Advice Please!

[rso22]

So heres my situation. I appreciate any advice you guys have, good bad or indifferent.

I wanted to do ROTC route in college, but my dad is strongly against it.
This I think actually turned out in my favor.
I want to be a combat medic in the Army. That position is only open to enlisted, not officers. I'm correct in that, right? Or are there better combat positions open to officers?

My problem now is that I have completed 100 credits so far, out of 180 to graduate. If I join the army, when I get out I want to get into the medical profession, either as a PA or RN or NP. I just recently found out that 70% of schools dont require a BS in order to enter grad school for PA. You only need 60 credits of the required courses. So technically I could leave college now and enlist in the Army. I also feel like im just wasting time here, just so a piece of paper can say "Drexel '09". That, along with my desire to serve the country, with men of the same character, physical challanges, excitement, and great comradre all pull me into the Army.

I've always wanted to join the Army, but have had a lot of resistance in doing so. I really dont want to sit at a desk for the rest of my life.

Is it time to just start doing things for myself? Or am I being dumb? Btw I'll be 22 in May. Right now I pay for everything in my life except tuition.

Thanks guys

[FailureByDesign]

1. Get your degree, and finish school, that will give you plenty of time to decide what to do. DO NOT DROP OUT OF COLLEGE

2. When the time comes, join the Air Froce, as an officer

If you want to spend many years in the military, it comes down to an issue of quality of life man.

[UH60/R6 Pilot]

I see that you have a couple of options here as far as the army goes. The Army does have a PA program, and they will send you to school for it. That means they pay. Also, you have enough credit hours to enter the Army as 2LT. I do not recommend enlisting in order to get medical experience as a medic. As a combat medic your main job is to give IV's, stop bleeding and ensure the patient can breathe. That is all. The majority of the good medic are scooped up by the flight companies and end up being flight medics. I work with them as I am currently assigned to a Medevac unit. The extent of their training is EMT-I. You will get expereince with trauma real damn fast in Iraq. But even then you are basically stopping bleeding, ensuring the patient can breathe, starting an IV, and stabalizing the patient until they get to the hospital. The army also has a nurse corps, which is Officers. You hav enough credits completed for this as well. If you are going to do this I stronly recommend that you do NOT quit college. If you stop going as you are now continue online courses while you are in the Army as you will have to have you undergrad by the time you are up for CPT (about 36 months). If you have any other questions, send me a PM and I can give you more information.

[YZF_R600]

Dude do not join the army....Like it was said before QUALITY OF LIFE is the key....and the only way to go........

[rso22]

Thanks for the info guys.

The reason I was thinking Army Combat Medic was the following:
1) Want to be with the infantry units, out on missions
2) Love medicine
3) Have always dreamed / loved - special forces

If I did not want to pursue medicine, then I would honestly join the Marines. They do not have medics, they have Navy Corpsmen inbedded with them.

I am not looking, at least for now, for the military to be a lifelong thing. Maybe 6-7 years. I want to get out there, do some good for my country, earn a little money, and make good use of the GI Bill after I get out.

I doubt I'll drop out. I'm just going to finish as quick as possible. (taking classes in the summer)

[711michaelR6]

yeah if you get your degree and enlist in the army you get auto E-4 but if you enlist in the navy you only get auto E-3 since E-4's in the navy are NCO's ad you can't be an NCO i the navy without a job. i'm a little confused at what you are trying to do. you say you want to be a PA but that would be an officer's job. if you were to be a corpsman in the navy if would take a little while and a lot of volunteering to be up for a FMF (fleet marine force) job where you actually deploy. just an fyi, navy corpsman have some of the worst promotion rates in the navy. i'm currently an E-4 in the navy. i know a former corpsman. personally i wouldn't join especially if you have a set plan such as medicine. you will probably be much better off getting loans and continuing school to be a PA or a MD.

[tallywacker]

Originally Posted by rso22

Thanks for the info guys.

The reason I was thinking Army Combat Medic was the following:
1) Want to be with the infantry units, out on missions
2) Love medicine
3) Have always dreamed / loved - special forces

If I did not want to pursue medicine, then I would honestly join the Marines. They do not have medics, they have Navy Corpsmen inbedded with them.

I am not looking, at least for now, for the military to be a lifelong thing. Maybe 6-7 years. I want to get out there, do some good for my country, earn a little money, and make good use of the GI Bill after I get out.

I doubt I'll drop out. I'm just going to finish as quick as possible. (taking classes in the summer)

Dont let these people scare you off from the army. Get yourself the RN and join up. If you want to have boots on the ground and be out in the fighting though your gonna wanna be enlisted unless you forget about the medical part and just become an infantry officer. Do what YOU think you will like. Remember there are people in the army that love their jobs as well.

[sparky]

Please.... with your mentality and way of lifestyle that you want to live... PLEASE DO NOT JOIN THE AIR FORCE!! We're a spoiled bunch of people with a great lifestyle... don't need some gung-ho grunt type guy trying to ruin things for us.

Seriously, do what you want... 'cept for joining the AF.

[711michaelR6]

yeah if you want the real "military experiance" then join the army. if you want a "military experiance" where you have a "higher" quality of life then join the navy or air force. but if you want to help people and have a high quality of life then get your RN and go work in a hospital, which is also where people won't think you are incompetent. ask some military people about their military medical experiances and see how many have good ones. could just be me or it could just be the medical facilities i go to, or it could just be military physicans. no offense to any here. this does not apply to all.

[krayzie629]

if your lookin at doin some sf type shit as a medic, become a flight medic and apply for the 160th SOAR. www.nightstalkers.com youd be a retard if u dont finish school, it only helps you