Will the Air Force/Navy take FMG's?

[EGX001]

I was just wondering if anyone has any insight as to whether or not FMG's can enlist in the US military and take advantage of all the Loan payback programs and Residencies?

I have talked to recruiters but they never seem to be able to answer the question. Has anyone had experience with this?

[stiz]

Here it says you must be graduate of AMA or AOA....and that's just
to qualify for an appointment as officer in the medical corps....

GoArmy.com > Medical Corps > Corps Specialties & Requirements

Might not be set in stone though. I'm sure there's a need for critical
specialties....would seem a bit foolish to pass up someone who's
board certified and US resident....

[Tipton]

I've heard this both from recruiters who don't know and incoming students...and haven't heard a decent answer yea or nea. Unfortunately the best source would be someone in the specific branch where you would seek to serve.

Enlisting would mean payback of loans...but that means not being an MD in the military. MD's are commissioned officers. And I don't think the US military can offer a commission to an IMG/FMG.

Good luck though.

[Genossa maximillian]

Contact the branch of service you are iterested in and explain them your circumstances, I do not believe anyone in this froum is a recruiter of any kind hence will only give you advice based on hear say and speculation. Good luck!

[lsmith55uf]

I have tried to find this answer as well. This is what I have found:

I am a Captain in the Army right now, and I will ETS (Get out) and got to AUC. When that is done, I CAN go back into the Army and take advantage of loan repayment and serve as an MD. But, I am already a commissioned officer. If you are NOT already commissioned, you can still take advantage of loan repayment and serve as an MD, but you will have to go to basic training, officer candidate school, OBC, BOLC and a lot of other junk. After that you will be able to practice, but the repayment time is ridiculous.

[lsmith55uf]

And yes, the Army is critically short medical specialties, especially M.D.s, so they will most likely work with you...for a price

[Tipton]

I'm sorry but I'm still skeptical even going to a highly reputable school like AUC.

Has the Army specifically given the go-ahead that AUC meets their requirements? And if so could you show us how they did that?

Please understand I'm NOT trying to knock AUC or any other school...I just hate having to say "I don't know" when someone asks me about this.

Thanks

[lsmith55uf]

If you are already a gradate of a medical school, and you wish to practice in the military, they will let you. As I said, you will have to still go through the normal rigors that your average joe off the street goes through, i.e. Basic training, OCS, OBC, BOLC, etc, and that is where most doctors say no thank you. They can't or won't do all that when they can just go straight into residency and stay a civilian. However, if you are willing to do it, and gain your commission THROUGH THE ARMY (Basic, and OCS), you can then take advantage of the tuition repayment option. But as I said, the payback timeline is brutal.

Now, since I am already a commissioned officer, I would have to break from the service, get my MD, then re-sign a contract with the Army AS A DOCTOR, go to the medical service corps OBC, then be allowed to serve as a physician.

If you already have the MD, the military is much more willing to work with you on getting you in. We are very short doctors, and the deployment operational tempo is very high for medical personnel, docs and PAs especially. I have talked to several health care recruiters about this.

I for one will not be going back in the service to practice. I have spent too much time in Iraq, and to me it is worth more than the cost of loans to have to go back there. However, if someone is wants to, they have the option. The Army will pay back all federal loans, and will also take care of most private loan options if they are from a major, recognized lender (Sallie Mae, etc.). Also, you should check on the school itself. I personally know of Ross, AUC, and SGU grads who are currently practicing in the Army. I have not met any alumni from any other Caribbean schools, but there are some other foreign grads who became naturalized citizens and signed on.

I hope this helps.

[lsmith55uf]

Yes, MDs are commissioned officers, and you would gain that commission through the basic training, OCS, OBC, BOLC pipeline. You only need a B.S. to earn that commission. Once commissioned, the Army will allow you to serve as an MD.

If you choose that route, you will be in Baghdad, pronto.

[devildoc8404]

I personally know a physician who graduated from St. Matthew's (FM residency at Brown), who took advantage of the Army's STRAP program after his ECFMG certification and is now commissioned as an Army doc. This is not at all without precedent. No, the military will not help pay your way through medical school if you are attending overseas, but once you have your ECFMG you have proved your worth, so to speak, and you should be good to go. They need physicians, and this is a great way to get them.

For more information, speak ONLY with a medical officer programs recruiter about this, and ask about STRAP and/or FAP programs available during residency. This can help pay your med school debt down and get you commissioned as an officer in the Medical Corps. I fully plan on doing this after I return to the States. I spoke with both the Army and the Navy medical program recruiters in Boston about this, and it is not a pipe dream. The key is to graduate and to complete ECFMG.

Whatever you do, DO NOT "enlist" in any branch of the military as a physician. (I'm a prior-enlisted bubba, here... and Lord knows there is some shady recruiter out there who would try to get you to do it to meet his quota!) ONLY speak with a medical officer recruiter, not with the dude down at the strip mall. You want to be a COMMISSIONED officer in the MEDICAL CORPS of the branch of your choice.

Good luck! It's totally do-able. You won't be able to do a military residency, but you can do a civilian residency with Uncle Sam giving you extra money, and then serve as a military doc. Abso-freaking-lutely.