majeco2001

Gofastphd, I just sent you a PM. Let me know if you get it.

elisabethm, Thank you for the input on Bethesda. You are the only person I have "spoken" to who has been stationed there so that is all I have to go off of. I am not a big fan of the DC area although there are amazing things to see. Having young kids and a wife I would hate for my wife to have to deal with that much congestion just to go to a park. I have been able to get a lot of input on Portsmouth and at this point, I am hoping that is where I go and it will probably be my #1 choice. It sounds like Portsmouth has a lot of opportunity for learning and it is a Navy hospital so the higher ups know what the career progression is for Navy Nurses. I am not very concerned with local area as far as things to do as much as doing what's best for my career and experience as a nurse. Obviously, at the end of the day the Navy will tell me where I'm going and what I'll be doing but I am just trying to get as much information as possible. Thanks again.

Hi nh0824, My recommendation would be to contact the MECP POC to get the answer straight from her. My personal belief is that I would recommend going by exactly what the orders/literature of MECP say. The purpose of the "minimum credit" requirement is 2 fold; 1) it shows, to some degree, that you are capable of succeeding in college and 2) it helps produce BSN degree students in 36 months or less. When you are accepted into nursing school and do an audit with the academic advisor, chances are this program will help fulfill at least some of the electives of whatever college you go to require thus meeting part of the credit requirement. I will leave you with this last bit of advice; never disqualify yourself. What I mean by this is if you have the ability to ensure you meet the requirements 100% without an undue stress on you, your family, or work then get everything done. Do not leave it up to someone else that says they will waive the requirement to find out you weren't selected. If this happens you will always wonder, "what if." I have done many things up to this point in my Marine Corps career and have been selected my first time on every competitive board I have applied. This includes Marine MECEP and now Navy MECP which, from what I am told, are both extremely competitive. I don't say this to brag. I give this as an example because part of being selected is just putting packages together correctly and meeting the minimum requirements. You would be blown away at how many people apply to programs and they don't even have complete packages or do not meet the requirements. If me and you are on the same board and you meet all the requirements and I don't, it makes the decision of the board very easy. Sorry for the long, round about answer but I hope it helps. Good luck with your package and feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

My advice and personal belief is don't tell yourself no, let whoever makes the decision say no. I don't want to give you false hope so plan for the worst, hope for the best, and go talk to a recruiter if it is what you feel compelled to do. If serving your country or fellow service members is something that is important to you, do everything you can to create your own opportunities. If you don't get accepted or you are denied, at least you can look yourself in the mirror and say you did everything you could. Additionally, depending on your motives and reasons for wanting to join, working for the VA might be a consideration. I understand you wouldn't be in the military, but you would be serving veterans and many VA nurses and doctors I know find this very rewarding (even with all the criticism that the VA takes). Just food for thought. Take care-

This is what the local Navy medical recruiter sent me and I quote: "It would likely require a waiver at minimum with the history of the condition and the length of treatment. It does pose the potential to be an uphill battle to be medically cleared for service. Mental health can be a tough one. The ultimate decision would be made by MEPS and the Medical Waivers Department for Navy Recruiting Command. What they will want is to review all the associated medical records to determine if the history of the condition in question is waiverable. They take things like length of treatment, severity, inpatient vs outpatient, circumstance, etc all into consideration."

Hi , My recommendation would be to contact a current Navy medical recruiter. Needs of the military change so fast and with those changes, the standards/waivers/requirements change. For example, just recently the DOD has talked about allowing individuals with mental illness across all branches. A current recruiter will have information that is current, accurate, and truthful. I know this doesn't directly answer your question and you are looking for information, but I hope it helps slightly. I am actually meeting with my local recruiter on Friday and if I remember, I will relay your question and see if I can get you an accurate answer. Good luck.

Jtomli10 and smhbtr318, If you need help or have questions with your packages, feel free to send me a PM.

ODURN2015, Thank you for the information. I was hoping there would be a way to get something other than Medsurg out of the gate but I understand the rational behind it. I sent you a PM because I would love to get in contact and get more information about the local area/schools/hospital etc. I completely understand if you don't want to contact me but if so, all my information is in the Private Message. Take care and thank you again.

Hud0369, Check your inbox. I sent you a PM. If you aren't able to receive it, let me know or look me up on MOL locator and contact me (Last name ventura rank gysgt). I am the only active duty one on there. I can help you with everything.

Hi, I will be graduating in December and most likely be PCS'ing next spring. I want to become a great nurse and have a future goal of becoming a CRNA or getting my DNP (leaning more towards CRNA). My top 2 choices for duty station preference will be Portsmouth and Bethesda. I am leaning towards Portsmouth but wanted to hear thoughts on opportunities to get into acute care/ICU/etc. Thank you in advance.

Jmm1990, If you wouldn't mind, can you shoot an email to me at jventur3 @ emich . edu

Jmm1990, No I didn't receive an email from Ms. Kemp. Did she send one out? If so, I never received it.

navynurse15, Thank you. Yea, I have already read all of that but I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything critical. Being in the Marine Corps and in a remote command without a usual admin section is a little different. I am getting anxious because I am a senior in the nursing program and graduate in December. The majority of people who were selected for MECP are not currently in college and will not be commissioning for a little while. With me, I am on a very shortened timeline so I just want to make sure I do all I can to ensure a smooth transition. I would, however, love the chance to talk to you. Is there a way to share contact information without posting it here?

Jmm1990, I appreciate it. I have been looking at the BUMED website everyday for the NAVADMIN but just wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything as this is truly a life-changing opportunity. I tried PMing you my information but the site won't let me.

HM2 Mendez, I appreciate it. That's kind of what I have been doing but I just want to make sure I didn't miss something. I have been keeping an eye daily on the NAVADMINS and it still hasn't been released. Do we just keep waiting or should I reach out to someone? Sorry for the questions but I just want to be 100% sure I don't miss a deadline or mess something up.