What is this program and who is it for?
The Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program (EMDP2)
is a relatively new addition to existing military education/commissioning
programs. Selected applicants come the enlisted force of all branches of the
DoD (as well as the Air Reserve Component) and are provided a structured 24-month
pre-med curriculum in exchange for service as military physicians. Specific
details vary depending on the servicemember’s branch and can be found through
their respective channels or from USUHS’s page (https://www.usuhs.edu/emdp2) or the proram’s
Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/USUEMDP2/)
What are the requirements for the program?
Given my personal background and the intended audience of
this page, I’ll speak to what I know about how this fits into an Air Force
career, though most points generally apply across the board. The most pressing
eligibility requirements are that an applicant must be less than 35 years old,
have more than 36 months TIS, no more than 10 years TIS, and must have a
Bachelor’s degree (BA/BS) from an accredited university. Other factors such as
GPA, ACT/SAT, and existing assignment and administrative requirements exist as
well but those mentioned previously are the big ones.
Where is this held and how does it flow into med school?
Classes are held at the George Mason University Sci/Tech
campus in Manassas, Virginia. Regardless of a student’s previous education or
degree, everyone attends the standard premed curriculum. Students from the
general population do not attend our lectures and the content is tailored
slightly to focus on MCAT/med school preparation. Applications to USUHS are
required, and applications to other accredited MD/DO schools are encouraged. We
do have the freedom to attend any accepting school, and there are enough pros
and cons for USUHS vs Civilian/HPSP to warrant its own discussion.
Is this a break from active duty? What is my status during
the program?
Students are active duty for the duration of the EMDP2, and
the time counts towards retirement, TIS, and benefits. Standard base
pay/BAH/BAS, etc paychecks continue to come, but you won’t be getting any
flight/dive/jump/pro pay. Your time is 99.69% focused on classes and MCAT prep.
You don’t have to do any official military functions at a base, additional
duties, or anything else. You still have to do PT tests and physicals but other
than that you’re just a full-time student. ABUs only once a week.
Is it worth it?
This is a pretty good deal if you’re willing to accept the
duration of education and the incurred active duty service commitments. Signing
up for this program is equitable to signing up for a full career as a military doc.
The EMDP2, med school, residency, and active duty commitments combined averages
out at about 18 years total. Take this with a grain of salt, as time can
decrease or increase depending on residency length and whether or not you
choose to go USUHS vs HPSP. If you avoid a residency and go HPSP you’ll owe
about 13 years. If you go to USUHS and want to be a neurosurgeon you’re looking
at 23 years minimum.
There are clearly other routes to take that result in
becoming a physician but if you’re enlisted and are interested in becoming a
doc in the military, this program is worth looking at.
Most other questions can be answered from the FAQ on myPers
but feel free to ask me on the forum as well. I’ll try to get some info out on
the PJ med newsletter soon with my personal contact info on there as well.
