Air Force HPSP

[doctorloading]

Hi! So, I have two questions

I already commissioned into the Air Force under the HPSP program, just finished my first year of medical school, and am attending officer training school this summer. My first question is, when are we supposed to complete the AFOM 101 course. The standard I see is the summer between first and second year for those who were able to complete OTS before starting school; however, it obviously doesn't work in anyone's schedule who has to do OTS between the summer of 1st and second year. When are other people doing it if they couldn't do it before 2nd year?

And my second question...When I commissioned, my recruiter told me that I had two options regarding the sign-on bonus: I could accept the taxed 20k right then and there or wait until I graduated from medical school and then I would be eligible for a larger bonus. I decided to reject the bonus, but now that I was looking into it, I couldn't find anything about what the larger bonus would be or anybody who decided to go this route at all. I mean I didn't need the money then, or now, but I would have just taken it anyways if it comes out that I was given misinformation. Has anyone else heard about anything like this?

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[pawprint]

Sounds like Your recruiter lied to you about a later bonus, I’ve never heard of that before unless it’s something new. Do you have in-writing a promise of a later bonus? If you are going to reject a 20k bonus, you need to make sure you have in-writing in the contract that you will receive a larger bonus down the road.

Or at least have an email from the recruiter so you can prove you were given fraudulent information. Although you signed a contract rejecting the bonus regardless so it may make it difficult to get that money ever even with an email.

 

[doctorloading]

Yeah, I honestly didn't even think I would get the HPSP scholarship because of the way everything was being handled with my application and normally I would have triple checked information like that, but I wasn't thinking and towards the end, everything was being rushed to get turned in. I have text messages of the conversation but I doubt I'm getting anything from it lol I just wanted confirmation that it wasn't true information. Gonna probably also try and reach out to someone at AFIT about it, but hey you win some you lose some (or a lot of some in this case)

 

[doctorloading]

Actually, I'm going to go ahead and add to this thread because after some deep digging, I think I figured it out and hopefully this might help someone else. If you take the 20k sign-on accession bonus, then you won't be eligible to sign for a retention bonus when you finish residency. Military stipulations state that you have to complete your ADO for an accession bonus before you're eligible for a retention bonus, which for HPSP recipients is giving the military 3 to 4 years after residency, when we have the status as an attending physician. The retention bonus is based on your specialty you choose, and how much time you sign for (2, 3, 4, or 6 years). I linked the document and the screenshot of the specific section that says you're eligible for the RB if you declined the AB. I'm obviously still going to triple check with the proper chain but this sounds like what I was told when I signed on. Still hoping someone might pretty please answer question number 1 for me too though lol

https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_sg/publication/dodi6000.13_dafi41-110/dodi6000.13_dafi41-110.pdf

 

[SirGecko]

Actually, I'm going to go ahead and add to this thread because after some deep digging, I think I figured it out and hopefully this might help someone else. If you take the 20k sign-on accession bonus, then you won't be eligible to sign for a retention bonus when you finish residency. Military stipulations state that you have to complete your ADO for an accession bonus before you're eligible for a retention bonus, which for HPSP recipients is giving the military 3 to 4 years after residency, when we have the status as an attending physician. The retention bonus is based on your specialty you choose, and how much time you sign for (2, 3, 4, or 6 years). I linked the document and the screenshot of the specific section that says you're eligible for the RB if you declined the AB. I'm obviously still going to triple check with the proper chain but this sounds like what I was told when I signed on. Still hoping someone might pretty please answer question number 1 for me too though lol

https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_sg/publication/dodi6000.13_dafi41-110/dodi6000.13_dafi41-110.pdf

Unfortunately that wording I think is likely confusing your recruiter and you. It makes it sound like this is one or their other but I think it’s actually trying to say number one is the option if you took a scholarship and number two is the option if you joined after residency. (Now I’ve heard of the Air Force doing some creative reading of instructions so who knows maybe I’m wrong here)

I believe what option 2 it is actually saying is that if you join (not via HPSP) you can choose not to take an accession bonus (which can be substantial for some specialties, not much for others) if you would prefer to sign a retention bonus.

TLDR: I don’t think this is actually the answer you are looking for. You likely won’t get a retention bonus till after you finish your initial commitment from HPSP. I would contact your recruiter to figure out if they can let you know what they were talking about.

 

[pawprint]

^correct.

You don’t incur an obligation for the accession bonus unless you take a 3 year hpsp scholarship and then choose to take the bonus. If you take a 3 year hpsp scholarship, you owe 3 years unless you take the sign on bonus, and then you owe 4. If you take a 4 year hpsp scholarship, you owe 4 years whether or not you take the bonus and don’t incur an extra 5th year for taking it. So it’s free money.

By declining the sign on bonus as a 4 year hpsp scholar, you won’t get the retention bonus any sooner. You’re first eligible for a retention bonus after you have paid back all active duty service commitments (so either 4 years post-residency, or longer if you do a 5 or 6 year residency). Remember, residency also incurs an active duty service obligation that’s paid back concurrently with any Hpsp years you owe.

If you opted out of the sign on bonus on a 3 year Hpsp scholarship, you’d get the retention bonus only a year earlier than someone who took the bonus, and that’s only if you do a 3 year residency. I’d you do the 3 year Hpsp scholarship without the bonus and then a 4 year residency, you wouldn’t get a retention bonus for 4 years like everyone else.

The government doesn’t need to offer you a retention bonus if you still owe them time…they have no reason to pay you more until your payback is complete. Then they are motivated to start adding bonuses since you can walk out at the point.

 

[doctorloading]

ahhhh gotcha yeah I'm going to reach out to someone in the proper chain and get a definite answer. thanks guys!

 

[doctorloading]

okay, again replying here in case someone else is in my same boat. you guys are 100% correct. I just reached out to someone at AFIT and my initial recruiter. The information I was told was misadvised. Because my application process was weird, they were advising me as if I was 3-year contract recipient but I'm a 4-year contract recipient. They said they're going to look over my contract and I might still be able to get the bonus, but I'm not going to hold my breath lol. But just in case anyone else wants to know, you should ABSOLUTELY take the bonus if you're a 4-year scholarship recipient!

 

[DOcSto]

This whole thread is reminding me of how my experience with trying to do HPSP is going with the USN and AF! Lol

 

[SharonShares]

I am assisting an HPSP recipient, and I would agree with DOcSto above. HPSP especially AF does NOT have to be as difficult and bureaucratic as it is.