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.
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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