately, he wants to become a surgeon. I think he may be misunderstanding a few things:
1) he thinks he can choose where he serves
2) he doesn't seem to be phased by being stuck on a ship or submarine. I would think this is a huge adjustment.
3) he believes he will not be in any combat areas
4) He thinks this is a "contract" position. I mean, it looks like enlistment to me. I'm not thinking he can quit until he serves his time.
5) If he enlists, will they really let him be a hospital corpsman or can they change their minds and put him in another area, based on need?
Does anyone have any experience with this?
I was a Navy Corpsman that served on active duty for twenty two years. I served voluntarily with Fleet Marine Corps units, Navy warships, Navy aviation squadrons and shore duty at a few small Navy medical clinics. I steered clear of large Naval Hospitals. I'll attempt to answer your questions:
To become a Navy Corpsman he must successfully complete Navy Boot Camp at RTC Great Lakes, IL and then attend Hospital Corpsman "A" School at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX. While in school he'll complete a dream sheet listing his first, second and third choices of duty stations. Depending on the needs of the Navy he'll be assigned to where he's needed but the detailers generally attempt to place people to where they want to go so long as it's available.
I volunteered for sea duty right out of "A" School and was assigned to a Fleet Marine Force battalion on the West Coast. I subsequently spend most of my career on sea duty or in operational shore based units like the Marines and aviation squadrons. Your son could be ordered to a Marine combat unit or a Navy ship. However, he will not be sent to a submarine unless he volunteers for submarine duty. Some larger submarines have two Corpsman but most only have one Independent Duty Corpsman (IDC) who's been specially trained to work independently of a physician. With few exceptions no one goes to IDC School until they're at least a Second Class Hospital Corpsman and have some clinical experience under their belts.
I'm very biased about what ships are best to serve on. As a Corpsman and Sailor I'd much prefer to serve on ship with a smaller crew like a destroyer rather than larger ship like an aircraft carrier. Comparing the two is like comparing a small town to a big city. As the Corpsman on a small ship you get to know the names of every crew member from the captain to the most junior seaman. This becomes very helpful when you're trying to attend to the crew's clinical needs. A small ship can sail into a port and tie up pier side with very little fanfare. I served on an aircraft carrier with one of my squadrons but I'd never volunteer to serve on another. It was too much like a big city and I found it too impersonal for me. The lines for chow were often long and resulted in all of the hassles you can imagine that resulted when 5,000 men and women are cramped into a floating city and runway. That's just me. Each to their own. Some Sailors love serving on aircraft carriers.
Thankfully, the endless wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are largely over for now. That said, Navy Corpsman serve side by side with Marine Combat units and with the exception of their rate insignia are indistinguishable from their Marines. Navy Corpsman have served gallantly in combat in our nation's wars and many have made the supreme sacrifice. 24 Navy Corpsman have been awarded the Medal of Honor and 61 the Navy Cross. Dozens of others have received the Bronze Star and other combat citations. While it's unlikely that your son will ever serve in combat it's definitely a possibility.
It's very difficult to quit from the U.S. military. Enlistees sign a contract and take an oath. In return the Navy will abide by what ever "A" School or advanced school that the recruit negotiated with their recruiter. The consequences for chronic poor performance or repeatedly disciplinary infractions may result in an administrative or punitive discharge that looks pretty bad a civilian resume. If your son decides to enlist I recommend that he honor this contract and not assume he can just quit.
The needs of the Navy always come first but if he enlists with a guarantee to attend Hospital Corpsman "A" School the Navy will honor it. Under no circumstances do I recommend that he enlist without an "A" School guarantee. If he enlists without a school guarantee he really will be at the mercy of the needs of the Navy. I know a lot of men and women that have started their careers as Navy Corpsman and went on to nursing school, pharmacy school, physicians assistant school and medical school. Some did this while they were on active duty and others accomplished this once they left the military. Those with a four year degree and good MCAT scores are eligible to attend the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine. https://medschool.usuhs.edu/home
Your son has a lot of options as Navy Corpsman. The ball is really in his court. I hope that this was helpful. Feel free to ask me any questions that you or he might have.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Submariner
Yes, Submarine Service is strictly voluntary.
It includes automatic Hazard pay [re-named as Sub Pay].
Submariners generally do not associate with surface sailors so we have our own independent bases.
I guess all of those submariners I associated with at the TTF Bangor, Sub Base Point Loma and NWS Charleston were in violation of your code of conduct.
Last edited by irishcopper; 01-10-2022 at 11:20 AM..
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
4,640 posts, read 11,930,296 times
Reputation: 9885
Quote:
Originally Posted by irishcopper
I was a Navy Corpsman that served on active duty for twenty two years. I served voluntarily with Fleet Marine Corps units, Navy warships, Navy aviation squadrons and shore duty at a few small Navy medical clinics. I steered clear of large Naval Hospitals. I'll attempt to answer your questions:
To become a Navy Corpsman he must successfully complete Navy Boot Camp at RTC Great Lakes, IL and then attend Hospital Corpsman "A" School at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX. While in school he'll complete a dream sheet listing his first, second and third choices of duty stations. Depending on the needs of the Navy he'll be assigned to where he's needed but the detailers generally attempt to place people to where they want to go so long as it's available.
I volunteered for sea duty right out of "A" School and was assigned to a Fleet Marine Force battalion on the West Coast. I subsequently spend most of my career on sea duty or in operational shore based units like the Marines and aviation squadrons. Your son could be ordered to a Marine combat unit or a Navy ship. However, he will not be sent to a submarine unless he volunteers for submarine duty. Some larger submarines have two Corpsman but most only have one Independent Duty Corpsman (IDC) who's been specially trained to work independently of a physician. With few exceptions no one goes to IDC School until they're at least a Second Class Hospital Corpsman and have some clinical experience under their belts.
I'm very biased about what ships are best to serve on. As a Corpsman and Sailor I'd much prefer to serve on ship with a smaller crew like a destroyer rather than larger ship like an aircraft carrier. Comparing the two is like comparing a small town to a big city. As the Corpsman on a small ship you get to know the names of every crew member from the captain to the most junior seaman. This becomes very helpful when you're trying to attend to the crew's clinical needs. A small ship can sail into a port and tie up pier side with very little fanfare. I served on an aircraft carrier with one of my squadrons but I'd never volunteer to serve on another. It was too much like a big city and I found it too impersonal for me. The lines for chow were often long and resulted in all of the hassles you can imagine that resulted when 5,000 men and women are cramped into a floating city and runway. That's just me. Each to their own. Some Sailors love serving on aircraft carriers.
Thankfully, the endless wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are largely over for now. That said, Navy Corpsman serve side by side with Marine Combat units and with the exception of their rate insignia are indistinguishable from their Marines. Navy Corpsman have served gallantly in combat in our nation's wars and many have made the supreme sacrifice. 24 Navy Corpsman have been awarded the Medal of Honor and 61 the Navy Cross. Dozens of others have received the Bronze Star and other combat citations. While it's unlikely that your son will ever serve in combat it's definitely a possibility.
It's very difficult to quit from the U.S. military. Enlistees sign a contract and take and oath. In return the Navy will abide by what ever "A" School or advanced school that the recruit negotiated with their recruiter. The consequences for chronic poor performance or repeatedly disciplinary infractions may result in an administrative or punitive discharge that looks pretty bad a civilian resume. If your son decides to enlist I recommend that he honor this contract and not assume he can just quit.
The needs of the Navy always come first but if he enlists with a guarantee to attend Hospital Corpsman "A" School the Navy will honor it. Under no circumstances do I recommend that he enlist without an "A" School guarantee. If he enlists without a school guarantee he really will be at the mercy of the needs of the Navy. I know a lot of men and women that have started their careers as Navy Corpsman and went on to nursing school, pharmacy school, physicians assistant school and medical school. Some did this while they were on active duty and others accomplished this once they left the military. Those with a four year degree and good MCAT scores are eligible to attend the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine. https://medschool.usuhs.edu/home
Your son has a lot of options as Navy Corpsman. The ball is really in his court. I hope that this was helpful. Feel free to ask me any questions that you or he might have.
Thank you all for your responses they are very helpful.
From my understanding a corpsman would end up as an EMT, paramedic, medical assisting, home health aid...that type of thing, in the civilian world.
Each of those professions requires a state-issued license. Working as a HM corpsman, he should have the knowledge and he should be able to take the test and instantly become an EMT / paramedic, etc. But it is not automatic.
He would have to be motivated to go take the test before he begins to forget the material. [we all forget stuff]
Quote:
... My son currently attends community college and can graduate in 2 years with a radiology tech degree. He thinks that he can enlist in the Navy and get out with that degree equivalent.
I'm just not sure that's realistic.
There are sailors who complete college classes and the Navy offers tuition assistance for those sailors.
The Navy also offers free CLEP testing, if you read a college textbook and feel that you understand the material, then you sit a CLEP test and the grade you get on that test goes onto a college transcript. The problem arises when it comes to matriculation. Say you build a transcript of 100 college credits, and all of your credits are fully recognized. When you apply to go to a brick&mortar college, they will generally accept [or matriculate] all of the credits but just not within your major.
For example, I was an engineering student, when I walked onto the campus of UC-Fresno, the university accepted all of my credits. But the Engineering Department refused to accept any of my credits in engineering.
I took a lot of college courses during my Active Duty career, and I thought that many other sailors were also taking classes. I have served on boats where we had sailors who held PHD degrees and they were able to associate with universities to teach classes on their off-time. I took most of my math classes while on deployment underwater, taught by another sailor [a physicist who had a PHD in quantum mechanics]. It wasn't until after I retired that I realized that in reality very few sailors ever commit the energy to take college courses. they get distracted too easily.
You're quite welcome. I'm glad that this was helpful.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Submariner
There are programs I have seen that offer a segway for HM Corpsmen to become a P.A. [physician assistant] but NEVER to become a doctor. These programs only accept HM Corpsmen who have served for 20 years or more. [not 6].
Several of the Navy Corpsman that worked with me earned their Bachelor's degrees, took their MCAT and were accepted to the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine. They were commissioned as ensigns and received full pay and allowances during medical school. Once they graduate they were promoted to lieutenant. It doesn't happen a lot but the option is available to highly qualified candidates.
The Physician Assistant Program is offered to active duty Navy and Marine Corps personnel as a part of the Medical Service Corps In-Service Procurement Program (MSCIPP). Application requirements are:
Navy or Marine Corps E-5 thru E-9 (E-4 waivers considered on a case-to-case basis)
Under 42 by commissioning
Complete SAT with a score of 1000 (Math 460)
US Citizen or naturalized US Citizen
No NJP within in the three years preceding application
Meet PFA Standards (outlined in OPNAV 6110.1J)
Pass pre-commissioning physical
Meet security clearance requirements
60 semester hours prior to application (30 of those hours must be in residence training (classroom) at the acceptable course level)
All the above information is outlined in detail in OPNAVINST 1420.1b
Thank you. I shall print this out and share it with him.
I do have a question, though, I just do not understand what a HM Corpsman actually is, in civilian speak. Does HM Corspman = EMT?
A HM may kinda-sorta be like an EMT. A HM does not really directly translate into anything civilian related but HMs are allowed to take the National Registry test to be an EMT. The vast majority of civilian EMTs are involved in prehospital care, which typically means that they are part of an ambulance crew and take people to a medical facility. Most HMs work in a medical facility.
As you can see, there is a lot of room for specialization if you are qualified for an advanced school.
The hospital corpsman program is not any type of degree equivalency class, so he needs to get that out of his head. He can, however, take classes while he is in. That said, most people don't. I knew one hospital corpsman petty officer who was selected for some type of bootstrap program, and he went to college and NROTC on the Navy's dime and got paid as an E5 while doing it. He successfully completed the program and was commissioned as an ensign.
Is your son taking a lot of chemistry and science classes in HS, and is he excelling in them? The science classes needed in college to get into medical school are no joke.
Last edited by joe from dayton; 01-10-2022 at 11:43 AM..
Thank you. I shall print this out and share it with him.
I do have a question, though, I just do not understand what a HM Corpsman actually is, in civilian speak. Does HM Corspman = EMT?
Ouch.
On every boat I have served on the Medical Department Head was an HM Corpsman. [We call him 'Doc']
Doc was the health officer, he inspected the galley and food storage spaces.
Doc administered all vaccine shots.
Doc monitored our radiation dosimeters every month and recorded how much hard radiation each crewmen had absorbed that month.
If we broke a bone, Doc set it.
If anyone had a wisdom tooth that moved, Doc did the oral surgery to dig that tooth out of our skull.
Doc counseled the crew and monitored us for psychological disorders. [if a crewmember 'cracks' while on deployment, he will be sedated. Then among Doc's daily duties is to walk-up that sedated crewman, to walk them around the boat, to have a meal and a toilet visit, then back to his bunk to be re-sedated.
During my career, I saw an MD doctor once when I enlisted.
At my 17 year point I had began passing blood so my Doc referred me to a civilian MD to perform an upper GI endoscopy to diagnose my Duodenal ulcer.
And when I reached mandatory retirement at 20 years, I saw a MD doctor to do a complete physical in preparation for retiring.
During my career I saw two Navy MD doctors, and one civilian MD doctor.
All the rest of my medical treatment was performed by HM Corpsmen.
When my wife went onbase for medical treatment, she was treated by HM Corpsmen.
As were my children.
OB/gyn, mammograms, pap smears, blood tests, all of it.
A HM may kinda-sorta be like an EMT. A HM does not really directly translate into anything civilian related but HMs are allowed to take the National Registry test to be an EMT. The vast majority of civilian EMTs are involved in prehospital care, which typically means that they are part of an ambulance crew and take people to a medical facility. Most HMs work in a medical facility.
As you can see, there is a lot of room for specialization if you are qualified for an advanced school.
The hospital corpsman program is not any type of degree equivalency class, so he needs to get that out of his head. He can, however, take classes while he is in. That said, most people don't. I knew one hospital corpsman petty officer who was selected for some type of bootstrap program, and he went to college and NROTC on the Navy's dime and got paid as an E5 while doing it. He successfully completed the program and was commissioned as an ensign.
Is your son taking a lot of chemistry and science classes in HS, and is he excelling in them? The science classes needed in college to get into medical school are no joke.
The problem with passing on anecdotal information or information from Wikipedia is that it's often not accurate or current. Thousands of Navy Corpsman work outside of a brick and mortar medical facilities while assigned to the Fleet Marine Force, Navy warships, Navy aviation squadrons, Search and Rescue units, SeaBee Battalions, Navy diving units, EOD units and SEAL Teams. During my career I trained Hospital Corpsman to become nationally registered EMT's and registered as EMT's in the State of California at two different commands. Our Corpsmen worked on ambulance crews, Search and Rescue (SAR) crews and in the emergency room. The opportunities for Navy Corpsman to become EMT's or to attend one of the dozens of HM "C" Schools exist if they choose to take advantage of them.
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