Is the Army national guard MDSSP as competitive as the HPSP

[kgpremed11]

Is the MDSSP as competitve as the HPSP? I assume you go through the same commissioning process of going to meps and signing papers. Also I keep hearing about flexi training. Would a person get the same annual drill pay if they do flexi training or will the pay get cut to 1/3rd?

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[kgpremed11]

Anyone?

 

[TooMuchResearch]

I don't know anything about your first question.

With regard to your second question, you will get paid for drill weekends you attend. For specific events, such as medical conferences and clinical duties, you may get equivalent training and drill pay. You will not be paid or accumulate retirement points in residency if you are working instead of at drill. Also, the flexible training policy has changed - 6 drill periods are required per year.

 

[notdeadyet]

Is the MDSSP as competitve as the HPSP? I assume you go through the same commissioning process of going to meps and signing papers. Also I keep hearing about flexi training. Would a person get the same annual drill pay if they do flexi training or will the pay get cut to 1/3rd?

I'm not sure how competitive HPSP is these days, but if you get into a medical school, you've met the bar for MDSSP. The only hiccup could be if you don't meet qualifications to become commissioned by the Army (basically bad legal history, really bad health, or really really bad credit... or not a U.S. citizen).

As for the second, TooMuchResearch is right: flexi training is now 6 drill periods per year. Since you're a bit out of date on that, I want to make sure you also know that payback for MDSSP has changed as well. You incur 1 year for every six months of benefits, but now, payback begins AFTER residency. This is a biggie.

 

[kgpremed11]

I'm not sure how competitive HPSP is these days, but if you get into a medical school, you've met the bar for MDSSP. The only hiccup could be if you don't meet qualifications to become commissioned by the Army (basically bad legal history, really bad health, or really really bad credit... or not a U.S. citizen).

As for the second, TooMuchResearch is right: flexi training is now 6 drill periods per year. Since you're a bit out of date on that, I want to make sure you also know that payback for MDSSP has changed as well. You incur 1 year for every six months of benefits, but now, payback begins AFTER residency. This is a biggie.

yeah that makes it a lot less attractive

 

[kgpremed11]

I'm not sure how competitive HPSP is these days, but if you get into a medical school, you've met the bar for MDSSP. The only hiccup could be if you don't meet qualifications to become commissioned by the Army (basically bad legal history, really bad health, or really really bad credit... or not a U.S. citizen).

As for the second, TooMuchResearch is right: flexi training is now 6 drill periods per year. Since you're a bit out of date on that, I want to make sure you also know that payback for MDSSP has changed as well. You incur 1 year for every six months of benefits, but now, payback begins AFTER residency. This is a biggie.

Why are they making the commitment twice as long?

 

[TooMuchResearch]

Why are they making the commitment twice as long?

Education benefits for medical officers (i.e. stipends, loan repayment, special pay) vary with the Army's projected future need for physicians/dentists/whatevers. The change to MDSSP repayment beginning after residency started at about the time loan repayment for practicing physicians doubled from $120k to $240k. Essentially, the need shifted: they had enough medical students and decided to focus more effort/money on practicing physicians.