Masters degree prior to HPSP = O4 vs. O3 immediately after graduating medical school?

[CardMD]

Hello everyone,

I am a long time lurker on the military forum and plan on applying HPSP this coming fall. I heard from a recruiter that it may be possible to start at O4 vs. O3 immediately upon graduating from medical school if one has obtained a "relevant" (to the armed services) masters degree prior to starting medical school. Is this information accurate?

I have my bachelors degree already and am interested in obtaining an MPH, MHA or an MBA with a concentration in health care management prior to starting medical school. Would any of these degrees help with promotions?

Thank you very much!

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[colbgw02]

No, it's not accurate. Once again recruiters are mixing half-truths in with huge piles of BS.

Once upon a time, if you had a degree deemed relevant to your military career AND the military didn't pay for it, then you could get credit for time spent acquiring that degree toward promotion. For example, there are quite a few senior medical corps officers that have an MPH or a MS that got promoted a year or two early. However, in recent years, they've been cracking down on this, meaning that you really have to use your degree in your daily work. So, being a physician and having an MS in biochemistry typically won't get you credit, but maybe a physician doing substantial bench research might.

If you were to get one of the degrees you mentioned, it will probably get you nothing except a view extra letters at the end of your name and some debt. At best, it'll mean you'll pin on O4 a year or two before your intern classmates, and only then probably after an administrative fight.

 

[HighPriest]

Echoing the above. I have an M.S. with most of my research being in pharma and medical analytical devices, and I got nothing for this. Truthfully, I don't use the degree in my daily work, although I would certainly argue that it made me a better medical student. In any case, it doesn't mean anything to the DoD.

 

[CardMD]

Thank you very much for your replies! I was a little skeptical when I heard a masters degree would automatically bump you up a pay grade.

 

[Qurmish]

What is the current Army situation for constructive service credit with an MPH?