Anyone here use this to pay for school? Also any recommend serving in the navy or air force?

http://www.navy.com/healthcare/medicalservices

here is a link to the scholarship.

thanks for any info.

I've spoken a little with the recruiter about it. The next scholarship application cycle will begin in October, as far as I know. I've also spoken with a couple Navy OD's, one is leaving active duty this year as an O-3 and the other is an O-5 reservist now. Both did HPSP and thought it was worthwhile and said they would do it again. That being said, they both went in with a pretty solid understanding of what being in the Navy, and specifically in the Medical Service Corps as an optometrist, meant.

The recruiter is trying to push me heavily in the direction of one of these scholarship programs, but there are some drawbacks for me because of my prior service (I would lose some rank, and so might lose retirement money in the long run). For someone with only prior enlisted service or no prior service, I think it can be really rewarding, if you understand the system well enough to make it work for you and you understand the ramifications of being in the Navy. If you want to speak with a recruiter, I can put you in contact with one if you PM me. But I'll only do it if you're REALLY seriously interested, because exchanging contact info with a recruiter can turn out to be more than you bargained for. :eek:

-p.dot

Dr. Hom, I don't know if you can shed any light on the Army HPSP program, but your perspective is much appreciated! :)

(...)Dr. Hom, I don't know if you can shed any light on the Army HPSP program, but your perspective is much appreciated! :)

Dear polkadot,

Thanks for your email message. Although I am a retired Army optometrist, I had the pleasure of being posted aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, the USS Carl Vinson and at Travis AFB. I, therefore, have some insight (although not in a large naval hospital) into healthcare in the other branches.

I believe (my own opinion) that a military shore side or land-based experience will be directly transferrable to a private practice should your stay be for the minimum required service. I like the land-based because you will get a mix of patients either active duty military or "retired" (in some locations, the retired are restricted by local policies based on resources).

On board a ship or at foreign base, you will tend to see many more active duty (unless the surrounding area has many retirees) cases. You will see acute problems mainly. Chronic medical problems don't necessarily show up too often in this population category.

A military career is fulfillling for most doctors of optometry. There are many opportunities to practice to the limit of your knowledge and education (at the smaller facilities, I fear) for the first ten (10) years of your career. To advance in rank, you will most likely require military education (for grades of O4 and above). Proceeding this education and upon your promotion, you will be involved in management as well as clinical. There are many additional duties which are required which may limit your clinical time.

I can be more specific if you would like to ask me additional questions.

HTH,
Richard Hom, OD, FAAO
LTC (Ret), USAR

Thanks for your comments, Dr. Hom. Sounds like you have more sea time than me! :D

I also did a little more reading on HPSP (Health Professions Scholarship Program) v. HSCP (Health Science Collegiate Program), for those of you interested:

HSCP has 2-, 3-, and 4-year programs. You enter as an E-6 and draw active duty pay (base pay [$1920.30 for '05] plus housing/subsistence allowances based on your locale/dependents [e.g., $1420 for Berkeley w/o dependents, $2077 w/ dependents]). You can be promoted to E-7 by either getting on the Dean's List or recruiting someone else in HSCP (only a one-time promotion) which will increase all your pay scales. Good things are that you're considered active duty, so healthcare is covered for you and your dependents, plus commissary benefits which I have always found to make a significant difference in monthly costs. Also, once commissioned, you will have 2 years active duty done, resulting in a slightly higher payscale than HPSP (about $400 per month more). Probably beneficial if tuition is low but you go to school in a high-cost area.

HPSP also has 2-, 3-, and 4- year programs. The scholarship pays for all your tuition and fees and books, plus provides a monthly stipend ($1235 for '05) to cover cost of living, etc. I'm not sure if they cover equipment purchases. Upshot is essentially that every payment to the school is covered directly. Downside is that you have no military benefits while in school (so you have to take care of med insurance, etc., on your own). This would be the better program for private/out-of-state tuition.

Also, I'm not sure, but there may be a service commitment with HSCP if you drop out. Probably just a $ payback for HPSP. Just something to think about.

Let me know if that helped or was just more confusing.

-p.dot

polkadot: That was really good information. Thanks! I've never heard of the HSCP before now, but have already researched HPSP. I do plan on doing the HPSP, but do not know which branch of service to go into yet. Although I am leaning towards Air Force because my dad is retired from the AF. My younger brother is planning to go to the Army next year. I guess we're just one big happy military family.

polkadot: That was really good information. Thanks! I've never heard of the HSCP before now, but have already researched HPSP. I do plan on doing the HPSP, but do not know which branch of service to go into yet. Although I am leaning towards Air Force because my dad is retired from the AF. My younger brother is planning to go to the Army next year. I guess we're just one big happy military family.
Please do NAVY haha, so u will have all the branches LOL>

I had a three year AF HPSP scholarship when I was at UCHO. I graduated in '96 and have been in the Air Force ever since. I have to say that I have really enjoyed my experience in the Air Force and would recommend the HPSP to anyone in Optometry. I have been fortunate to have had some really great experiences, good duty stations and have met and worked with some really great people. I enjoy my dual career as an Air Force Officer and Optometrist. Good professional military bearing will earn you many points witht the enlisted and officers that you serve with.

If you read about HPSP on the Military Med section of this forum, please take what the MDs say with a grain of salt. Their HPSP program pays for Med school and then they have to worry about which residency that they will match, based on the needs of the USAF/USA/USN. Notice that key portion of the statement, MD HPSP grads fulfill the medical services needs not necessarily the individual's "lifelong dream to be a pediatric urologist with an emphasis on........"

Optometry HPSP grads are realy only concerned with their first duty station after school since we are not required to have residency training. You finish school, pass boards, complete your initial officer training and you arrive at your duty station ready to practice. Each service is a bit different in the flavor in which you will practice, basically due to the different missions and cultures of each service. I like the flying mission of the AF, but I sometimes wonder if I was not meant to be in the Army sometimes (the possibility of jump school, air assault, etc.) I did earn the Army Expert Field Medic Badge when I was in Germany (one of two AF types amongst 240 army medics...the two of us AF-punks were among the 43 EFMB grads! It is one of my proudest accomplishments in my military career!) The best way to a good experience in the military is to have a good attitude with a can-do spirit. You will be surprised at the doors that will open to you with that attitude.

Of course, you have to also realize that our country is at war and you will be serving you country. Deployments are a possibility, and you may have to be separated from your family for a time. Currently, it is mainly the Army ODs that are deployed, but AF Optometry is trying to get in theater. I can't say what the Navy does, since I haven't really worked with them, but I have heard that they have tried to open Optometry billets on carriers. If you are unwilling to be away from your family, either immediate or extended, the military is not for you. You also need to be aware that tours are generally 3-4 years in length. If you stay beyond your initial commitment, you will most likely be re-assigned. For me that is a plus. In nine years, this is my 5th assignment and third overseas (Korea, Germany, Turkey). One of those assignments was a year long AF Optometry residency, which goes back to my "open doors" outlook of the military. Knock on doors and they will open for you! I have only been married for a year, but my wife (who had no prior experience with the military) absolutely loves our duty station in Turkey. She has been very flexible and open minded and has thrived here. Flexibility is the key to airpower and also with spouses!

I could go on and on about military optometry. If anyone has any questions, please PM me. I enjoy my career in the Air Force and would recommend it highly.

BK

and you understand the ramifications of being in the Navy.


What is meant by this?

Someone told me that the navy would also pay a portion of my wife's tuition for her school.. Is this true? I do not have any knowledge of navy benefits other than what i read.

What is the salary for a fresh OD going into the navy. What other duties are performed other than seeing patients.

Thanks

What is meant by this?

Someone told me that the navy would also pay a portion of my wife's tuition for her school.. Is this true? I do not have any knowledge of navy benefits other than what i read.

What is the salary for a fresh OD going into the navy. What other duties are performed other than seeing patients.

Thanks

There is a program known as Spouse Tuition Assistance Program. It is a way for some of a spouse's tuition to be paid by the service, however it may just be an overseas quality of life program and from what I recall it did not cover the full tuition costs. It really should not be looked as a primary means to pay for a spouses education.

Check out this link for good info about military pay: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/fy2005paycharts/a/paycharts.htm

Salary: Difficult question to answer, but here is the scoop: You will most likely be an O-3 with under two years of service (HPSP does not count for pay purposes or retirement). Add your BAS (non-taxed), find your the BAH for your possible duty station (non-taxed), add $1200 for Optometry pro-pay ($100 per month, don't get me started with this one...). If you receive your FAAO, you will be eligible for $2000/year board certification pay.

After you have your pay, you really have to consider how much health insurance is worth, malpractice costs would pay as a civilian, the cost of maintaining your CE requirements each (generally one conference per year..travel, hotel, lodging, per diem included), membership to health club (installation fitness center), savings by using the comissary/exchange system.

Pay raises occur on 1 Jan for inflation adjustments, at year 2,3,4,6,8, etc.

Hope that helps.

BKK

What other duties are performed other than seeing patients.

Thanks

It really depends on where you are stationed as to what possible additional duties you may be assigned. Generally you will be one some type of "Disaster team" such as the Minimal team, patient decon, triage, etc for real world contigencies or exercise scenarios. I am currently the Exercise Evaluation Team Chief where I help plan basewide exercises and evaluate how our personnel perform. I also supervise our Health and Wellness center by providing topcover for the Captain (o-3) nurse that runs the fitness evaluation portion of our installation. I have heard of an OD being the Motorpool officer of some Army units. It really depends on what is required to get the job done.

Generally your first few years will be devoted to patient care. As you progress in rank and responsibility, you will have more leadership roles thrust upon you. Sometimes that means in addition to seeing the same amount of patients, other times you may see a few less. Some ODs will have opportunities that take them out of the clinical care arena for some time. I know of one recently retired docs that was out of clinical care since I was in high school almost 17 years ago!

BKK

What is the stress level of the job as an Armed Forces OD.. What is daily life like?

Thanks