AF or Army HPSP

[Milmedmayo]

I am a 22 year old Air Guard medic. Starting med school at Nova in July and am applying for Air and Army HPSP. My packets are up for the boards now.
I love the military, I have no problem with service obligations but I do have a problem with limitations on my career prior to it even starting.

To sum up my post, I am trying to decide between the two branches. I have multiple family members who have done Army HPSP and has turned out very well for them.

1.) Assuming I am offered both scholarships, which branch would be better for autonomy when choosing residency?

2.) Does a GMO year increase your chance of obtaining a residency of your choice?

3.) I am young and feel I could offer a couple years without it hurting my career. So if I wanted to do FS or GMO then apply for a more competitive residency such as ortho or another surgery I can do this. Correct?

Thank you all!

Alex

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[Barcu]

I am a 22 year old Air Guard medic. Starting med school at Nova in July and am applying for Air and Army HPSP. My packets are up for the boards now.
I love the military, I have no problem with service obligations but I do have a problem with limitations on my career prior to it even starting.

To sum up my post, I am trying to decide between the two branches. I have multiple family members who have done Army HPSP and has turned out very well for them.

1.) Assuming I am offered both scholarships, which branch would be better for autonomy when choosing residency?

2.) Does a GMO year increase your chance of obtaining a residency of your choice?

3.) I am young and feel I could offer a couple years without it hurting my career. So if I wanted to do FS or GMO then apply for a more competitive residency such as ortho or another surgery I can do this. Correct?

Thank you all!

Alex

1) The Army has the most residency programs and most locations, so going straight through the residency of your choice is probably a bit more likely. The chances aren't bad for the AF though. What it depends on most is your specialty of choice. If it's competitive in the military, I would brace yourself for a GMO/FS tour.

Another thing you may consider is location. Army and AF residencies are in different spots (except there is joint in San Antonio). The major AF are San Antonio and Dayton, OH (as well as some places like Biloxi, Las Vegas, Northern Cali for some specialties). Army has residency spots in San Antonio, Washington DC, Washington, Hawaii, as well as some other scattered places (not as familiar). But of course, AF base locations are sometimes considered better (though there are some doozies) once you leave residency. Overall, focusing on location too much in the military isn't the smartest thing, but that doesn't make it irrelevant, especially for residency where there are only a few locations, so you may have a bit more control over where you go.

2) Yes it does. Some people are basically forced to do a GMO/FS tour if they don't match to the residency of their choice. It seems like you will ultimately get your choice though if you stick with it. Choosing to do a tour will get you extra points that will make matching to that residency much easier.

3) Yes you can. The AF especially is looking out for flight surgeons whereever possible, so you can certainly do a tour and then apply for a competitive residency with a better chance. Some people choose to do this, some have to. Experiences are mixed, though it seems most people at least get something out of it. Some people have even done two tours, fulfilled their obligation, and then left the military to pursue civilian residency. I would never sign up planning to do this, but it always can be the last ditch option.

 

[Milmedmayo]

I couldn't imagine going through 4 years of payback and not even having an applicable residency for the civilian sector. People do that? Why?
I want the AF but I think Army will be best for me in the long run. I want options in residencies and fellowships and I believe Army gives me many more.

Thank you!

 

[Barcu]

I couldn't imagine going through 4 years of payback and not even having an applicable residency for the civilian sector. People do that? Why?
I want the AF but I think Army will be best for me in the long run. I want options in residencies and fellowships and I believe Army gives me many more.

Thank you!

Yeah, people do it. I agree that it's not the best option, but it is always something you have in your back pocket.

I think the major reason is that it gets you out the fastest (since residency is payback neutral). Some people are forced to do a GMO/FS tour, and then they may become frustrated with the system, or they think putting in two more years and then starting again in the civilian world. It also may depend on the type of training that you want too. Mil residencies are fine, but some people want to do other things that a Mil residency may not allow (a big risk of signing up for HPSP and having no idea what you want to do). While a four year detour is not ideal, it seems that even the most vocal GMO detractors agree that having that experience will help you match into a much better residency than you would be able to get just applying out of med school. For some people, that may be a good reason combined with some frustration with the mil med system.

In terms of your situation, hopefully more people will comment too. The Army does have the most positions, and AF med probably has the worst rep on this board (though I'm AF, so I think it's going to be ok...). But as people have mentioned in other threads, the amount of luck can play a role since the open spots, residency/fellowship spots are all decided by how many physicians are needed at a given time.