Joining Coast Guard

[Jim H.]

I'd like to thank everyone for their comments I have a few questions about Coast Guard careers though. Does the Coast Guard have any Medical Positions? I'm hoping to be a surgeon and I haven't seen anything like that on their site. Do they not have a medical wing or do they have doctors on base?

Thanks,
Jim H.

[flairball]

The CG does have doctors. These are ussually either Navy doctors who switched to the CG, or doctors who went through officers candidate school.

Are you a doctor, or in Medical school? If you are then you have a really good chance of being a CG doctor. If you aren't, and are dreaming of going to medical school on the CG's dime, well,....you're dreaming.

Your options are as follows. If you've a high school diploma, or only some college, but no degree you can enlist and choose a career from what they tell you you are qualified to do. If you qualify you may be able to become an HS(health serviceman). The HS rating is very diverse; you could end up working as an emt in a remote location, or as a dental tech at a large support center.

Or, you can apply to the CG Academy if you qualify. If you go this route you will attend the academy for 4 years, and upon getting your degree get commissioned as an officer. You'll owe the CG 4 years of service for the education. There are options for continuing your ed, but I don't know them.

If you're already a college grad you can apply for officers candidate school, where you will be trained, if accepted, and commissioned upon your completetion of your training. If you are already a doctor this is the route you'd take to get your commission.

Most of this should be on the USCG web site, but that site is a bit difficult to navigate.

[O'Neille]

I'd like to thank everyone for their comments I have a few questions about Coast Guard careers though. Does the Coast Guard have any Medical Positions? I'm hoping to be a surgeon and I haven't seen anything like that on their site. Do they not have a medical wing or do they have doctors on base?

Thanks,
Jim H.

Here is where I have firsthand experience. Coast Guard Medical officers are part of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corp. These are also the people that work at the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The United States Surgeon General is USPS. USPS officers are also assigned to the Indian Health Service. I was a USPS recruiter in a former life.