I'm determined to join, but past choices may make it difficult. Help?

[Inmon]

All I have ever wanted since age 4 was to be a Marine, but in my Junior year of High School i had to drop out and help pay bills. I'm 18 now and the household is stable enough for me to start working towards my GED and getting into Junior College. (I know I need 15 credit hours to bump myself back up to the same recruitment level as H.S graduates.)

I plan on being in the Corps for 20-30 years, and I want to know how badly having a GED will effect my career or if it will at all.

I'm more than willing to jump through any hoops put in front of me to achieve what I want. Any tips to make myself look more appealing to the Corps will be greatly appreciated.

Also, I plan on attending veterinary school (8 years) while in the Corps as my retirement goal is to have land and livestock.

Thank you.

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[irpat54]

All I have ever wanted since age 4 was to be a Marine, but in my Junior year of High School i had to drop out and help pay bills. I'm 18 now and the household is stable enough for me to start working towards my GED and getting into Junior College. (I know I need 15 credit hours to bump myself back up to the same recruitment level as H.S graduates.)

I plan on being in the Corps for 20-30 years, and I want to know how badly having a GED will effect my career or if it will at all.

well with the New President and the increasing of Def. spending, as long as you get your required credit hours you should not have any problems, the Corps size should be going back up as spending goes up.

I'm more than willing to jump through any hoops put in front of me to achieve what I want. Any tips to make myself look more appealing to the Corps will be greatly appreciated.

Also, I plan on attending veterinary school (8 years) while in the Corps as my retirement goal is to have land and livestock.

Thank you.

Are you planning on reserves or active.
I ask because on active it will be very hard, unless you do internet, to go to school with the moving that goes on.

[Tennessee Top]

A GED will not have much impact on your career. What will have an impact are your rifle/pistol scores, physical fitness test (PFT)/combat fitness test (CFT) scores, proficiency/conduct marks, leadership skills, and staying out of trouble with the legal system.

Attending vet school on active duty is not a realistic goal. First of all, there are only a handful of vet schools around the country (we happen to have one here at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville). Chances of one of them being near your duty station are slim. Certainly, there are none in Okinawa Japan and you have a chance of being assigned there (as well as Iwakuni Japan). You can search, but I don't recall one being near Camp Pendleton CA, Camp LeJeune NC, Quantico VA, nor 29 Palms CA. Even if you were lucky enough to find a nearby vet school, your class schedule would have to fit around your full-time work/duty/training, and deployment schedules (all of those have priority).

Tips for looking more appealing to the USMC. Complete the required 15 credit hours obviously. No tattoos (the tattoo policy always changes so it's best to just not get any). No drugs. Don't get anyone pregnant. No encounters with the legal system (may affect your ability to attain a security clearance). Stay in shape and don't get fat - work on upper body strength, core strength, and cardio endurance (running at least 3 miles easily). Study for the ASVAB aptitude test - higher your score, more job opportunities you'll have.

My recommendation. Set up a meeting with your local recruiting station. Go over everything in your post with them. Get their feedback (they're trained to answer all your questions and put you on the right path to attain your goals). You are not under any obligations by talking to them.

Good luck and let us know how the meeting went.

[crazymjb]

All good advice. Anything in the medical field will be virtually impossible while in the USMC on active duty. I'll go out on a limb and say it would actually be impossible to complete veterinary school on active duty, period.

I have friends who are veterinarians and friends in dental/medical school. 60-80+ hour weeks are the norm in those programs.

If your goal is to go into veterinary care this is the path I would recommend. Be a straight A student for your 15 credits, while in the USMC try to get as much as you can towards an undergrad degree done. When you get out, whether that be 4 years or 30 years, pursue your academic goals. Vet schools are insanely competative, you need to have an excellent academic background, fulfill all the very science heavy pre-reqs (think calc, physics, gen chem, organic chem, bio, animal sciences etc. I have a bio degree, it was just undergrad and it was more work than law school), and do very well on standardized testing. Not by any means saying you can't do it, but its a tough hill to climb.

Mike

[Inmon]

A GED will not have much impact on your career. What will have an impact are your rifle/pistol scores, physical fitness test (PFT)/combat fitness test (CFT) scores, proficiency/conduct marks, leadership skills, and staying out of trouble with the legal system.

Attending vet school on active duty is not a realistic goal. First of all, there are only a handful of vet schools around the country (we happen to have one here at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville). Chances of one of them being near your duty station are slim. Certainly, there are none in Okinawa Japan and you have a chance of being assigned there (as well as Iwakuni Japan). You can search, but I don't recall one being near Camp Pendleton CA, Camp LeJeune NC, Quantico VA, nor 29 Palms CA. Even if you were lucky enough to find a nearby vet school, your class schedule would have to fit around your full-time work/duty/training, and deployment schedules (all of those have priority).

Tips for looking more appealing to the USMC. Complete the required 15 credit hours obviously. No tattoos (the tattoo policy always changes so it's best to just not get any). No drugs. Don't get anyone pregnant. No encounters with the legal system (may affect your ability to attain a security clearance). Stay in shape and don't get fat - work on upper body strength, core strength, and cardio endurance (running at least 3 miles easily). Study for the ASVAB aptitude test - higher your score, more job opportunities you'll have.

My recommendation. Set up a meeting with your local recruiting station. Go over everything in your post with them. Get their feedback (they're trained to answer all your questions and put you on the right path to attain your goals). You are not under any obligations by talking to them.

Good luck and let us know how the meeting went.

Thank you!

Currently with my PFT i can do the three mile run in 17:41 as my fastest, I can also do the 20 pull-ups and the 100 crunches in the time required.
As with range scores, I've been shooting my whole life and was taught by my grandfather who was rated Marksman back in Vietnam. I also know that will probably make it harder on me seeing as the Corps will want me to re-learn to shoot how they teach me.

I've never had trouble with the law and never intend to. (I dont do drugs or anything of the sort) I have no tattoos yet, nobody is pregnant as far as i know, and on practice ASVAB test i have scored in the low 90's.

I will take you advice and make an appointment with my sub-station this week. I'll do my best to keep you updated with my situation.

Thank you again.

- A. Inmon

[Inmon]

All good advice. Anything in the medical field will be virtually impossible while in the USMC on active duty. I'll go out on a limb and say it would actually be impossible to complete veterinary school on active duty, period.

I have friends who are veterinarians and friends in dental/medical school. 60-80+ hour weeks are the norm in those programs.

If your goal is to go into veterinary care this is the path I would recommend. Be a straight A student for your 15 credits, while in the USMC try to get as much as you can towards an undergrad degree done. When you get out, whether that be 4 years or 30 years, pursue your academic goals. Vet schools are insanely competative, you need to have an excellent academic background, fulfill all the very science heavy pre-reqs (think calc, physics, gen chem, organic chem, bio, animal sciences etc. I have a bio degree, it was just undergrad and it was more work than law school), and do very well on standardized testing. Not by any means saying you can't do it, but its a tough hill to climb.

Mike

Thank you,

After seeing this I will most likely try to get the pre-reqs done online while in active. Then either go reserve for a few years and try and get vet school done in that time, or just wait until I get out.

Thank you again, this was very helpful.

- A. Inmon