women NOT allowed in navy healthcare?

[Pam]

My 21 year old daughter has decided to join the Navy after realizing she can not go back to school without help. Help me, nor her family, can give her. She has done tons of research the past three weeks and talked to a recruiter yesterday. She expressed interest in being a dental assistant. He then told her right now the Navy is not allowing women to have healthcare rates because the Navy is the Marines medical aid and the USN isnt to fond of women being put on the front lines. Is there any truth to this? He did give her an option to go Nuke. She tested very high on the pre-ASVAB even with being out of a school setting for 2 years. Is he just blowing smoke at her or does this have any standing? All the research she has done has not only shown women in Navy healthcare but shows a very high percentage of them. Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated!!

[Heather]

I dont agree with this. I had a friend that just left in December to be a dental hygenist. I would def talk to a different recruiter.

[intheknow]

Inga-

A Dental Hygenist is an HM first and a dental tech secnd and a hygenist thrird. They can get sent to Iraq/Afghanistan. You are talking to a retired HM instructor/FMF HM/SW HM. I spent plenty of years deployed with the Marines to Somalia & Iraq.

[Achseh]

And this would be why you are "intheknow" ! :o)

[intheknow]

well I am just a generic kind of gal I guess...

[Anna]

Pam, the only person who can really put your daughter in a rate is a detailer from the MEPS she will enter through. Recruiters can give suggestions and such based on information they have but the detailers make the final call. I would get the number for your local MEPS and call and ask for a detailer. It makes sense that since Marines are fighting on the front lines and the Navy does provide the medical coverage they can't have women serving on the front lines. However, I do not believe that ALL new medical positions are going overseas. A detailer can tell you or your daughter what medical rates are available stateside or overseas but not in combat areas. My daughter went into the Navy last July and she still receives mail trying to get her into Navy nursing. She just got a flyer in the mail last week but I just threw it out. Hope this helps.

[Hoppi aka Angie]

A few corrections: The people who give the rates at MEPS are called classifiers, not a detailers. The classifer, looks at the needs of the Navy and the openings for the "A" schools seats.

A detailer is the person who gives Sailors orders, once they are IN the Navy and up for orders. Yes the detailer can tell an active duty Sailor what orders are open for them to transfeer to, BUT that has NOTHING to do with a person who is trying to join the Navy.

Not really sure someone can just call the classifer up and ask what is open. Reason I am guessing that is that it changes all the time, so if someone calls right now and asks when there is in opening for ___ rate. If the classifer even talks to the person, and gives them an answer of the person can ship out in 1 months. The classifier can not save that spot, as the person asking has not done everything that is needed to insure they are qualed to join the Navy. So if the person than goes though everything to make sure they are qualed to join the Navy, and goes to the same classifer and asks the question again about the ___ rate next ship date. Odds are 99.9% that has changed as another classifer has given that seat to someone else.

Does that make sense?

[Achseh]

Yup- the classifier is the one in the know and things can change daily (imagine how many get to MEPs every day across the country).

[Tracy]

My son is in Hospital corpman A school right now & he has females in his class. He also has a female instructor that is a corpman. From what I have been told is that the females cannot go FMF because that is with the Marines.

[Tracy]

Hi Inga, I am not sure about how many females in Tates class. I can ask him if you like. If they are saying there are going to be less females then I dont doubt that. I dont know very much about the Navy only what my son has said to me about what he is going thru. I dont respond with information about things on here very often because I dont want to sound stupid or offend anyone. Sorry if gave out incorrect info I will be the first to admit I could be wrong.

[Anna]

Sorry for the mix up of the names - I spent 5 years in the Navy and classifiers and detailers are pretty much the same to me! But if someone joins as a DEPper the PS at MEPS can tell them what openings there are for the rate they are interested in and when the school seat will be available for them. My daughter wanted PS and when she signed up at MEPS she had her A school date, backed up from that date for her bootcamp date and all this was a year in advance.

[Cathy]

In1981 , when i was in college, I wanted to be a medical corp man and my recruiter said noooo u need to be electricians mate i chickened out and didn't go. My husband was a navy recruiter and he tells me reason is because rate is so full that its hard to get into A school, my boy went in as medical corp man just recently he left at Christmas time and i was like" cant you go later " well he said no because next school opening was over a year a way and he didn't want to wait a year...... So if that gives you some kind of idea which direction to go I hope it helps

[Sheila K]

I've never heard of this, but I would talk to another recruiter just to make sure. I do know recruiters will tell little 'tales' to get what they need filled. There were a few things told to my son but it wasn't anything that made a difference to him all & all he has been pretty happy with his time in the Navy. He just signed his re-enlistment papers Tuesday-starting his 10th year in the Sub Force.