Army HPSP Program

[jbrew452]

Hi everyone.

I have recently been accepted to Texas A&M HSC College of Medicine and have been looking into signing up for the US Army's HPSP program. I've always been interested in joining the military (not for the money because I know it's less but because I wanted to serve), but I don't know much about the details of life as an army physician. I also am recently engaged so I don't know how my fiancee could be affected later on down the road. I guess my questions lie as follows:

1. I would like to pursue a career in Infectious Disease or Emergency Medicine. I know my mind will probably change 1000+ times during medical school but this is my current plan so what are the chances of completing training straight through for ID (i.e med school --> residency in IM --> fellowship in ID) or even for EM? I keep seeing threads where HPSP students are forced to complete tours either before or after residency....

2. What is the average day like for a military physician? Would I ever have time for family or would my family pretty much be Uncle Sam?

3. What are deployments like in the US Army for physicians? I've read that they are around 12 months but do I get a say in where I get deployed?

4. How often would I have to move? I would like to do academic medicine (i.e. microbial pathogenesis research) at Fort Sam Houston or Bethesda but from what i've gathered, it's pretty hard to get stationed there. I'd really like to establish research at a central location for an extended period of time but i'm not sure this is possible due to the army's needs.

Thanks a lot everyone for helping me out. I just want to make sure i'm truly educated about this before I make a decision.

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[HighPriest]

1: low
2: crappy during residency, either crappy or great as a practicing physician depending upon where you are stationed. It's a crap shoot. Plus you might get deployed for 9 months doing nothing but sick call.
3. Usually not
4. If being a specific place or type of place is important to you, you should reconsider joining. If practicing a certain type of medicine is important, you should reconsider. You'll move every 2-4 years out of residency, on average.

Sorry to be short, but these questions have all been fully addressed in other threads.

 

[buffdoc]

Infectious disease and emergency medicine are wildly different specialties. Why? Because internal medicine and ER are different. That being said, internal medicine is one of the least competitive residencies in the Army, and ER is one of the most competitive. Fellowship in the Army is also competitive. But your chances of getting your specialty of choice and/or job assignment of choice completely depends on your initiative and your potential. If you work hard, you can probably do most things that the Army offers.

Residency in the Army is 95% EXACTLY like residency anywhere else. You will have very little time for your family. Make the most of your free time. From what I can tell so far, life AFTER residency in the Army is easier than being a civilian physician. Again..you work for where you want to get.

Deployment depends on the geopolitical environment, which is highly unpredictable, an no...you probably don't get a choice.

Moving is also unpredictable. If you get a highly selected position as the one you mention, you will likely have served several years to get qualified for (i.e. internal medicine residency followed by ID fellowship)...and by then you will have already moved twice. Once for residency and once for fellowship. It is much like civilian medicine. Once you get there...if you are highly qualified and the Army needs you there, you will likely stay. The Army is a big machine, but positional assignments in MEDCOM are very personal. Make friends and do well, and you can get where you want.

 

[jbrew452]

Thank you so much for the help! I'm debating between ID and EM because I have a variety of interests from working as a firefighter/EMT through college. If it was possible to combine the two I would jump on that opportunity. But I will definitely take what you both have said into account. Thanks again.

 

[colbgw02]

There are a few comments here that I just can't let slide.

But your chances of getting your specialty of choice and/or job assignment of choice completely depends on your initiative and your potential. If you work hard, you can probably do most things that the Army offers.

On a large enough scale, obviously better performers and higher achievers will end up better off, but I've seen too many intelligent, hard-working people screwed over by the system to agree with this. Within the confines of the military match, specialty selection seems to be pretty egalitarian, in my view, but assignments are a different story. Assignments are ultimately decided by non-physicians (TSG & HRC) under the advisement of a consultant, who may or may not even know who you are. Whether it's cronyism, incompetence, or putting he needs of the Army first, assignments are anything but completely dependent on your initiative and your potential.

From what I can tell so far, life AFTER residency in the Army is easier than being a civilian physician. Again..you work for where you want to get.

Depends on what you mean by easier. I agree with you that clinical workload is typically lighter, but you shouldn't draw a straight line between that and "easier". Administrative tasks are substantial, and I would trade a private practice's workload expectations if it meant dropping the BS ancillary work that the Army requires of me. We should also ask some of the attendings at Ft. Elsewhere what they think of their life. Sure, on paper, it may look like they're doing less, but when getting an OR turned over is like pulling teeth, is that really "easier"? And none of this speaks to lack of control over location. That is, is it easier to be a 0.75FTE at a location you and your family hate than being a 1.25FTE at your ideal location?



As I've done before, I'd stress the tremendous variance in the military medicine experience. Some people work hard and do well, and they're "rewarded" for that by getting their fellowship or assignment of choice. But that experience is hardly universal. Many people work hard and do well, and then get screwed over because some pencil pusher at HRC hit your name on the dartboard when it came to the BFE assignment. It's disingenuous to suggest that military medicine is purely a meritocracy.

 

[doctortalksalot]

So, how does it work when you are married with HPSP. Does your spouse get to move with you?

 

[WernickeDO]

So, how does it work when you are married with HPSP. Does your spouse get to move with you?

When you are in medical school you fall under the HPSP blanket, are considered Reserve status, and your spouse can go with you wherever you like. On active duty there are unaccompanied tours but people are not typically forced into those.

 

[turkish]

Man, save yourself from years of regret. Look into the VA hpsp scholarship, or do Public Health Service. Sounds more up your alley, and you won't watch your skill set wither away while you're on operational tours and deployments.