Air force medical scholarship (HPSP) and establishing career

[atile]

So basically the air force has a scholarship where they'll pay for your tuition + add a pretty sizable stipend in exchange for 3-4 years of practice on a base after your residency/fellowship.

For someone who wants to get established in academic medicine, how critical are those first 3-4 years after residency (or fellowship)? Basically is that an important time to get your foot in the door, and does disappearing to work at an air base for 4 years negatively impact career options afterwards?

Many thanks in advance for responses!

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[Smurfette]

Moving to the MilMed forum where you will get more knowledgeable input.

 

[IlDestriero]

So basically the air force has a scholarship where they'll pay for your tuition + add a pretty sizable stipend in exchange for 3-4 years of practice on a base after your residency/fellowship.

For someone who wants to get established in academic medicine, how critical are those first 3-4 years after residency (or fellowship)? Basically is that an important time to get your foot in the door, and does disappearing to work at an air base for 4 years negatively impact career options afterwards?

Many thanks in advance for responses!

That period is critical for establishing a foundation, seeking mentors, starter grants, etc. you won't find much of that in the .mil. If you are behind your target and not progressing by 2 years as a new clinical instructor at my shop, you not only don't get promoted to asst professor, but you get canned.
Could you still succeed? Probably, but you'll be starting 3-4 years behind when looking for academic jobs as opposed to 3-4 years ahead like your colleagues taking pp or clinical academic jobs.

 

[notdeadyet]

Could you still succeed? Probably, but you'll be starting 3-4 years behind when looking for academic jobs as opposed to 3-4 years ahead like your colleagues taking pp or clinical academic jobs.

There is also the fact that if you're looking for academic jobs, pedigree counts and most folks are more likely to get into a better residency (or at least more academically respected one) by doing one of the civilian ones.

 

[brooklynMD]

I want to do get the HPSP scholarship for the military. Its 4 years after medical school (one year for every year the military pays for your tuition etc). I feel like this is a great move for me to do it, I want to be a trauma surgeon, if they send me overseas it just adds to my resume as a trauma surgeon, even if the idea of leaving my husband and children may suck it wont be forever.
my biggest fear is where they will place me, i really don't want to end up in Louisiana or something because i'm from Brooklyn, NY lol.

 

[colbgw02]

I want to do get the HPSP scholarship for the military. Its 4 years after medical school (one year for every year the military pays for your tuition etc). I feel like this is a great move for me to do it, I want to be a trauma surgeon, if they send me overseas it just adds to my resume as a trauma surgeon, even if the idea of leaving my husband and children may suck it wont be forever.
my biggest fear is where they will place me, i really don't want to end up in Louisiana or something because i'm from Brooklyn, NY lol.

Can't tell if this is a troll or not...?

 

[brooklynMD]

Can't tell if this is a troll or not...?

No really.
It sounds like a troll because i said great opportunity. But for someone who has had a horrible financial history to the point its caused gaps in education, bad grades etc. i REALLY dont want to spend my life paying of debt. and it sounds great to be $150000 or more in dept and "easily" paying it off because youre a doctor. But that doesn't happen. Bad credit scores, interest rates and debt collectors are real. Maybe its personal to me because I know the feeling of not having enough money that I'm scared of the future. But to me personally, serving 4 years under the HPSP isn't the end of the world. Especially with better pay and benefits. it's 4 years. getting to medical school took far longer so i doubt 4 years will kill me.

 

[colbgw02]

I want to do get the HPSP scholarship for the military. Its 4 years after medical school (one year for every year the military pays for your tuition etc). I feel like this is a great move for me to do it, I want to be a trauma surgeon, if they send me overseas it just adds to my resume as a trauma surgeon, even if the idea of leaving my husband and children may suck it wont be forever.
my biggest fear is where they will place me, i really don't want to end up in Louisiana or something because i'm from Brooklyn, NY lol.

No really.
It sounds like a troll because i said great opportunity. But for someone who has had a horrible financial history to the point its caused gaps in education, bad grades etc. i REALLY dont want to spend my life paying of debt. and it sounds great to be $150000 or more in dept and "easily" paying it off because youre a doctor. But that doesn't happen. Bad credit scores, interest rates and debt collectors are real. Maybe its personal to me because I know the feeling of not having enough money that I'm scared of the future. But to me personally, serving 4 years under the HPSP isn't the end of the world. Especially with better pay and benefits. it's 4 years. getting to medical school took far longer so i doubt 4 years will kill me.

First of all, it's not 4 years. It's 4 years as an independent practitioner. For most people, that means 4 years after at least residency training. Considering that most people will complete active duty residency programs, you're looking at much more than 4 years in uniform. Refer to my recent post in the other thread for more information about deferments.

Secondly, your comment about Louisiana/Brooklyn is very telling. The military doesn't care one iota of you want to avoid the rural south, overseas assignments, or the urban northeast.

It's clear to me that you have a lot more research to do. This website can be a great resource. Start with the stickies.

 

[USArmyHPSP]

No really.
It sounds like a troll because i said great opportunity. But for someone who has had a horrible financial history to the point its caused gaps in education, bad grades etc. i REALLY dont want to spend my life paying of debt. and it sounds great to be $150000 or more in dept and "easily" paying it off because youre a doctor. But that doesn't happen. Bad credit scores, interest rates and debt collectors are real. Maybe its personal to me because I know the feeling of not having enough money that I'm scared of the future. But to me personally, serving 4 years under the HPSP isn't the end of the world. Especially with better pay and benefits. it's 4 years. getting to medical school took far longer so i doubt 4 years will kill me.

There is a big red flag here that would preclude you from HPSP. In order to be an officer in the Armed Services, you must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Security Clearance. The number one reason for the denial of a security clearance is a bad financial history. Before even considering HPSP, you need to clean up your credit rating, and not be in default on any bills.

 

[brooklynMD]

There is a big red flag here that would preclude you from HPSP. In order to be an officer in the Armed Services, you must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Security Clearance. The number one reason for the denial of a security clearance is a bad financial history. Before even considering HPSP, you need to clean up your credit rating, and not be in default on any bills.

I don't have debt etc, or bad credit. By financial history i meant living with my parents, things were hard my father was unemployed for anlomg time and bills piled up. I moved out on my own a few years ago, and it was hard making ends meet but regardless, I didn't pile any debt or bad credit scores or loans etc. i just know what debt does.

 

[IlDestriero]

There is good debt and bad debt. Borrowing 400k for a house you hope to sell for twice that in 20 years might be a good debt.
Borrowing 250k to get a job that will increase your income potential by >100k/yr for 30 years is definitely a good investment.
Joining the military just to avoid your debt may not be a good investment. I definitely lost money on my hpsp commitment.

 

[j4pac]

I want to do get the HPSP scholarship for the military. Its 4 years after medical school (one year for every year the military pays for your tuition etc). I feel like this is a great move for me to do it, I want to be a trauma surgeon, if they send me overseas it just adds to my resume as a trauma surgeon, even if the idea of leaving my husband and children may suck it wont be forever.
my biggest fear is where they will place me, i really don't want to end up in Louisiana or something because i'm from Brooklyn, NY lol.

You have lots of reading to do.

A trauma surgeon is going to make roughly $300,000 annually, with the potential to get over $400,000 annually. You will make less than half of that in the military. HPSP is a bad financial decision for anyone not going primary care. Do the math.

The only reason I would EVER go HPSP is if you want to selflessly take care of the best patients in the world, the men and women of the armed forces and their dependents. If you are doing it for ANY other reason...you're going to have a bad time.

 

[IlDestriero]

I forgot to comment on the trauma surgery goal.
If you want to be a badass trauma surgeon you don't want to train in the military where you may not even be at a trauma hospital, relying on out rotations elsewhere. Get a residency at a major metro trauma hospital, bust your hump and be a superstar, then do a trauma fellowship at another major urban trauma center, then join the military and out cut all of the military trained surgeons. Your civilian training and opportunities will be an order of magnitude better. If the .mil thinks they are as hard as Maryland, USC, etc, they're delusional.

 

[IlDestriero]

Just to be clear, that doesn't mean that there aren't some great military trauma surgeons, war is good at producing trauma surgeons and advancing the field, but they were battle hardened and honed in the field, not in the .mil residency. If you have what it takes to be outstanding, think hard about committing to average training.