Confused and in need of knowledgable answers please!!!

[Madame Determination]

Im a 24 yr old married mother of 2 and yes my husband is very supportive. I'm currently interested in enlisting in the Navy. However, I have tons of questions and can't seem to get straight forward answers from a recruiter! I did graduate from an accredited school for Medical Assisting and took some AP classes in H.S. Will the schooling I have give me an advantage wen trying to become a HM? Also my ultimate goal is to b a doctor? What would be the best route to take to achieve my ultimate goal?

[Craig]

Determination - After your explanation, I don't think you will qualify for the DPEP program. 

 

The ratings the Navy looks for is the ones that are hard to fill and hard to keep manning up.  The depper I was working with qualified for the DPEP program for the CTN rating.  One of the hardest thing the Navy has problems filling is mortician's (which is a NEC under the HM rating).  So if  you happen to be a mortician you would automatically be qualified for the DPEP program since the Navy doesn't have a school to learn to be a mortician.  You would be an E6 four months upon completing boot camp.  Even though the Navy SH rating needs people to cut hair, you will not be able to qualify for DPEP program.  The Navy has plenty of farm guys and gals that use to shear sheeps, and that is who usually will cut your hair on the ship (I'm not kidding). 

 

The four month thing that is confusing you can be explained like this:  (Also see chart above)

To make rating for a normal E6 you need the following months for minimum Time in Rate (TIR):

9 months E1 to E2

9 months E2 to E3

6 months E3 to E4

12 months E4 to E5

36 months E5 to E6

This totals 72 months (9+9+6+12+36) which is 6 years

However if you were qualified for DPEP you could get E6 after only 4 month upon completion of boot camp.  Since boot camp is 2 month + and DPEP is usually about 4 months, you could become an E6 within 6 months...  6 months sure beat the heck out of 6 years.       

[Angie]

I had a Sailor who came in under the AECF program who we found out was a mortician, and we got his rate changed and got him E6.  He was shocked!  As he wanted to come in under the HM program and do something like he was on the outside, but the recruiter said he couldn't.  He was about 1/2 way though his school, when he said something about he used to be a mortician to a staff memeber and next thing he knew we where changing things for him.

 

Even after you are in, there are always loop holes.  You just have to get to the right people and keep charging.

[Madame Determination]

WELL HELP ME HONEY PLEASE!!!! =). WILL I STILL HAVE "A" SCHOOL IN THE DPEP? IF NOT WHAT DOES ONE DO IN THE PROGRAM? CRAIG INFORMED ME THAT EVEN THOUGH I GRADUATED FROM AN ACCREDITED SCHOOL, SINCE I NEVER GOT  CERTIFIED AS A MEDICAL ASSISTANT I MAY NOT QUALIFY.  DO YOU HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THIS? IF I DONT QUALIFY FOR DPEP WILL I STILL HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF GETTING HM IN THE DEP? DO YOU KNOW  OF ANY DECENT RECRUITERS IN NW INDIANA OR SOMEWHERE IN CHICAGO?

[Madame Determination]

ANGIE BELOW IS A GREAT LINK THAT ANSWERED A SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS I ASKED. I WAS SHOCKED AT HOW DETAILED IT IS BUT DONT KNOW HOW RECENT THE INFO IS. BUT FROM THE LOOKS OF IT I MAY STILL HAVE A SHOT (SAW A SECTION FOR WAIVERS ON THE DPEP APPLICATION). MAYBE THE FACT THAT I DIDNT GET CERTIFIED IS WAIVABLE SINCE I HAD "GREAT" GRADES (ON A 4.0 SCALE MY FINAL GPA WAS 3.78  )

http://www.navygirl.org/QA/docs/DPEP.PROGRAM.MANUAL.IV.pdf

 

IF THE LINK DOESNT WORK TRY TO GOOGLE "WHAT DOES A SAILOR DO IN THE DPEP" AND SEE IF THE LINK POPS UP IF SO YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS IT FROM THERE

[Madame Determination]

 Thanks for the feedback... So craig ,what if I can find a way to get certified as a medical assistant.  Will I qualify then? Do you think their may be different rules since the only thing i lack is the actual certification? I know I can probably still find a way to get certified but at this point dont know if itll be worth it? Maybe there is a test that the Navy offers to get me certified without all the red tape since I did have formal training?  It would still save them time and $ if they had a way to just get me certified. Im asking these things because of those "100's" of weird rules you mentioned earlier on!   I no there are usually loopholes with just about anything one does. They just have to know how to find them. Whats that saying... " Where theres a WILL thers a WAY! How do I go about finding a good recruiter because I'm not really comfortable with the current one(s)?  Yes I said current ones... The Office Ive been dealing seems so unorganized to the point were Im dealing with muliply people just to get anything accomplished (anyone can understand how that may be.) Also craig I added up my credits from medical assisting and I have 76. Isnt that technically more than the amount required for an associates degree? I read that an associates degree is equal to 60-64 credits, is the correct? When does one actually considered a depper? Is it at MEPS? Since I am married and want my husbands opinion on the of the job that I'd have(especially if I CANT go HM) can I take he full asvab without going to meps so that he'll be able to give me his input?

 

 Also in my inital entry I didnt mention that I also did 3yrs of JROTC and left with a rank of 2LT (i think, it has been awhile). Didnt do 4yrs because we relocated my junior yr so I tranfered and the new school didnt offer the program. Does this help? So even if I MAY NOT qualify for DPEP do you think I'll still have a shot as HM in theDEP because of my medical background? Like said where theres a will there a way!...I just have to find it! =)

 

[Angie]

You are a depper after you have signed your contract.

 

As for what job you will be offered that is while you are at MEPS you see a classifer and they offer you a job. 

[Madame Determination]

SO ARE YOU SAYING  I WONT BE ABLE TO GET THE HUBBY'S INPUT ON A DIFFERENT JOB IF HM ISNT AVAILABLE? OR WILL I GET A CHANCE TO CALL AND BRIEFLY DISCUSS MY OPTIONS SHOULD HM NOT BE AVAILABLE AND/OR I DONT QUALIFY FOR THE DPEP?  MY HUSBAND IS MY SUPPORT SYSTEM AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO CONSIDER HIS FEELING WHEN MAKING SUCH A POSSIBLY "LIFE ALTERING" DECISION! IF IM DEALING WITH A RECRUITER THAT ISNT KNOWLEDGABLE OF THE DPEP WHAT DO I DO TO MAKE SURE I DONT GET SCREWED!?

[Craig]

Angie - That is so cool that you got that sailor HM as a mortician.  That is like the hardest thing the Navy can ever fill.  It's such a rare thing and sadly just like the rest of society people die.  I bet that sailor just shocked all the instructors in his "A" school once they read his service record and finding out he will be an E6 in less than 4 months.  It's just such a perfect senerio that I just love.  I know the CTN I helped get E5 was totally shocked too.  He said his recruiter never even heard of the program.  I've been helping deppers on my website for years, and he was the only one that I found that met the criteria for the program.  It's just so rare, and it made me feel really good to finally find someone that had all the "tickets" punched.  He's my only one.

 

Determination - 1st off your capital letters drive me crazy.... quit yelling...

 

Per your college, yes you need 60 credits to get an associates (AA or AS) degree.  However, no one ever graduates with exactly 60 credits, they always have extra credits that don't count toward their degree.  Most people think they can get an AA without the basic English, Science, Math...etc.  You still have to have the state minimum to get the degree.  Yes, some private colleges will try to get the AA without the basics, but the Navy won't take those credits.

 

Additionally, you can't go to college and take a bunch of courses like "Underwater basket weaving" and think you'll get a degree.  You need real course.  Which you seem to have the real courses, but you are lacking the certificate.  Most community colleges allow college credits for technical colleges.  So you need to see if your's does.  Alot of colleges also allow the transfer of credits.  To see if your school does, then goto www.transfer.org   

 

You being a JROTC has special rules too, but I haven't read them in a while.  I'm thinking you can get E3 out of that.  It's another thing that allows sailors to get advanced.  But, you need to see the rules and see if you qualify.  You really need to read that I orginally posted to see if you meet those requirement. 

 

Lastly, your a depper once you swear in at MEPS.  Remember, just in case the DPEP doesn't pan out, you need to look at all the Navy ratings and pick at least 5 that you would like.  The chances of getting HM is really slim, but as a DPEP it is really high.  If you think you will go into MEPS with only one rating (HM), they will show you to the door.  You would be  considered "Job locked".  Why would the Navy want to work with someone that would only accept one rating when there are thousands of others that would accept a multiple of different ratings.  In other words, you're just another warm body, and the classifier can easily fill the jobs with others. 

 

Go to my website, I have all the ratings listed.  Actually I need to clean them up because I have certain ratings, like postal clerk (PC) that doesn't exist anymore...

http://www.navydep.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=36

[Madame Determination]

Craig sorry about the all "caps",  I wasnt screaming! lol =). I hope I havent offended  you with my persistence about HM. And in no way am I job locked I AM willing to pursue other ratings just not sure which ones. Plus I wanted to stay in the medical field because I plan to further my education... possibly a doctor at some point... never know! However if I did, I would hope to be able to avoid going through school for something totally unrelated to healthcare just to get a rating, and then go back to school for something so time consuming and difficult. Plus it just seems more economically savvy for them to  just certify me in a field I've ALREADY already been trained in ( even if I'm NOT certified) vs retraining me AND certifying me in ANOTHER field!!! Also my grades prove that I would more than likely succeed as a HM vs someone that doesnt have the formal training or work experience to successfully complete such a rigorous training for the rating(HM). Correct me if I'm wrong but even if you're  in the DEP, MEPS will  place you according to your specific skillset so that you dont waist your time or the Navy's time and $ getting schooling in a rating that you may not succeed at. Isn't that is the point of the ASVAB and other "evaluations and tests"?So, with all that said I AM willing to learn other things. Might sound crazy but I LOVE school, learning, enlightening,and empowering myself as well as others.My hubby always jokes that I would be a "professional student" if I could!! =). Once again thanks and I 'll be visiting your site.

 

Craig, about reading the requirements, did you mean the requirements for previous JROTC or HM as a medical assistant? Either way your original post didnt go into detail about the requirements it just gave me a link (that i couldnt access). I did find another link though that gave indepth details about the requirements(http://www.navygirl.org/QA/docs/DPEP.PROGRAM.MANUAL.IV.pdf). From what I can see the only one I dont meet is being certified already AND there was a section on the app for waivers... I'm hoping that maybe I'll qualify for one since I meet the other basic requirements for HM medical assistant.

 

If the link doesnt work one can google "WHAT DOES A SAILOR DO IN THE DPEP".

[Craig]

Determination - You have alot of stuff going.  The 1st is your medical certification.  That one you need to persue because if you qualify for the DPEP program, you will get the HM rating you wanted, plus you will be promoted very quick.  You really need to find out more about this.  If you had the certificate, I think you would be qualified.  However, without it, I don't think you would.  Just like anything in life, if you graduate with the back up paperwork (ie the certificate) then you are miles up on everyone. 

 

The 2nd thing you've got going on is you were JROTC schooling.  From what you have said, I beleive you would automatically come in as an E3 because you meet the requirements of the "Advanced Paygrade Program" (APP).  Remember, the DPEP is better, but the APP ain't that bad either....

Here is the rules on APP:

e. Junior ROTC Program. Applicants who are accepted for enlistment, and who
provide evidence of successful completion of two years of any Junior ROTC Program
are entitled to enlist in paygrade E2. Those applicants who have been awarded a

certificate of successful completion of three years of any Junior ROTC Program, under
any military department, are entitled to be enlisted in paygrade E-3 upon presentation of
the completion certificate or high school transcripts showing successful completion.

 

Don't expect your recruiter to know all this stuff.  It is YOUR job to do the research to prove to them that you know your sh*t.  So do your research and then get them to apply the programs for you.  You can find the APP program stuff starting on page 151 of this 232 page manual..

http://www.cnrc.navy.mil/publications/Directives/1130_8H/change%208...

btw: I know Marta (who is NavyGirl).  She does her job all day and sometimes doesn't keep everything updated on her website.  If you do this Navy crap all day long, you really want a break from it.   So you really need to go to the offical website to see the most lastest rules.  Don't rely on old data because things change all the time. 

Per the schooling.  You will find some old sailors would rather teach you the Navy ways of doing stuff.  Just because you might be qualified for these programs, these old sailors will think you might be bringing bad habits into the rating or Navy.  So don't get a big head if you get DPEP or APP because these old sailors will just hammer you down.    Just like boot camp, the purpose is to break you down and then rebuild you to think the Navy way.   

 

 

[Madame Determination]

Craig 1st and foremost I dont think I'll be able to thank you enough once this is all said and done. Thanks to family values and life lessons I've learned to become a very humble person. I've been known to be an overachiever but only because I feel my family and I deserve the best, especially if WE are working HARD for it! I do know that everyone else is NOT wired that way but I'm not the type to  belittle people and throw my accomplishments in there face. Instead I'm the type that will do everything in my power to help that individual, as long as they are willing to help themselves as well. Craig, I went through a Diploma program that provides me with the necessary accreditation to become certified should I decide to do so.Dont know if it makes a differences when refering to DPEP but becoming certified IS NOT mandatory to work in the field but can help get better opportunites. Had a baby 8mths ago. I had some complications that made it hard for me to work so unfortunately, once again, finances are very limited right now. This is another reason I'm pursuing the Navy (I have to have STABILITY!). I really dont have the time or the financial resources to pursue my certificate AT THE PRESENT MOMENT if it isnt going to be beneficial in the Navy. If its not going to be a definite return on this "investment" it would be better for me to just try to gind a job save some $ then get certified! I'm basically saying that I'm already in a financial hole and cant afford to dig an even deeper trying to take a risk and going on a wing and a prayer! As a civilian it cost $250 to take the certification test... I was hoping that maybe the Navy offered the certification and that I may be able to just study and take the test. Then if I pass I WILL be certified without the Navy having to send though school again!

 

When should I aplly for the DPEP and/or APP...before or after MEPS? When will I know whether I qualified or not... befor or after MEPS?

[Angie]

Even if the Navy offered the test, you would have to be IN the Navy before you could get that benny.  BUT To get in the USN, you have to go through MEPS, get a job, finish bootcamp, and finish "A" School. 

 

So if you want to join the USN, you join when you go to MEPS And you get the contract stating what you get, IF you qualify for any of the programs talked about before they will put them in the contract at MEPS stating you get these benfits from the USN.  IF you do NOT meet the requirements for any of the programs that Craig talked about, you do NOT get them.  So if you don't have you don't meet what Craig posted for DPEP, you can't apply for it as you don't qualify for it!

 

Once you leave for bootcamp, the contract you signed is what you get.  Less than .01% of people get their contract changed to another rate or another program.  The person I spoke about is the only one I have ever seen and I have been doing what I do for quite a few years now, and dealt with 100's of thousands of people and their careeers. 

 

It doesn't matter what your education says you are good at, if you don't have a degree or the cert's required for that community it really means nothing to anyone, outside of you and your family.  When you go to MEPS, it is what the Navy needs as far as jobs that you will be offered, they don't care if you are one credit short of a Masters Degree, you get offered what they need.  If you don't like what is offered, you can try and go back.  BUT if you job lock yourself, the recruiter could drop you like a hot potato.

 

Have you even taken your ASVAB to see what you qualify for?