All Branch Topic (ABT) Need help deciding to accept/decline HPSP

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asdf123g

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I'm very torn on whether to take the HPSP scholarship or not. I've spent hours reading threads (and starting some of my own) and I'm very much on the fence on this one. I've spent months mulling over my decision and cannot come to a conclusion on my own. My family is supportive of me either way. Based on my situation, can any of you offer an opinion on what you would do (obviously there is no right or wrong answer). There is also no one factor that really trumps another.

Financial:
-Private school: 65k per year (tuition + CoL)= $280,000 before interest
-Pretty frugal with money (always have been), aggressive saver.
-Not really fond of vacations, prefer days off (cheaper anyways).
-Have >$20k but less than <$40k saved up upon matriculation.

Future Specialty:
-DO school..so focus on primary care (dont want to do PC but might end up doing it anyways based on scores- Im not that smart)...might make it harder to pay off debt
-I hear it is not uncommon for one to match into something more competitive in the military than they would on the civilian side. So for me, im not a good standardized test taker, so maybe ill get lucky and land something i wouldn't otherwise (needs of service though, i know)
-Open to surgery (40/60 for)/subspecializing (30/70 for)...not dead set. Prefer idea of 3-4 year residency then work.

As a student:
-Average student
-Not a very good standardized test taker...took 6 months full time studying to score ~70 percentile on MCAT (1 take)..unsure how I will perform on boards..affects what specialty i will land.

Personal life:
-I'd prefer to be close to home when i practice but not a deal breaker
-No spouse/dependents..dont see this happening anytime soon so i dont really consider this an issue (I'm a picky person and hard to date, I admit this much..itll be a very very long while till i "settle.")

Idea of Service:

-I dont mind the idea of serving the country (however it might be idealized)
-Plan on doing 4 years then leaving should i take HPSP (unless i end up loving it...wont know until i get there though)
-Nice knowing i can live comfortably during school/residency which would allow me to perform better/on boards

Misc:
-Some places ive worked the sh*tty administration drove me nuts while others the sh*tty administration didn't get to me...not sure how sh*tty military admins will be for me.

thoughts??? I know there are a lot of variables and stuff that is impossible to predict +8 years down the line.

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I'm very torn on whether to take the HPSP scholarship or not. I've spent hours reading threads (and starting some of my own) and I'm very much on the fence on this one. I've spent months mulling over my decision and cannot come to a conclusion on my own. My family is supportive of me either way. Based on my situation, can any of you offer an opinion on what you would do (obviously there is no right or wrong answer). There is also no one factor that really trumps another.

Financial:
-Private school: 65k per year (tuition + CoL)= $280,000 before interest
-Pretty frugal with money (always have been), aggressive saver.
-Not really fond of vacations, prefer days off (cheaper anyways).
-Have >$20k but less than <$40k saved up upon matriculation.

Future Specialty:
-DO school..so focus on primary care (dont want to do PC but might end up doing it anyways based on scores- Im not that smart)...might make it harder to pay off debt
-I hear it is not uncommon for one to match into something more competitive in the military than they would on the civilian side. So for me, im not a good standardized test taker, so maybe ill get lucky and land something i wouldn't otherwise (needs of service though, i know)
-Open to surgery (40/60 for)/subspecializing (30/70 for)...not dead set. Prefer idea of 3-4 year residency then work.

As a student:
-Average student
-Not a very good standardized test taker...took 6 months full time studying to score ~70 percentile on MCAT (1 take)..unsure how I will perform on boards..affects what specialty i will land.

Personal life:
-I'd prefer to be close to home when i practice but not a deal breaker
-No spouse/dependents..dont see this happening anytime soon so i dont really consider this an issue (I'm a picky person and hard to date, I admit this much..itll be a very very long while till i "settle.")

Idea of Service:

-I dont mind the idea of serving the country (however it might be idealized)
-Plan on doing 4 years then leaving should i take HPSP (unless i end up loving it...wont know until i get there though)
-Nice knowing i can live comfortably during school/residency which would allow me to perform better/on boards

Misc:
-Some places ive worked the sh*tty administration drove me nuts while others the sh*tty administration didn't get to me...not sure how sh*tty military admins will be for me.

thoughts??? I know there are a lot of variables and stuff that is impossible to predict +8 years down the line.
Look, it's good that you are asking yourself these things before signing. It's not possible to make an informed decision in your station but you can at least consider all the angles, and you are doing that. But ultimately this is a decision that you have to make on your own. All of the information you seek has been provided for you here, now you have to synthesize that info and decide. We have said to you multiple times that financial concerns are NOT a good reason to join the military. You cannot predict what specialty that you will want to do in 4 years...you may think now you want to be a family doc but may discover a passion for surgery in 3rd year (and yes, DOs can do non-PC specialties). If you are an average student then being in the military will not help you...ask any doc who has tried to do EM in the military, only to get stuck in a GMO tour while their civilian colleagues with lower grades and board scores had no trouble matching to EM. You may meet your future spouse/SO in med school, and now you will ask them to uproot their lives and career to follow you to the middle of nowhere. You cannot know this, and these things are major life decisions, so why lock yourself in to a contract that gives you some financial stability but no freedom? As I have said before, the only good reason to join is if you want to serve in the military, and nothing else will satisfy you save that service.

The fact that you are wrestling with this is good, and shows you have your eyes open about the pros/cons of milmed. Even with your eyes open, the mil can hit you with surprises that you weren't expecting. The mil doesn't care about you or your medical career, they only care about your medical license and how you can help them achieve their mission.

Do you want someone to give you a yay or nay? I say nay. Take the loans and never look back.
 
I'm very torn on whether to take the HPSP scholarship or not. I've spent hours reading threads (and starting some of my own) and I'm very much on the fence on this one. I've spent months mulling over my decision and cannot come to a conclusion on my own. My family is supportive of me either way. Based on my situation, can any of you offer an opinion on what you would do (obviously there is no right or wrong answer). There is also no one factor that really trumps another.

Financial:
-Private school: 65k per year (tuition + CoL)= $280,000 before interest
-Pretty frugal with money (always have been), aggressive saver.
-Not really fond of vacations, prefer days off (cheaper anyways).
-Have >$20k but less than <$40k saved up upon matriculation.

Future Specialty:
-DO school..so focus on primary care (dont want to do PC but might end up doing it anyways based on scores- Im not that smart)...might make it harder to pay off debt
-I hear it is not uncommon for one to match into something more competitive in the military than they would on the civilian side. So for me, im not a good standardized test taker, so maybe ill get lucky and land something i wouldn't otherwise (needs of service though, i know)
-Open to surgery (40/60 for)/subspecializing (30/70 for)...not dead set. Prefer idea of 3-4 year residency then work.

As a student:
-Average student
-Not a very good standardized test taker...took 6 months full time studying to score ~70 percentile on MCAT (1 take)..unsure how I will perform on boards..affects what specialty i will land.

Personal life:
-I'd prefer to be close to home when i practice but not a deal breaker
-No spouse/dependents..dont see this happening anytime soon so i dont really consider this an issue (I'm a picky person and hard to date, I admit this much..itll be a very very long while till i "settle.")

Idea of Service:

-I dont mind the idea of serving the country (however it might be idealized)
-Plan on doing 4 years then leaving should i take HPSP (unless i end up loving it...wont know until i get there though)
-Nice knowing i can live comfortably during school/residency which would allow me to perform better/on boards

Misc:
-Some places ive worked the sh*tty administration drove me nuts while others the sh*tty administration didn't get to me...not sure how sh*tty military admins will be for me.

thoughts??? I know there are a lot of variables and stuff that is impossible to predict +8 years down the line.
Run as fast as you can away!
 
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A mediocre DO student interested in a competitive specialty is just about the only person I'd recommend do HPSP. I guess.
 
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I'm very torn on whether to take the HPSP scholarship or not. I've spent hours reading threads (and starting some of my own) and I'm very much on the fence on this one. I've spent months mulling over my decision and cannot come to a conclusion on my own. My family is supportive of me either way. Based on my situation, can any of you offer an opinion on what you would do (obviously there is no right or wrong answer). There is also no one factor that really trumps another.

Financial:
-Private school: 65k per year (tuition + CoL)= $280,000 before interest
-Pretty frugal with money (always have been), aggressive saver.
-Not really fond of vacations, prefer days off (cheaper anyways).
-Have >$20k but less than <$40k saved up upon matriculation.

Future Specialty:
-DO school..so focus on primary care (dont want to do PC but might end up doing it anyways based on scores- Im not that smart)...might make it harder to pay off debt
-I hear it is not uncommon for one to match into something more competitive in the military than they would on the civilian side. So for me, im not a good standardized test taker, so maybe ill get lucky and land something i wouldn't otherwise (needs of service though, i know)
-Open to surgery (40/60 for)/subspecializing (30/70 for)...not dead set. Prefer idea of 3-4 year residency then work.

As a student:
-Average student
-Not a very good standardized test taker...took 6 months full time studying to score ~70 percentile on MCAT (1 take)..unsure how I will perform on boards..affects what specialty i will land.

Personal life:
-I'd prefer to be close to home when i practice but not a deal breaker
-No spouse/dependents..dont see this happening anytime soon so i dont really consider this an issue (I'm a picky person and hard to date, I admit this much..itll be a very very long while till i "settle.")

Idea of Service:

-I dont mind the idea of serving the country (however it might be idealized)
-Plan on doing 4 years then leaving should i take HPSP (unless i end up loving it...wont know until i get there though)
-Nice knowing i can live comfortably during school/residency which would allow me to perform better/on boards

Misc:
-Some places ive worked the sh*tty administration drove me nuts while others the sh*tty administration didn't get to me...not sure how sh*tty military admins will be for me.

thoughts??? I know there are a lot of variables and stuff that is impossible to predict +8 years down the line.
Simply put if you want options the military is not the way to go. If your fine with whatever then join.
 
I'm very torn on whether to take the HPSP scholarship or not. I've spent hours reading threads (and starting some of my own) and I'm very much on the fence on this one. I've spent months mulling over my decision and cannot come to a conclusion on my own. My family is supportive of me either way. Based on my situation, can any of you offer an opinion on what you would do (obviously there is no right or wrong answer). There is also no one factor that really trumps another.

Financial:
-Private school: 65k per year (tuition + CoL)= $280,000 before interest

And depending on your interest rate, and how long you take to pay it off....this will easily cost you $400-$500K. That's a lot of money. Are you young? (early to mid-20s?) If so, I'd do HPSP. I know we always say don't do it for the money, but for the sake of avoiding a half a million dollar loan, 4 years of service in the military (I think) is a small price to pay, if you have the right attitude about it, if you're flexible about your professional goals. It seems like you are. And if you're young, you can be out of the service before you crack your early 30s, which still gives you time to pursue civilian training if so desire.

So in the words of Steve Miller, "Go on...take the money and run!" And for heaven's sake, join the Navy....I've seen 7 beautiful ports thus far on deployment....the diving and golf is fantastic!
 
Yea...hopefully you are holding a Navy HPSP acceptance because doing the 5 year and out plan (Intern year + 4 years GMO) is not so bad according to my mentors. This was coming from one who spent 4 years in Diego Garcia while being married with children too. Plus you can rake in GI Bill when you go off to a civilian residency program afterwards that will add ~$1000/month to your income.

Much of the gripe from most of the posters stems from the problems that arise post residency in the military. Doing the GMO and out plan avoids that for the most part.
 
A man who was happy spending 4 years unaccompanied in Diego Garcia with a family back home is a pretty terrible mentor. No one is there that long except by choice. Not my idea of a parent.
 
Idea of Service:
-I dont mind the idea of serving the country (however it might be idealized)

The only good reason to do HPSP is if you LOVE the idea of serving the county. I skimmed through the rest...but quite frankly...the rest really doesn't matter. I've told you once...and I'll tell you again...don't do it.
 
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A man who was happy spending 4 years unaccompanied in Diego Garcia with a family back home is a pretty terrible mentor. No one is there that long except by choice. Not my idea of a parent.


I think I should have clarified he told me it would have been better if he had been single but his overall experience has been positive.

He is a great mentor for me when it came to my professional goals. I can count on one hand how many people put faith in my abilities to get into medical school when everyone else told me I cannot do it. He was one of the few. His family life was not something I delved into and it was not the aspect of him that I looked up towards. Besides, I never said he was happy, just it was not that bad and he dealt with it.
 
A mediocre DO student interested in a competitive specialty is just about the only person I'd recommend do HPSP. I guess.
Like I said earlier..it took my 6 months FULL TIME studying to score the average matriculants score for DO schools. I dont think the average person studied as much as I did, most also were working jobs..i was not. This worries me when it comes to boards..however I am aware of the possible issue. So i could very well be a (potential) mediocre student..
 
Like I said earlier..it took my 6 months FULL TIME studying to score the average matriculants score for DO schools. I dont think the average person studied as much as I did, most also were working jobs..i was not. This worries me when it comes to boards..however I am aware of the possible issue. So i could very well be a (potential) mediocre student..
Apply that same work ethic to your classes and board prep and I'm sure you'll do fine.

But that is neither here nor there. Your question was about accepting the HPSP or not. You have all the info you need already, it's just a matter of being willing to surrender control of your career 4 years in advance in order to serve in the Armed Forces. You can go around in circles with the pros and cons but it ultimately boils down to your desire to serve, and understanding what that service is. It's not usually doing some neato, swoopy, secret squirrel stuff for the military. It's more commonly preparing a power point for a 2hr briefing in which you will speak for a grand total of 30 seconds and no one will listen to you anyway. It's seeing endless complaints from young healthy people who don't feel like going to PT that morning. It's deploying away from your family and friends to treat scrapes and bruises in some backwards Suckistan. You will have experiences that no one else will have but you will also be asked to do the above tasks, while your civilian counterparts focus on becoming the best doctor they can be. You may have a great career in the military, or you may not. It's a crapshoot, and in the mil cream doesn't always rise, if you catch my meaning. Ask yourself if getting med school paid for is worth the sacrifice to serve in the military. Good luck.
 
Just an update, I decided to decline the scholarship. I took very seriously everything everyone said here (and throughout of the board) and it made no sense to accept the scholarship. Thank you so much for all of your help everyone.
 
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The Air Force offers a sign on bonus of 272k to family physicians right after residency. Not sure why anyone would commit on the front end.
 
The Air Force offers a sign on bonus of 272k to family physicians right after residency. Not sure why anyone would commit on the front end.
Really, why? It's obvious:

1) money now is worth more than money later

2) accession bonuses are not available to every specialty in every service in every year; a person starting med school this fall with the intent of becoming a FM doc has no way of knowing if that $272K will be offered 7 years later (and odds are that FM-wannabe will end up choosing a different specialty anyway)

It's obvious why people commit on the front end: the world and especially the military are full of uncertainty.

If the military had a consistent blanket offer every year to accept an unlimited number of new residency grads (in any specialty) with a sign on bonus of $300K then nobody would take HPSP to avoid student loans. But the reality is nearly opposite of that blanket offer: the services offer reatively few specialties large accession bonuses each year, and it's totally unpredictable which ones will be offered how much.

Same goes for FAP.
 
I'm sure there's a military physician that signed up after residency and wasn't offered a significant sign on bonus that will be able to shed light on this situation.
 
I'm sure there's a military physician that signed up after residency and wasn't offered a significant sign on bonus that will be able to shed light on this situation.
They exist but they're rare. Without an accession bonus or existing service obligation, they'd be eligible for MSP, but it sure wouldn't be anywhere near $272K/4 = $68K/yr. It's currently $20K/yr.

And of course that's all changing now anyway. More uncertainty.

Of course the accession bonus entry is the best deal. Of course it is. The military only does it out of desperation. There were years the Navy was offering $400K to get anesthesiologists to sign up for a 4 year stint. Not now. The problem that I'm pointing out is that a premed can't count on that entry method being available to them X years in the future.
 
Hold out until the military will let you pay next Tuesday for a hamburger today.
 
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