College Major for Psychiatrists

I really don't have the knowledge to answer the other two questions.

[ Edited by Admin on 2007/2/2 23:09 ]

If you enlist (specifically, as an enlisted servicemember) in the military, they can help you get through your undergraduate studies. That's usually about it, unless you are in for a looooong time, in which case they might get you a master's degree. I've seen that happen a few times, but it's rare. (One of my Navy Chiefs earned his AA, BA, LLM, and MPH degrees on the Navy's dime -- the latter two degrees were earned at Harvard -- during his career, so it can be done).

You can often go to school for free during your service (depending on your job, of course, it's tough to study while deployed in the desert or getting shot at someplace), and if not, then the Montgomery GI Bill can help you pay for your bachelor's degree after you get out.

After earning your undergraduate degree, whether you earn it through the millitary, the GI Bill, or all on your own, your medical school can be paid for through the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP), which is offered through the Army, Navy and Air Force. (The Marines get all of their doctors from the Navy, so they don't offer their own scholarship). If you apply and are selected for the program, it allows you to be commissioned as an officer but does not require any military service while you are in classes... all they want is for you to kick butt in your studies. They do, however, want you to do some paid work for them during the summers. The military pays for medical school and gives you a living stipend of a little over $1000/month throughout the school year. Details are available from an HPSP officer recruiter, but don't call them until you are applying to (or have been accepted to) medical school. They can't help you until you have reached that point in your journey to becoming a doctor.

After graduation, the military will then put you through military residency training (psychiatry or other specialty), which is nice because you make more money as a medical officer/resident in the military than you do as a civilian resident. However, on the flip side, you make a lot LESS than your civilian counterparts while doing your payback after residency, when your civilian counterparts are out in practice, so you have to decide in advance, do the math, and see what is right for you in your situation.

I hope that helps. Good luck! 🙂