A summary of programs offered by the National Guard for Med Students (subject to change):
AMEDD Student Recruiter (ASR) – Active Duty Pay for 3 years while in Medical School. (about $50,000 a year….receive paycheck/bank deposit every 2 weeks)
- Participation DOES NOT incur an Active Duty obligation when finished.
- Participation DOES NOT require additional term past your standard 8 year contract.
- Participation DOES NOT incur any additional obligation with the Army National Guard outside normal participation (1 weekend a month; 2 weeks a year).
Federal Tuition Assistance – Everyone can apply, but will depend on if there are funds available.
- $4500/year x 4 years= $18000/total
- Officers must have 4 years remaining in their service contract after the last payment is made.
- Tax-free
Montgomery GI Bill for Selected Reserve – Everyone can apply.
- Current rate = $329.00/every month you have class...and is prorated for starting/ending months (increases every October 1st)
Healthcare Professional Loan Repayment Program (HPLRP) - Healthcare providers in the specialties listed below can receive up to $50,000 in loan repayment assistance by agreeing to a three-year service commitment with the Guard and going into one of the specialties listed below (may change with time). The HPLRP pays a maximum of $20,000 toward your qualified student loan for the first two years, with the final $10,000 paid in your final year. = $50000/total.
- Resident Physicians may dual participate in both HPLRP and STRAP at the same time.
- Participation DOES NOT incur an Active Duty obligation when finished.
- Participation DOES NOT require you to remain in state where you completed residency.
- Participation REQUIRES an additional 3 year extension of your original 8-year contract.
Specialties to get this:
- Physicians
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Family Practice
- Emergency Medicine
- Internal Medicine
- Subspecialties of Internal Medicine:
- Preventive Medicine
- Gastroenterology
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Nephrology
- Medical Oncology/Hematology
- Infectious Disease
- Pulmonary Disease
- Rheumatology
- Psychiatry
Healthcare Professional Bonus (HPB) – AKA Retention Bonus
If you are pursuing a career in one of the specialties below, you are eligible for the Guard's Healthcare Professional Bonus. If you commit to a three-year service agreement with the Guard (AFTER YOU'VE DONE YOUR TIME FOR ANY OTHER PROMOTTIONS/OFFERS SUCH AS HPLRP), you can receive a $75,000 bonus, paid over the course of the three years at $25,000 per year. And if you make another three-year commitment, it may be renewable (get another $75k) as long as your profession is still on the list!
- Qualified professionals eligible even after receiving STRAP and HPLRP.
- Participation DOES NOT incur an Active Duty obligation when finished.
- Participation DOES NOT require you to remain in state where you initially signed for the program.
- Participation requires normal attendance (1 weekend/month, 2 weeks a year) with the Army National Guard for the year immediately following each payment. *
*Flexible Training Policies vary from state-to-state and unit-to-unit.
Specialties to get this (same as HPLRP):
- Physicians
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Family Practice
- Emergency Medicine
- Internal Medicine
- Subspecialties of Internal Medicine:
- Preventive Medicine
- Gastroenterology
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Nephrology
- Medical Oncology/Hematology
- Infectious Disease
- Pulmonary Disease
- Rheumatology
- Psychiatry
The Medical/Dental Student Stipend Program (MDSSP) .–
WHILE IN MEDICAL SCHOOL, AFTER ASR (4TH YEAR) .
- is an incentive based program targeted to medical and dental students. This program will offer medical and dental students a monthly stipend of $1,907.00. In return, each participant will incur a one-year service obligation for every six months (or part thereof) for which they receive the stipend. Obligation starts when student stops taking stipends. Increases annually every July 1st. $1907/month = $22,884/year = $91,536+/total
- Participation DOES NOT incur an Active Duty obligationafter completion of school or residency.
- Participation DOES NOT require you to remain in state where you completed school or residency.
- Students receiving MDSSP are NOT available for mobilization while in school.
- Students may take advantage of each state's flexible training policy*
*Flexible Training Policies vary from state-to-state and unit-to-unit.
Specialized Training Assistance Program (STRAP) – WHILE IN RESIDENCY -
- Same payment as MDSSP ($1907/month)
- Participation DOES NOT incur an Active Duty obligation when finished.
- Participation DOES NOT require you to remain in state where you completed school or residency.
- Students receiving MDSSP are NOT available for mobilization while in RESIDENCY
- Students may take advantage of each state's flexible training policy*
- In return, each participant will incur a one-year service obligation for every six months on the program
*Flexible Training Policies vary from state-to-state and unit-to-unit.
Dual Participation in MDSSP & STRAP – The MDSSP obligation is re-calculated at six months for each six months (or part thereof) that the stipend was paid to the individual. MDSSP obligation changes from to one year for one year of benefits (cuts obligation time in half).
- The original contract is amended to defer the original obligation start date until residency completion.
- Participation DOES NOT incur an Active Duty obligation after completion of residency.
- Participation DOES NOT require you to remain in state where you completed residency.
- Participants are NOT eligible for mobilization while in residency.
Other Benefits
State Tuition Assistance - Benefits vary from state to state. See your state Education Officer for details. Tax free!
Clerkship - During your M3 and M4 years, you may apply for one of the several clerkships available at many military medical centers around the country. While in attendance, you would receive full active-duty pay ( and allowances of $3,987 as a 3rd yr medical student of $4,454 as a 4th yr medical student (based on an average 30-day clerkship).
OBLC: You will be required to attend about a 27-day Officer Basic Training course (in beautiful Fort Sam Houston, TX in San Antonio) that can be done in lieu of Annual Training and may have the opportunity to attend other medical/dental military training.
Deployments: You can not be deployed while in medical school. You can not be deployed while you are a resident. Current policy says that ARNG doctors deployments are limited to 90 days ‘boots on ground'. You may be deployed as frequently as 18 months apart following residency completion. You may be deployable if you do a fellowship but this is considered on a case by case basis.
Healthcare: While getting paid full-time (During ASR), you get FREE healthcare for you and your family. When you're no longer on ASR, you can pay $47/month for an individual or $175 for a family (rates reduced in 10/2008). Dental for an individual costs just $11.50 a month while not in ASR.
Life Insurance: Up-to $400,000 of life insurance that covers you on and
off duty for small monthly payments (about $25/month). You can also choose smaller amounts of coverage for a smaller fee
Retirement: You can retire from the military when you have been in for 20 years ("good-years" of actually going to drill) and will collect payment when you reach the age of 60.
PDF OF THIS INFO:
ARMY NATIONAL GUARD Med Student Programs