Army Healthcare Recruiter here to answer any questions.

[Armyhealth]

I am currenlty working as a Army Healthcare Recruiter. I have been doing so about 4 years. So far I have had HPSP in medical, dental, optometry, nurse practioner, CRNA and veterinary programs. I also have had someone accepted into the Masters in Social Work, GPN program at Baylor and LTHET program all very competitive programs to get in. I started this thread to answer questions to give you up to date information from current Army Medical Department programs.

I see a lot of questions about all the programs we have. I will only give you honest, researched answers!

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[BombsAway]

I'm interested in military medicine. Due to having VA benefits to fund medical school, it would be unwise to use the HPSP program. The navy has a program (HSCP) that would be more appealing, becasue it counts the years in medical school toward retirement, pays the student as an active duty E6 with all the associated perks, but its the navy . Is there anything like that in the works for the army? If not, what is the direct accessions process like for a physician?

Thank you.

 

[Armyhealth]

So first of all we don't have a program like that. However when on HPSP you are required to do 45 days of active duty training during the summer meaning you only need to add 5 more days to count it for a "good year" for the Army Reserves. Most HPSP applicants have no idea that they can do this. It is not the same as active time but at least your getting credit while in school for retirement. If you want to go the direct route you have a couple of options, you can join while in residency and get a stipend of about 2200 per month and get some student loan repayment (if you need it) while in your program or you can wait until you graduate to get some very nice bonuses but it has to be a specialization the Army needs like emergency medicine, surgery, family medicine..so on.

 

[deleted480308]

Has the active army side started requiring the extra phase of bolc that the reserve components have to do ? How does that fit into a med student schedule?

 

[Armyhealth]

sb247, yes they have. It is called DCC, it is a course that runs at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. It goes consecutive with orders reporting to BOLC right after, basically it tries to catch up medical officers who have no prior military service to catch up with thier peers in other branches. Not too much is known about it right now as this is the first year, I actually have my first person reporting in a couple months so more info later after she attends.

 

[Armyhealth]

Hopeful pilot you would have to get it approved by your HPSP coordinator, usually is a signed memorandum. Then you find a local reserve unit or recruiting center and do your five days with them. Then they do a RST form 1380 and that unit where they did the 5 days will sign it.

 

[holdthemayo]

I have several DQ's from conventional OCS matriculation - deaf in one ear, thyroid issue - I presume this would DQ from healthcare recruiting as well?

This is my same question (though different DQ's). Very interested to hear the answer.

 

[Ashe226]

Howdy, I am currently applying for the HPSP for veterinary corps. I heard that it is a very competitive program and a lot of people apply for it but there are only about 40 seats nationwide?
I did pretty good my first semester of vet school but my undergrad GPA and GRE were not impressive, will those two put me behind other candidates?
I have three recommendation letter (1 from my mentor (a retired Army Colonel) and 2 from 2 different veterinarian.
I didn't really have a lot of leadership experiences in undergrad.
I would just like to know the chances of getting the scholarship. Thank you.

 

[Armyhealth]

Miami_Postbac, yes maybe if your a very rare specialty they would consider waiving these like a Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon or something but we use the same regulations as OCS and any other Army programs. Any significant hearing loss is a almost guaranteed disqualifier.

 

[Armyhealth]

Ashe226 glad to hear your applying, I actually am working on two applicants for the same program. GPA and GRE are very important factors because they don't have alot else to judge on. However your statement of motivation and LOR's are very important also. I will tell you that in this program I always have my applicants put in 5 LORs. The minimum is three but you can have up to five. I can tell you they have about 33 spots for the three year and currenlty there are 98 applicants in the system (last time I looked). Leadership experiance will set you apart as well as having a prior service COL vouche for you. However the first concern is making sure you will get through school since the Army will invest a lot of money into your education and they can only use the GPA and GRE to make sure you meet that criteria. Good luck!

 

[Helpful Troll]

sb247, yes they have. It is called pre-BOLC, it is a 2 week course that runs at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. It goes consecutive with orders reporting to BOLC right after, basically it tries to catch up medical officers who have no prior military service to catch up with thier peers in other branches. Not too much is known about it right now as this is the first year, I actually have my first person reporting in a couple months so more info later after she attends.

Armyhealth - The ATRRS Course Catalog indicates the AD AMEDD Direct Commission course at Ft Sill is 4 weeks and Reserve version is 3 weeks. Which is correct, your post indicating it's called pre BOLC at two weeks or ATRRS? Maybe this new course called pre-BOLC is not yet added to ATRRS.

 

[Armyhealth]

Update to DCC- it is a 4 week course at Fort Sill, OK. Lots of Power Point, marching, PRT, gas chamber, marching so on. For HPSP you do it one year and BOLC another year. For most the other programs you do DCC/BOLC back to back.

There is also a three week version for direct applicants in certain fields IE medical doctors.

 

[CyrilFiggis]

I have several DQ's from conventional OCS matriculation - deaf in one ear, thyroid issue - I presume this would DQ from healthcare recruiting as well?

Despite getting accepted, I was medically DQed from USUHS for having had two pilonidal cyst surgeries and a letter from my colorectal surgeon who was a former military doc. The cost of your training is expensive and the DoD is frugal. If you are going to be out of service due to ailment or cost them money in treatment, you're likely to get turned down. Not trying to rain on your parade, but as someone rejected post-acceptance for a completely benign condition, I felt required to share.

 

[BombsAway]

Despite getting accepted, I was medically DQed from USUHS for having had two pilonidal cyst surgeries and a letter from my colorectal surgeon who was a former military doc. The cost of your training is expensive and the DoD is frugal. If you are going to be out of service due to ailment or cost them money in treatment, you're likely to get turned down. Not trying to rain on your parade, but as someone rejected post-acceptance for a completely benign condition, I felt required to share.

Did this mess up your app cycle? Like, if you got the acceptance there and turned down somewhere else, then the DQ you... that would suck.

 

[deleted480308]

sb247, yes they have. It is called pre-BOLC, it is a 2 week course that runs at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. It goes consecutive with orders reporting to BOLC right after, basically it tries to catch up medical officers who have no prior military service to catch up with thier peers in other branches. Not too much is known about it right now as this is the first year, I actually have my first person reporting in a couple months so more info later after she attends.

but the question is how does that fit a med student's schedule for the guard/reserve folks doing short course bolc? or do you just deal with hpsp?

 

[deleted480308]

SB247 are you a MDSSP? National Guard? Anyway the unit your assigned is the one that has to reserve the course and get you orders so you and your unit have to work out any kinks in your schedule. There is no rule you have to complete BOLC while in medical school. In fact active duty has moved to have all med students do BOLC between med school and residency. There is also no rule about pre-bolc and bolc being consecutive so you could complete Pre Bolc between years 1 and 2 and then do BOLC afterwords. I have even had someone do phase I BOLC and then phase II the next year so anything is possible as long as you have a unit and schools person who will work with you.

At the risk of being short, you are wrong about guard units. We've got soldiers getting "you can be kicked out if your BOLC isn't completed by (date)" letters and we're trying to get secretary level waivers to get by. Commissioning happening at/after matriculation means you can't start the 80hr online BOLC phase until med school during which you're too busy to really bust it out but you can't be scheduled for short course phase 2 BOLC until after you complete phase 1. Now the army wants 5-6 weeks total instead of 3ish and that's not an easy task if you don't get it all handled in time for summer between ms1-ms2. But it's possible you only deal with the active folks....

There is absolutely an NGB timeline requirement on BOLC.

 

[Armyhealth]

At the risk of being short, you are wrong about guard units. We've got soldiers getting "you can be kicked out if your BOLC isn't completed by (date)" letters and we're trying to get secretary level waivers to get by. Commissioning happening at/after matriculation means you can't start the 80hr online BOLC phase until med school during which you're too busy to really bust it out but you can't be scheduled for short course phase 2 BOLC until after you complete phase 1. Now the army wants 5-6 weeks total instead of 3ish and that's not an easy task if you don't get it all handled in time for summer between ms1-ms2. But it's possible you only deal with the active folks....

There is absolutely an NGB timeline requirement on BOLC.

I am a active army recruiter I have no idea about anything in the guard....totally differant organization. I can only speak on the army and army reserves. Sorry the guard is being so difficult to work with about BOLC. It seems your medical education would be the priority over your officer training, but that is just my opinion.

 

[AnotherLawyer]

I am a active army recruiter I have no idea about anything in the guard....totally differant organization. I can only speak on the army and army reserves. Sorry the guard is being so difficult to work with about BOLC. It seems your medical education would be the priority over your officer training, but that is just my opinion.

1. Does the reserve component have medical student slots, i.e. where you are guaranteed stabilization until you finish residency?

2. If I am an O4, but I only have enough credit to come in as an O3, will my pay be frozen at its current O4 level until I catch back up, or will I take a pay cut?

3. If I do not take any incentives, bonuses, etc., what, if any, commitment will I incur upon commissioning in the medical corps?

4. Lastly, let's suppose I am accepted to medical school for fall of 2018. If I want to make a smooth transition from AD to the medical corps RC (i.e. make the switch sometime summer 2018), when should I start talking to someone like you?

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions!

 

[Armyhealth]

1. Does the reserve component have medical student slots, i.e. where you are guaranteed stabilization until you finish residency?

2. If I am an O4, but I only have enough credit to come in as an O3, will my pay be frozen at its current O4 level until I catch back up, or will I take a pay cut?

3. If I do not take any incentives, bonuses, etc., what, if any, commitment will I incur upon commissioning in the medical corps?

4. Lastly, let's suppose I am accepted to medical school for fall of 2018. If I want to make a smooth transition from AD to the medical corps RC (i.e. make the switch sometime summer 2018), when should I start talking to someone like you?

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions!

1. Most student spots in the reserve you are assigned to the APMC out of Atlanta. We have MDSSP or STRAP or other programs where you are assigned as a 00E (student officer) while in school you are stabalized until you finish your residency and assigned to your official unit as whatever AOC you finished your residency in.

2. That one is tricky, they will do a constructive credit read on you once you board. I will say I have never seen someone demoted by moving to the medical corps if you made Major you will most likely get your rank back as soon as you graduate from medical school.

3. With no incentives at all the minimum is a 2 year contract.

4. If you plan on applying for the summer of 2018 you should contact your AMEDD recruiter Oct-Dec 2017. Our new openings and incentives start at the beginning of the fiscal year in Oct so that is the best time for them to give you the most up to date info and start putting together your packet.

 

[Helpful Troll]

I am currenlty working as a Army Healthcare Recruiter. I have been doing so about 18 months and have been very successful. So far I have had HPSP in medical, dental, nurse practioner and veterinary programs. I also have had someone accepted into the Masters in Social Work, GPN program at Baylor and CRNA program all very competitive programs to get in. I started this thread to answer questions to give you up to date information from current Army Medical Department programs.

I see a lot of questions about all the programs we have. I will only give you honest, researched answers!

Armyhealth - Will you post a copy of the Army HPSP Student Handbook? If you cannot, would you please quote the most recent handbook details regarding diagnosis of HIV after selection and starting Medical School? If the requirement is only to report this as a change of health on an annual PHA please quote the relevant entry in the 'Handbook'. Thanks

This is regarding the other thread where regulations are referenced but none specifically talk to HIV diagnosis as an HPSP Medical Student.

 

[Armyhealth]

Armyhealth - Will you post a copy of the Army HPSP Student Handbook? If you cannot, would you please quote the most recent handbook details regarding diagnosis of HIV after selection and starting Medical School? If the requirement is only to report this as a change of health on an annual PHA please quote the relevant entry in the 'Handbook'. Thanks
This is regarding the other thread where regulations are referenced but none specifically talk to HIV diagnosis as an HPSP Medical Student.

5. What happens if I test positive for HIV or AIDS?
(HPSP Handbook 6-1e)
Students found to be HIV positive or diagnosed with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) shall be placed on medical leave of absence upon receipt of confirmation of the medical condition from the Commander, Army Human Resources Command (AHRC). Following confirmation of positive results, the student’s scholarship and obligation will be terminated at the end of the academic semester.

 

[Helpful Troll]

5. What happens if I test positive for HIV or AIDS?
(HPSP Handbook 6-1e)
Students found to be HIV positive or diagnosed with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) shall be placed on medical leave of absence upon receipt of confirmation of the medical condition from the Commander, Army Human Resources Command (AHRC). Following confirmation of positive results, the student’s scholarship and obligation will be terminated at the end of the academic semester.

Armyhealth - Thank you. I'm actually concerned about this quote as I only find it on an OSU.edu website and not any official military website, regulation, or pamphlet. I too found this exact quote on a google search at this osu.edu website for Veterinary Students https://medicine.osu.edu/students/...

Do you have a link or reference to any official website or document?

 

[Armyhealth]

AR 601-105
4-8. Alternative obligation
Except as otherwise indicated, an individual who

is relieved of the ADSO for any reason before
the completion of the service obligation may be
given, with or without their consent, any of the
alternative obligations indicated below if the service
agreement was signed on or after 1 October
1996. The individual’s consent must be
obtained if program entry occurred prior to 1
October 1996 or if the individual is currently on
AD. An alternative obligation cannot be requested.
a. A service obligation in another armed force
for a period of time not less than the remaining
ADSO.
b. A service obligation in a component of the
Selected Reserve (SELRES) for a period not
less than twice as long as the remaining ADSO.
c. Repayment to the Secretary of Defense of
a percentage of the total cost incurred by the
Secretary on the participant’s behalf that is equal
to the percentage of the total ADSO for which
relieved, plus interest.
d. In addition to the alternative obligations
specified in paragraphs a through c above, if
relieved of the ADSO by reason of separation
because of a physical disability, the Secretary
may impose a service obligation as a civilian
employed as a health care professional in a
facility of any of the uniformed services for a
period of time equal to the remaining ADSO.
(1) A person who is medically disqualified for
military service, but does not perform an alternative
service obligation shall be subject to the
provisions of c above. Those medically disqualified
for military service will be referred to
the United States Army Medical Command civilian
personnel authority located in the OTSG
Personnel Directorate for placement. A participant
who is referred for alternative service but
refuses such service or no assignment is available
may be subject to the provisions of c above.
(2) A person who is medically disqualified for
military service, but will benefit from the health
care degree may be subject to the provisions of
c above.


(it does not specifically say HIV but this is where it will fall into.)

 

[Lollygag]

Hey thank you for doing this, I'm unsure if you'll be able to answer my question but I'll give it a shot.

1. I'm a little confused about some of these military programs for medical students. Is the MDSSP only for active duty? Or can you do MDSSP and stay in the guard? I plan to stay in the guard for 20-30 years as I would like to eventually reach O5 but I do not want to go active duty. It's nothing against active duty, I just don't want to be in my mid 40s and told I have to move my whole family to Germany or Alabama . I prefer what I'm doing now with a balance between civilian life and military life. Hence, why I'm not pursuing HPSP, or USUHS.

If there are no programs for people like me trying to stay in the guard, then I was planning to just transfer to medical corps once I have an acceptance letter and simply pay for medical school myself.

2. Im currently in OCS and will be a 2LT for about 2 years before I apply to medical school. Will I be exempt from this introductory BOLC that you've mentioned? I will have been in the Army 5 years when I apply to medical school so I am more than familiar with the standards. I might even have attended the regular 3-5 month BOLC by the time I apply because in my state you have to attend within 2 years of your commission date. I mean if it's shooting at the range and battle drills then sure I won't mind that but if it's weeks of them teaching how to salute, and SHARP training and how to march a platoon then I might jump out a window lol

 

[julius0121]

Do I have to accept the scholarship if it is offered
To me?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Armyhealth]

Hey thank you for doing this, I'm unsure if you'll be able to answer my question but I'll give it a shot.

1. I'm a little confused about some of these military programs for medical students. Is the MDSSP only for active duty? Or can you do MDSSP and stay in the guard? I plan to stay in the guard for 20-30 years as I would like to eventually reach O5 but I do not want to go active duty. It's nothing against active duty, I just don't want to be in my mid 40s and told I have to move my whole family to Germany or Alabama . I prefer what I'm doing now with a balance between civilian life and military life. Hence, why I'm not pursuing HPSP, or USUHS.

If there are no programs for people like me trying to stay in the guard, then I was planning to just transfer to medical corps once I have an acceptance letter and simply pay for medical school myself.

2. Im currently in OCS and will be a 2LT for about 2 years before I apply to medical school. Will I be exempt from this introductory BOLC that you've mentioned? I will have been in the Army 5 years when I apply to medical school so I am more than familiar with the standards. I might even have attended the regular 3-5 month BOLC by the time I apply because in my state you have to attend within 2 years of your commission date. I mean if it's shooting at the range and battle drills then sure I won't mind that but if it's weeks of them teaching how to salute, and SHARP training and how to march a platoon then I might jump out a window lol

MDDSP is for the Army Reserves, pretty much you get the stipend during medical school and/or residency and then you serve one year for every six months taken of stipend so four years of medical school = 8 years Army reserves.

 

[Armyhealth]

Do I have to accept the scholarship if it is offered
To me?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

You do not officially take a commitment until you raise your right hand and do your oath and sign your contract. However, your recruiter and the staff around them them do alot of work on your packet so if you still have questions on accepting it I wouldn't apply (or at least let your recruiter know that you are not sure if you would accept and they can deciede to take that chance)

 

[Armyhealth]

Hi, hopefully you can help me out because the recruiters I have talked with have been confused on some issues and not all that helpful. If one does not receive the veterinary HPSP, can they still join the Army as a veterinarian post graduation? I was told this by a recuiter who also mentioned that they will help pay off loans at the rate of $40k/year for four years. So even if I do not get the scholarship, I can be in the veterinary corps and get $120k in loan repayment.

Yes you can join as a direct veterinarian in the Army or Army Reserves. There is usually not a lot of slots because most of our slots go to our HPSP. This year I belive there are 8 slots for the entire country for direct 64A applicants. You would be elgible for the 120K student loan if you go Regular Army.

 

[Nontrad Dad]

Armyhealth, first, thanks for jumping on here to offer answers to our questions.

I'm 35 now and applying this year, which means if all goes well I'll be matriculating when I'm 36.

What is the age cutoff for HPSP? If I don't meet this, can I get it waived? How difficult would it be to obtain a waiver?

I'll be graduating med school at the age of 40.. Thanks in advance!

 

[ANSohschm]

Yes you can join as a direct veterinarian in the Army or Army Reserves. There is usually not a lot of slots because most of our slots go to our HPSP. This year I belive there are 8 slots for the entire country for direct 64A applicants. You would be elgible for the 120K student loan if you go Regular Army.

Thank you for your response. I assume that those 8 slots are going to be fairly competitive as well?

 

[Armyhealth]

Armyhealth, first, thanks for jumping on here to offer answers to our questions.

I'm 35 now and applying this year, which means if all goes well I'll be matriculating when I'm 36.

What is the age cutoff for HPSP? If I don't meet this, can I get it waived? How difficult would it be to obtain a waiver?

I'll be graduating med school at the age of 40.. Thanks in advance!

The regulation only states you have to accept your appointment by the age of 42 for active duty. You would be 40 so your still good, as long as you meet all the other requirements you should be good to go. (also I put in a Pediatrician who was 60 last year.)

 

[Armyhealth]

Thank you for your response. I assume that those 8 slots are going to be fairly competitive as well?

Yes, not as competitive as some of our other programs but expect about a 2-1 ratio for applicants to slots.

 

[Nontrad Dad]

The regulation only states you have to accept your appointment by the age of 42 for active duty. You would be 40 so your still good, as long as you meet all the other requirements you should be good to go. (also I put in a Pediatrician who was 60 last year.)

Thanks for confirming. Just had a few more questions:

Is the HPSP competitive to get into?
Does it depend on the specialty you plan on going into?
Can I apply for HPSP just the last 2 years of med school, and serve just 2 years without additional commitment?

 

[Armyhealth]

Thanks for confirming. Just had a few more questions:

Is the HPSP competitive to get into?
Does it depend on the specialty you plan on going into?
Can I apply for HPSP just the last 2 years of med school, and serve just 2 years without additional commitment?

The HPSP for medical school is not as competitive as some of our other programs. Usually if you meet the 500 MCAT, the 3.2 GPA and have a letter of acceptance into medical school you can get the scholarship. Just make sure you apply earlier then later as it fills throughout the year and the slots become more competitive as it gets closer to medical school starting.

The scholarship does not pertain to the specialty that you will eventually match into. It only applies to medical school and you can apply for any specialty you like.

Yes, you can apply for only the last two years. However, our slots go by class group so the availability of having a 2 year scholarship for your class group may be very small. Your best bet is to go for the four year and last resort three year. If you wait past that the scholarships are hard to come by.

 

[Ashe226]

Ashe226 glad to hear your applying, I actually am working on two applicants for the same program. GPA and GRE are very important factors because they don't have alot else to judge on. However your statement of motivation and LOR's are very important also. I will tell you that in this program I always have my applicants put in 5 LORs. The minimum is three but you can have up to five. I can tell you they have about 38 spots for the three year and currenlty there are 98 applicants in the system (last time I looked). Leadership experiance will set you apart as well as having a prior service COL vouche for you. However the first concern is making sure you will get through school since the Army will invest a lot of money into your education and they can only use the GPA and GRE to make sure you meet that criteria. Good luck!

Thanks, I don't know why I just now seeing this when I serve around this forum. So the board meets today. When will we find our if we are the selected or the rejected ones?
I made a 4.0 my first semester in vet school, but my gre from undergrad was very low (150s) because I was sick that day when I was taking it. I only submitted 3 LOR, I didn't know we can do 5. Since I have a pretty good GPA, have pretty good LOR (col., and 2 veterinarians), how will they rank that?
Thank you again.

 

[Armyhealth]

Thanks, I don't know why I just now seeing this when I serve around this forum. So the board meets today. When will we find our if we are the selected or the rejected ones?
I made a 4.0 my first semester in vet school, but my gre from undergrad was very low (150s) because I was sick that day when I was taking it. I only submitted 3 LOR, I didn't know we can do 5. Since I have a pretty good GPA, have pretty good LOR (col., and 2 veterinarians), how will they rank that?
Thank you again.

I can't tell you how you rank, each board has different members and has different ideas of what will make a great Army Officer/Vet. I can tell you results are usually 1-2 weeks from the board date. This is one of the largest boards of the year with the vet corp and dental corps HPSP. So think closer to two weeks. Good luck though I hope you make it!

 

[Geo16]

I had a question about Podiatry in Military. Do you guys offer full-tuition or HPSP for Podiatry students?

 

[Armyhealth]

I had a question about Podiatry in Military. Do you guys offer full-tuition or HPSP for Podiatry students?

No we do not have a HPSP for podiatry. I believe the Navy does though. We do have 120K student loan repayment if you want to do your residency with us.
The Army sponsors a 36-month podiatric surgery residency at one of 2 medical treatment facilities: Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; or Madigan Army Medical Center, Joint Base Lewis-McCord, Washington. Applicants must have a doctor of podiatric medicine (DPM). Officers enter the program in the rank of captain and incur an 84-month ADO (including the 36-month residency).

 

[Geo16]

No we do not have a HPSP for podiatry. I believe the Navy does though. We do have 120K student loan repayment if you want to do your residency with us.
The Army sponsors a 36-month podiatric surgery residency at one of 2 medical treatment facilities: Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; or Madigan Army Medical Center, Joint Base Lewis-McCord, Washington. Applicants must have a doctor of podiatric medicine (DPM). Officers enter the program in the rank of captain and incur an 84-month ADO (including the 36-month residency).

That is awesome. Not sure how competitive the residency is, but I would work hard for it (if I get in).
I want to become a military doctor!
Do military doctors (MD/DO and also DPM) have a chance of deployment? I want to go overseas and be deployed!

 

[Armyhealth]

That is awesome. Not sure how competitive the residency is, but I would work hard for it (if I get in).
I want to become a military doctor!
Do military doctors (MD/DO and also DPM) have a chance of deployment? I want to go overseas and be deployed!

This year there are 2 slots for our residency and there are only 2 applicants as of now. Depends on the year you apply if there is a lot of interest. However it is not a program that alot of people know about because we only have a couple slots per year and don't heavily advertise it. You have a chance at deployment in any job in the Army. As a Medical officer if you are volunteering there is usually a way you can deployed in some capacity.

 

[Geo16]

This year there are 2 slots for our residency and there are only 2 applicants as of now. Depends on the year you apply if there is a lot of interest. However it is not a program that alot of people know about because we only have a couple slots per year and don't heavily advertise it. You have a chance at deployment in any job in the Army. As a Medical officer if you are volunteering there is usually a way you can deployed in some capacity.

Sounds good. I hope I get into a med school or a pod school. And only 2 slots?
Hopefully more slots would open when I get there..

Also, I want to know more about the training (Boot Camp) for Medical Officers. Somewhere I read that the training for Med school students/Medical officers isn't the same as the bootcamp for other officers or enlists. I'm kind of worried. Should I be physically fit? How extreme is the Boot camp for Medical student?

 

[Armyhealth]

I could tell you all about it, but this is a really good video shot from last years class.

You will have to be able to do the Physical Training test at Basic Officer's leaders Course (no boot camp). It is a two mile run, two minutes of situps and two minutes of pushups, you can google the score you would need for your age and sex.

 

[Geo16]

I could tell you all about it, but this is a really good video shot from last years class.

You will have to be able to do the Physical Training test at Basic Officer's leaders Course (no boot camp). It is a two mile run, two minutes of situps and two minutes of pushups, you can google the score you would need for your age and sex.

So it was true.. Someone told me the exact thing, but I couldn't believe it. Sounds too easy to be honest.
Nice, so there isn't much to worry about. I can do all of that right now

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

I actually have a question for you. I'm already in medical school. I would like to serve my country, but I also don't want a full-time military experience. What are my options during 4th year med or residency to join the reserves? Are there any benefits in terms of loan forgiveness or assistance considering I'll be massively in debt (> 250k)?

 

[Armyhealth]

I actually have a question for you. I'm already in medical school. I would like to serve my country, but I also don't want a full-time military experience. What are my options during 4th year med or residency to join the reserves? Are there any benefits in terms of loan forgiveness or assistance considering I'll be massively in debt (> 250k)?

Did you say 250K! I fainted for a second, we actually forgive up to 250K exactly in the reserves. It is 40K a year that you serve and you can serve as long as you want to get to that 250K. This will be available when you start your first year of residency and it does have to be a specialty the Army needs. Have you already matched? Do you know what your applying for already? You also will get just over 2200 per month while in Residency on top of whatever you will be paid by your program. Feel free to send me a personal message if you want to know how to get started.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Did you say 250K! I fainted for a second, we actually forgive up to 250K exactly in the reserves. It is 40K a year that you serve and you can serve as long as you want to get to that 250K. This will be available when you start your first year of residency and it does have to be a specialty the Army needs. Have you already matched? Do you know what your applying for already? You also will get just over 2200 per month while in Residency on top of whatever you will be paid by your program. Feel free to send me a personal message if you want to know how to get started.

I'm currently in 3rd year thinking about going neurology with a distant possibility of psychiatry.

 

[Armyhealth]

Neurology is not a huge need for us in the reserves. I acutally tried to get a nuerologist in last year who had 10 years of practice and they rejected him because they did not have any slots. Psychiatry you could for sure get in. However if you joined during your last year of Med school you could at least get the stipend for that last year and it wouldn't matter what specialty you matched into. They just wouldn't pay you during your residency for Nuerology. However, you would be guarnteed to get into the reserves as a neurologist.

 

[Nontrad Dad]

Did you say 250K! I fainted for a second, we actually forgive up to 250K exactly in the reserves. It is 40K a year that you serve and you can serve as long as you want to get to that 250K. This will be available when you start your first year of residency and it does have to be a specialty the Army needs. Have you already matched? Do you know what your applying for already? You also will get just over 2200 per month while in Residency on top of whatever you will be paid by your program. Feel free to send me a personal message if you want to know how to get started.

Adding to AlbinoHawk's question. Is there a reserve/NG version of HPSP? I'm applying this cycle and HOPE to matriculate next Fall.

As a dad, my biggest concern is deploying with a family. As a physician (non-combat) can I take my family with me? What do the typical deployments look like for active-duty vs. reserves/NG?

Thanks again for taking the time to answer our questions, Armyhealth! Really appreciate your insight.

 

[deleted480308]

So it was true.. Someone told me the exact thing, but I couldn't believe it. Sounds too easy to be honest.
Nice, so there isn't much to worry about. I can do all of that right now

just know geo that if you go to short course and mess up the apft, you go home. No questions, no debates, no redo...pack your bag

I actually have a question for you. I'm already in medical school. I would like to serve my country, but I also don't want a full-time military experience. What are my options during 4th year med or residency to join the reserves? Are there any benefits in terms of loan forgiveness or assistance considering I'll be massively in debt (> 250k)?

go to the military med forums and search for "strap"

 

[deleted480308]

Adding to AlbinoHawk's question. Is there a reserve/NG version of HPSP? I'm applying this cycle and HOPE to matriculate next Fall.

As a dad, my biggest concern is deploying with a family. As a physician (non-combat) can I take my family with me? What do the typical deployments look like for active-duty vs. reserves/NG?

Thanks again for taking the time to answer our questions, Armyhealth! Really appreciate your insight.

no reserve/guard option that pays tuition, just a stipend

no you can't take your family to a combat zone

current policy is max 90days on the ground for deployment and 30 for rampup/down.....but policies can change