Navy HPSP/HSCP information for those interested

[idoitforv]

Hey there, I'm a current 1st year Medical Student at a civilian MD school in Cali and a Navy HSCP recipient. If anyone on here is looking for information on how HPSP works at a cursory level, I'm happy to discuss it and share my opinion! Before I get all the hate from others, yes I have an alternative motive where I can get promoted for referring folks, but no, I'm not trying to sell you on military medicine. Long story, long, if you don't have a calling for the military, but you're mostly looking at it for financial purposes, there are better ways than the military. If however, you want to serve in the Navy and practice medicine KNOWING the limitations in reps, pay, duty station, deployments, random BS, etc I'll do my best to share my two cents and if you're still in for a pinch than I'd be happy to refer you. I'm no snake oil salesman so don't expect rainbows and unicorns because that's not what the military is offering; it will get it's money worth from you and then some.

I don't think I'm doing the best job selling folks on joining HPSP but for those that it makes sense for then it makes sense. If you are in the even more niche group that HSCP (prior service) makes sense for, I'm happy to chat about that. I do not have a crystal ball and cannot tell you what your odds are to get into a specific specialty or fellowship, nor did I write orders on these programs and I'm just a 1st year with zero military medicine years experience. I do have 18+ years experience in and around the military so I do know a little bit about that.

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[j4pac]

There are lots of people here who have spent careers in the military after HPSP, and have literally nothing to gain by giving their advice.

 

[idoitforv]

In my humble opinion many of the HPSP recipients I've come across on SDN have had overwhelmingly jaded viewpoints on their military experience, probably with equally overwhelming justification for feeling the way they do. Not discounting their life experiences or questioning realities, just pointing out that is commonly heard/read. I have not lived their life and do not know what experience military medicine will hold for me. Maybe I didn't make it clear enough in my initial post, but unfortunately the only way I can get promoted is to refer someone, I chose to leave the Marine Corps at 12 years of active duty because I loathed the idea of convincing someone of doing something they didn't truly want to do, so when I was HSST'd for recruiting I EAS'd instead. My unicorn of a find, would be someone that is already dead set on joining the Navy and just wants to share notes on their experience with someone a year or two ahead of them for primaries, secondaries, interviews, matriculation, admin issues, STEP, match (both military and civilian) etc; not someone on the fence.

I could be misinterpreting the connotation of your post and if so I truly apologize for this response but it sounded mighty negative at first take about my outwardly stated intentions.

 

[Gastrapathy]

You’re a recruiter. You get paid to sign someone up. You titled your post as such. You’re selling a product you don’t understand and hoping to find someone naive enough to believe it’s a question of “viewpoint”. Think about the ethics of an organization that uses you and people like you to sign up other people and now consider your ethics in participating when you can’t possibly know what you’re selling. HPSP isn’t about the med school years. I wish you well in your service but please dont pretend you’re something you’re not.

 

[idoitforv]

You’re a recruiter. You get paid to sign someone up. You titled your post as such. You’re selling a product you don’t understand and hoping to find someone naive enough to believe it’s a question of “viewpoint”. Think about the ethics of an organization that uses you and people like you to sign up other people and now consider your ethics in participating when you can’t possibly know what you’re selling. HPSP isn’t about the med school years. I wish you well in your service but please dont pretend you’re something you’re not.

I'm a medical student, not a recruiter. I get paid to go to medical school, not recruit. I'm explicitly not selling a product to anyone, and I do know the military plenty. I put the lotion on the skin or I get the hose again is a mantra I've lived by in the military for a very long time and it's served me well. I don't live in the ideal, I live in the real and fight for the ideal. I'd prefer if my medical school performance resulted in a promotion, instead of having to do this while experiencing your misplaced judgement. I've seen the shade you and the holier than thou folks like you throw at anyone that mentions the first hint of what I said. Please don't pretend your actions are beyond reproach and altruistic, and mine are reprehensible, unethical and ignorant. I didn't recruit you, lie to you, or promise you what you were promised, please don't project those emotions or feelings into our conversation.

Think about the ethics of someone who makes themselves feel better by twisting and gaslighting others words. I wish you well in service, but please don't pretend like you're better than me, because you're not.

 

[pgg]

Before I get all the hate from others, yes I have an alternative motive where I can get promoted for referring folks

How does that work?

It's a given that you'll promote to O3 upon graduation. Is there a chance you can make E7 while in HSCP?


We have a generally jaded view of recruiters here. I know, you're not serving orders to "recruiting" duty. You're not a "recruiter" - it just seems an odd first post to the forum. Very recruiter-like.

Every so often a recruiter shows up, all excited to be here, hoping to drum up a couple leads and referrals so they can get promoted. Invariably they're some combination of uninformed and useless. To be clear, recruiters are welcome to post here. For some reason they don't stay. It's not that we're mean to them. We sure spend a lot of time correcting them.

As an actual medical student and participant in HSCP, I hope you stay and share your experiences with the forum.

 

[backrow]

How does that work?

It's a given that you'll promote to O3 upon graduation. Is there a chance you can make E7 while in HSCP?
.

Yes, HSCP participants can get promoted to E7 for referring someone. If there’s someone out there already planning on signing up then it’s nice if they drop OPs name.

I wouldn’t recommend the OP try and “recruit” some completely naive person as they don’t have all the information to be able to provide true “informed consent.”

Had a friend with no prior service who participated in HSCP and got promoted to E7 in school. We tried many times to convince them they should claim to be a member of the goat locker and put chief stickers on their car.

 

[idoitforv]

How does that work?

It's a given that you'll promote to O3 upon graduation. Is there a chance you can make E7 while in HSCP?

That is correct, I'm currently an E6 on active duty with full pay and allowances, accruing retirement years where my appointed place of duty is med school and I can get promoted to E7 (definitely not chief without going to seasons lol) by referring someone to either Navy HPSP or HSCP. Except at my actual med school, I've talked most interested folks out of the military scholarships. HSCP does not pay for med school, but I have most of my Post 9/11 for that.

This isn't my first post, I have like one or two more posts lol (case in point I tried twice now to quote you but failed pretty miserably), I've been a member since I denied recruiting back 2017 and left the Marines. I applied for EMDP2 but was denied because the Marine Corps frowns on folks turning down recruiting by banning them from any other education and officer programs. I then spent the next 6 years as a civilian deploying overseas in support of various military organizations, and completing my pre-med courses needed to reorient my degree in business and apply to med school.

I've certainly taken the long, and very unorthodox way to medical school, but the journey has taught me a thing or two. Thank you for the support and contrary to the tone of my posts I am just trying to help by sharing my experience with the heavy asterisks that your experience will vary.

 

[idoitforv]

If there’s someone out there already planning on signing up then it’s nice if they drop OPs name.

I wouldn’t recommend the OP try and “recruit” some completely naive person as they don’t have all the information to be able to provide true “informed consent.”

You hit the nail on the head. I've been told I talk to much and it muddies my message lol

 

[militaryPHYS]

If you have yet to become a military physician I would strongly recommend against “recruiting” or even being misconstrued as recruiting. Until you have personally experienced staff life as a military physician you are not able to properly discuss the risks/benefits of these programs as it relates to someone’s professional or personal life.

 

[armytrainingsir]

If you have yet to become a military physician I would strongly recommend against “recruiting” or even being misconstrued as recruiting. Until you have personally experienced staff life as a military physician you are not able to properly discuss the risks/benefits of these programs as it relates to someone’s professional or personal life.

I find it quite telling that in the entire military medical student/physician recruitment process, the one individual that is never officially in the loop is a military physician.

 

[DrMetal]

Yes, HSCP participants can get promoted to E7 for referring someone.

you don't say?! And all this recruiting I do for HPSP, I can't even get a free T-shirt.

 

[backrow]

I find it quite telling that in the entire military medical student/physician recruitment process, the one individual that is never officially in the loop is a military physician.

Usually involved as interviewers and selection board members. Navy has programs that physicians can use to go do some TAD for hometown recruiting or go to colleges to give talks as well. Currently there is actually funding available for those TADs, whereas in the past it was almost always permissive TAD.

If one is interested in inserting themselves into the recruiting process it isn’t very hard to get involved. I sat on probably close to 20 HPSP selection boards before they consolidated them to DC for the Navy. Used to do lots of interviews and did one permissive TAD to a hometown university.

 

[pgg]

Usually involved as interviewers and selection board members. Navy has programs that physicians can use to go do some TAD for hometown recruiting or go to colleges to give talks as well. Currently there is actually funding available for those TADs, whereas in the past it was almost always permissive TAD.

If one is interested in inserting themselves into the recruiting process it isn’t very hard to get involved. I sat on probably close to 20 HPSP selection boards before they consolidated them to DC for the Navy. Used to do lots of interviews and did one permissive TAD to a hometown university.

Somewhere out there is a madlad who's getting funded TAD to go talk premeds out of HPSP.

 

[militaryPHYS]

I find it quite telling that in the entire military medical student/physician recruitment process, the one individual that is never officially in the loop is a military physician.

Plenty of us are part of the process. I chose not to do any official recruiting. I do interview HPSP candidates. I see these as very different efforts