What to Expect at ODS?

FarawaySoClose, BSN, DNP, RN · Feb 26, 2011

First of all, thank you for making the commitment to serve our country, especially as a "lifer"

I went to ODS this January and can give you an idea of what to expect but your experience will vary depending on the time of year you go to ODS and on who your Chief is (our class Chief was awesome and that made it a good experience). You'll want to start getting into shape now, running, sit-ups and push-ups, maybe some other strength training; if you don't pass the PRT at the beginning they will work with you to get you to where you need to be but it's good to be in decent shape before you get there.

As far as academic prep you can start memorizing the stuff they have listed on the website now (Sailor's Creed, General Orders of a Sentry, etc) and be a little ahead of the game. Maybe study the Navy's history a little bit. They are going to pump you full of information and knowledge and lots of it in a short amount of time. You're not going to get it all, they don't expect you to, just take in as much as you can and be prepared to keep learning when you leave.

In regards to all those sites and blogs and the wikipedia article about the experiences of people who have gone to ODS in the past, forget about it. Think of those experiences as your grandfather's ODS; it's changed, they're constantly tweaking it and your Chief will have his or her own way of doing things. Also I know you're a high-achiever and that you want to do your very best to impress right off the bat and want to be totally prepared, because I've been through nursing school too, lol. Let it go now. Just come in and be prepared to take it all in, or "drink the kool-aid" as they say. The sooner you let go and just go with the flow and their way of doing things the better off and less stressed you will be. Yes, you want to pass inspection and memorize you gouge pack and maintain good military bearing, but you aren't expected to know all this stuff coming in. They will teach you the way they want to you to do things and know things. Just relax, don't let yourself get stressed out.

Some advice:

-Look to the prior enlisted in your class for advice and guidance but don't abuse them.

-Sign up for a leadership position or role (not necessarily Div-O, better to leave that to a prior or someone with really solid leadership experience).

-Don't fall asleep in class; you will go without sleep or very little sleep at times and possibly no caffeine. If you start to fall asleep stand up in the back of class or run up and down the stairs during a break.

-Keep you water bottle on you at all times.

-ALWAYS lock your locker, never leave it unlocked.

-Don't call a Chief "Sir" (I had a lot of trouble with this), you call them "Chief", "Senior Chief" or "Master Chief" depending on their rank. No joke. Practice it now, "yes, Chief", "no, Chief", "aye aye, Chief". You do address officers as Sir but you will interact more with Chiefs at ODS.

-Have integrity; don't lie, cheat or steal.

-Remember that you are an Officer at all times.

I tend to ramble, so if any of that was unclear don't hesitate to ask for clarification or to ask about anything regarding ODS.

About furthering your education with the Navy: the getting paid to go to school thing is called DUIns (Duty Under Instruction) and once you finish your initial commitment you'll be able to apply for it; they pay for you tuition and you get paid salary (and I think you still get BHA) to go to school and then you pay back the time in a commitment equal to the number of years you spend in school. It can be very competitive depending on what you want to study (not sure what it's like for medical school. There's also TA (tuition assistance) available and you can always study on your own dime and time. at Newport when you go to ODS I highly recommend talking to him about this stuff (I know he was going to be heading to another duty station soon), he can give you some really solid advice on furthering your education on the Navy's dime not to mention what Navy Nursing is like in general.

Let me know if you have more questions and have a great Navy day!

An ENS

msive22 · May 5, 2011

First of all, thank you for making the commitment to serve our country, especially as a "lifer"
I went to ODS this January and can give you an idea of what to expect but your experience will vary depending on the time of year you go to ODS and on who your Chief is (our class Chief was awesome and that made it a good experience). You'll want to start getting into shape now, running, sit-ups and push-ups, maybe some other strength training; if you don't pass the PRT at the beginning they will work with you to get you to where you need to be but it's good to be in decent shape before you get there.
As far as academic prep you can start memorizing the stuff they have listed on the website now (Sailor's Creed, General Orders of a Sentry, etc) and be a little ahead of the game. Maybe study the Navy's history a little bit. They are going to pump you full of information and knowledge and lots of it in a short amount of time. You're not going to get it all, they don't expect you to, just take in as much as you can and be prepared to keep learning when you leave.
In regards to all those sites and blogs and the wikipedia article about the experiences of people who have gone to ODS in the past, forget about it. Think of those experiences as your grandfather's ODS; it's changed, they're constantly tweaking it and your Chief will have his or her own way of doing things. Also I know you're a high-achiever and that you want to do your very best to impress right off the bat and want to be totally prepared, because I've been through nursing school too, lol. Let it go now. Just come in and be prepared to take it all in, or "drink the kool-aid" as they say. The sooner you let go and just go with the flow and their way of doing things the better off and less stressed you will be. Yes, you want to pass inspection and memorize you gouge pack and maintain good military bearing, but you aren't expected to know all this stuff coming in. They will teach you the way they want to you to do things and know things. Just relax, don't let yourself get stressed out.
Some advice:
-Look to the prior enlisted in your class for advice and guidance but don't abuse them.
-Sign up for a leadership position or role (not necessarily Div-O, better to leave that to a prior or someone with really solid leadership experience).
-Don't fall asleep in class; you will go without sleep or very little sleep at times and possibly no caffeine. If you start to fall asleep stand up in the back of class or run up and down the stairs during a break.
-Keep you water bottle on you at all times.
-ALWAYS lock your locker, never leave it unlocked.
-Don't call a Chief "Sir" (I had a lot of trouble with this), you call them "Chief", "Senior Chief" or "Master Chief" depending on their rank. No joke. Practice it now, "yes, Chief", "no, Chief", "aye aye, Chief". You do address officers as Sir but you will interact more with Chiefs at ODS.
-Have integrity; don't lie, cheat or steal.
-Remember that you are an Officer at all times.
I tend to ramble, so if any of that was unclear don't hesitate to ask for clarification or to ask about anything regarding ODS.
About furthering your education with the Navy: the getting paid to go to school thing is called DUIns (Duty Under Instruction) and once you finish your initial commitment you'll be able to apply for it; they pay for you tuition and you get paid salary (and I think you still get BHA) to go to school and then you pay back the time in a commitment equal to the number of years you spend in school. It can be very competitive depending on what you want to study (not sure what it's like for medical school. There's also TA (tuition assistance) available and you can always study on your own dime and time. at Newport when you go to ODS I highly recommend talking to him about this stuff (I know he was going to be heading to another duty station soon), he can give you some really solid advice on furthering your education on the Navy's dime not to mention what Navy Nursing is like in general.
Let me know if you have more questions and have a great Navy day!
An ENS

Thanks soo much for the insight, I'm waiting on orders and still don't know when Im leaving for ODS b/c of the hole funding freeze, there has been issues w/new grad orders. Anyhow, can you let us know how reporting to your duty station went and what was your orientation like?

I myself am about to complete a two year long accelerated BSN program and this last year has been all leadership class, I already have my NCLEX done but I feel like I've forgotten alot of nursing knowledge, so I know I need to brush up on these things but if you could let me know what the hospital orientation is like that would be great. Like, for instance do they teach you nursing techniques? or do they expect you to know certain things? I havent punctured a vein since last may... I'm a little nervous about working on patients. Please let me know when you get a chance. thanks alot!