Serve as a Ranger/SF Medic or Physician Assistant *Shortened

Questions and Answers about obtaining an Option 40 Contract and other routes to serving as a Ranger in the US Army.
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2014Bulldog
Embryo
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Joined: July 4th, 2010, 10:33 am

Serve as a Ranger/SF Medic or Physician Assistant *Shortened

Post by 2014Bulldog »

I'm one of the newest members here, but I don't want to sound like a 15 year old. I want to be a member of these units because I have researched them and talked to the veterans. I can firmly say that I have the utmost respect for the Veterans of those units.
To start my question, there is a drive and motivation in me to serve in these units. So naturally, I imagine enlisting as a 68W with the Option 40 Contract. However, I want to make sure I have a solid career path for when I retire (I don't want to be an EMT once I get out), so it seems like it would be a better idea to become a Physician Assistant for the Army, where I could still serve in the Rangers and with the Special Forces. Even after reading Captain Detro's story and how amazing he made a difference, I just feel like I would rather go to the Citadel and not accept a commission. I feel like I want to serve on the teams and provide that first-response medical care. I mean, I could still do that as a P.A., but I wouldn't be allowed to really go with the teams on their missions to help them, which is ultimately what I want.

I was just hoping for a Ranger's outlook on this, if you can provide yours. Thank you very much,
Adam
Last edited by 2014Bulldog on July 15th, 2010, 2:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"‎A warrior is a hunter. He calculates everything. That's control. Once his calculations are over, he acts. He lets go. That's abandon. A warrior is not a leaf at the mercy of the wind. No one can push him; none can make him do things against himself or against his better judgment."
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2014Bulldog
Embryo
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Re: Serve as a Ranger/SF Medic or Ranger/SF Physician Assist

Post by 2014Bulldog »

Can anyone provide their opinion on this? I hate to double-post, but it's been a week and I'd really like to get a Ranger's opinion on this. I'm not saying I'm basing my career on what Rangers online are telling me, but I want to see it through a different mindset than my own.
"‎A warrior is a hunter. He calculates everything. That's control. Once his calculations are over, he acts. He lets go. That's abandon. A warrior is not a leaf at the mercy of the wind. No one can push him; none can make him do things against himself or against his better judgment."
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Shock
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Re: Serve as a Ranger/SF Medic or Ranger/SF Physician Assist

Post by Shock »

I am new here as well, but to help you along you might want to check out the medic section of the forums, there are at least some of your questions answered and maybe some insight as to who to PM with specific questions.

Best of luck to you.
אל תהי בז לכל אדם, ואל תהי מפליג לכל דבר, שאין לך אדם שאין לו שעה, ואין לך דבר שאין לו מקום
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Silverback
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Re: Serve as a Ranger/SF Medic or Ranger/SF Physician Assist

Post by Silverback »

Check your PMs
RC 2-87
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TexMed
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Re: Serve as a Ranger/SF Medic or Physician Assistant *Short

Post by TexMed »

I am not a Ranger but I may be able to provide a little information on your question.
I am currently working to become a Ranger PA
You can not join the Army as a PA unless you are already a certified PA with a master's.
What you do is join the military, apply for IPAP school after 3 years. (All branches attend school at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio.)
If you are accepted and graduate you will be a PA-C with a master's degree. You will also become an officer if you are not already.
There are some prereqs for being eligible to apply to IPAP outside of the time in service.
Here is a link to the website for the program if you want to read about them.
http://www.usarec.army.mil/armypa/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The IPAP program is currently one of the best. You will do more and have more responsibilities as a PA in the military than you will in the civilian world. As a Ranger even more so.

If you have not already done so you should read what a 68W Ranger does. It really is as close to being a civilian PA as you will get without being a PA-C.
Civilian life yes, you would just be qualified to be an EMT once you got out. But if you are interested in becoming a PA spending time as a Ranger Medic is about the best thing you can do to prepare for it.
First, EVERY civilian PA school there is REQUIRES you to have health care experience to even be considered for acceptance in to the program. Second, Most PA programs are fast pace 2 year programs that require you to already understand certain medical terms and lingo just to be able to keep up with the programs. Which is why you are required to have health care experience.
A Medic in the military can spend a lot of time in and around hospitals and patient care. You will also have opportunities to shadow PA's and Doctors in order to learn some of what you need to know for PA school and get the recommendations you will need for your PA school application.

68W Option 40 is a legitimate stepping stone to becoming a PA in both the civilian and military world.

Best plan if you are not already a PA and want to be one in the military is to...
1. Join the service as a 68W on the shortest contract length you can.
2. Finish all the on-campus courses required for acceptance in to IPAP school either before you join or after you enter service.
3. Do everything you can to earn brownie points while you are in service. Volunteer, score high on every test, know your commanding officers and stand out, Spend time shadowing PA's and doctors.
4. Start applying to IPAP as soon as you can.
5. If you don't get accepted before your re-enlistment comes up. Use it as a bargaining chip to get in. (IPAP, like all PA schools is very hard to get in to. The Army gets to send the most students each year and I think it's around 100 people per year.)
6. If you don't get accepted in to IPAP program DO NOT RE-ENLIST.

7. At this point you will need to look in to civilian programs. If you have not finished up a 4 year degree you will need to check the pre-reqs required for the program you want to get in to. (Save your G.I. Bill for paying for PA school since it will only cover 3 years of schooling. You can take most prereqs at a community college and PA is far more expensive.)
8. Once you are either a year away from being finished with pre-reqs or your 4 year degree in a relevant field start applying to EVERY PA school you qualify for.
9. Once you are accepted send a letter to your branch of service letting them know. (I forget now all the details of this but what you are wanting to do is stop yourself from being called back in to service and deployed while you are in school) It is in the best interest of the military to allow you to finish and in all of my research in to this is seems a separation is almost always given.
10. Finish up PA school, Take the National Cert. test and become a PA-C
11. You can now join the military as a PA. You re-enlist, go through officer boot camp and that's it you come back in as an officer.


As a side note the Army does have a program to allow you to stay in the military and go back to school full time. You get your military pay plus housing and college tuition. But the down side is you have to do recruiting work while you are in school and there aren't a lot of slots for the program. Plus every year they pay for your schooling it adds another year to your enlistment.
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