Hi, I'm a resident in psychiatry and interested in joining the Army reserves for a number of reasons (service, life experience, financial aid). Since I have over 100K in debt, it's important to me to know whether I would be seriously better compensated joining as a resident in STRAP vs waiting till I'm an attending and joining via direct commission. I know that as a resident I'd get about 2K/mo + 35K loan forgiveness/year for two years. And I'm sure there'd be some compensation on weekend drills. But not as sure about how compensation compares with direct commissioning. Thoughts?
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Better to Join Army Reserves as Resident (STRAP) or addending (Direct Commissioning)
- Thread starter LeJoker
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
- Messages
- 3,105
- Reaction score
- 1,930
Just to clarify terminology, direct commission is a commissioning source and how all physicians and other professionals join the military. You would direct commission whether you joined as a medical student, resident, fellow, or attending. This is in comparison to ROTC, OCS, or the academies as commision sources.
STRAP is a specific incentive program for residents/fellows. Health Professions Special Pay is the incentive available to attendings. The challenge in comparing the two is the commitments are very different. For STRAP it's 12 years if you're doing a 4 year specialty.
STRAP: Drill/AT Pay ($10k/yr x12 years = $120k) + HPRLP ($40k/yr x2 = $80k) + STRAP ($24k/year x4 = $96k)
Total is $300k or $25k per year for 12 years.
Attending incentives vary, I don't know the current rates but let's go with $40k/yr as that is the HPLRP rate if you opt for that over a cash bonus.
Attending: Drill/AT Pay ($10k/yr x8 years = $80k) + Incentive ($40k/yr x 8 years = $320k).
Total of $400k or $50k per year for 8 years.
Still not a fair comparison. Time value of money and the lower opportunity cost of doing your initial military training as a resident rather than an attending makes these much more similar financial options than they seem.
The reality is it doesn't matter how you join the military, they are paying as little as they can to recruit people and the value it takes to recruit people does not vary much between the programs. If it was significantly more expensive to recruit people through one program vs another, they would get rid of the expensive program.
The decision comes down to:
1) Accept that almost no physician is ever making an optimal financial decision when joining the military, at least by the numbers.
2) Most people are likely best served by delaying joining until they are attendings because it keeps commitments to a reasonable length and lets them do a few years of service for a reasonable incentive and then get out.
3) The main benefits of joining earlier are for people who end up making it a 20+ year career. Reaching retirement age earlier in your attending career is a financial perk and earlier integration into military training and opportunities is a career perk.
Edit: In another thread, it looks like you're a PGY3 already, so you would probably only get 1-1.5 years of STRAP and a single HPLRP payment.
STRAP: Drill/AT Pay ($10k/yr x 4.5 years = $45k) + HPRLP ($40k/yr x1 = $40k) + STRAP ($24k/year x2 = $48k)
Total is $133k or $30k per year for 4.5 years.
Attending: Drill/AT Pay ($10k/yr x3 years = $30k) + Incentive ($40k/yr x 3 years = $120k).
Total of $150k or $50k per year for 3 years.
Again, these are rough estimates. Drill/training pay in particularly is probably overestimated in my attempts to account of various perks and pay for any additional training you may choose to pursue. I think joining as an attending is even more likely to be the right answer in your situation.
STRAP is a specific incentive program for residents/fellows. Health Professions Special Pay is the incentive available to attendings. The challenge in comparing the two is the commitments are very different. For STRAP it's 12 years if you're doing a 4 year specialty.
STRAP: Drill/AT Pay ($10k/yr x12 years = $120k) + HPRLP ($40k/yr x2 = $80k) + STRAP ($24k/year x4 = $96k)
Total is $300k or $25k per year for 12 years.
Attending incentives vary, I don't know the current rates but let's go with $40k/yr as that is the HPLRP rate if you opt for that over a cash bonus.
Attending: Drill/AT Pay ($10k/yr x8 years = $80k) + Incentive ($40k/yr x 8 years = $320k).
Total of $400k or $50k per year for 8 years.
Still not a fair comparison. Time value of money and the lower opportunity cost of doing your initial military training as a resident rather than an attending makes these much more similar financial options than they seem.
The reality is it doesn't matter how you join the military, they are paying as little as they can to recruit people and the value it takes to recruit people does not vary much between the programs. If it was significantly more expensive to recruit people through one program vs another, they would get rid of the expensive program.
The decision comes down to:
1) Accept that almost no physician is ever making an optimal financial decision when joining the military, at least by the numbers.
2) Most people are likely best served by delaying joining until they are attendings because it keeps commitments to a reasonable length and lets them do a few years of service for a reasonable incentive and then get out.
3) The main benefits of joining earlier are for people who end up making it a 20+ year career. Reaching retirement age earlier in your attending career is a financial perk and earlier integration into military training and opportunities is a career perk.
Edit: In another thread, it looks like you're a PGY3 already, so you would probably only get 1-1.5 years of STRAP and a single HPLRP payment.
STRAP: Drill/AT Pay ($10k/yr x 4.5 years = $45k) + HPRLP ($40k/yr x1 = $40k) + STRAP ($24k/year x2 = $48k)
Total is $133k or $30k per year for 4.5 years.
Attending: Drill/AT Pay ($10k/yr x3 years = $30k) + Incentive ($40k/yr x 3 years = $120k).
Total of $150k or $50k per year for 3 years.
Again, these are rough estimates. Drill/training pay in particularly is probably overestimated in my attempts to account of various perks and pay for any additional training you may choose to pursue. I think joining as an attending is even more likely to be the right answer in your situation.
Last edited:
Hey thanks for your reply! Sorry I didn't see this till now for some reason.
Because of an injury that took some time to be approved, it would be only one year of STRAP at this point (and a single HPLRP payment). So I think it would work out to the following below. (I changed drill from 4.5 years to just 2 years since I'd be doing 2 years of obligated reserves with one year of STRAP and not be paid for, or do, drill during PGY-4, sound right? Also, the incentive is for each year then (not just the first year you join)?
STRAP: Drill/AT Pay ($10k/yr x 2 years = $20k) + HPRLP ($40k/yr x1 = $40k) + STRAP ($24k/year x1 = $24k)
Total is $74K over the next 3 years.
Attending: Drill/AT Pay ($10k/yr x2 years = $20k) + Incentive ($40k/yr x 2 years = $80k).
Total of $100 over the next 3 years.
Does this look right?
Because of an injury that took some time to be approved, it would be only one year of STRAP at this point (and a single HPLRP payment). So I think it would work out to the following below. (I changed drill from 4.5 years to just 2 years since I'd be doing 2 years of obligated reserves with one year of STRAP and not be paid for, or do, drill during PGY-4, sound right? Also, the incentive is for each year then (not just the first year you join)?
STRAP: Drill/AT Pay ($10k/yr x 2 years = $20k) + HPRLP ($40k/yr x1 = $40k) + STRAP ($24k/year x1 = $24k)
Total is $74K over the next 3 years.
Attending: Drill/AT Pay ($10k/yr x2 years = $20k) + Incentive ($40k/yr x 2 years = $80k).
Total of $100 over the next 3 years.
Does this look right?
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2010
- Messages
- 72
- Reaction score
- 33
So this is really complicated.
I did STRAP + HPLR. Your math is correct there.
You need to account that HPLR is capped at $250k. It pays out $40k x 6 and $10k x 1. It doesn't make sense to take HPLR the last year.
It get really interesting if a Service Member (SM) takes STRAP/HPLR.
I'll you give you my example because I think it provides clarity. I did a 4 year residency with STRAP/HPLR. Thus I had the opportunity to use HPLR for 3 additional years after residency (4y x 40k done, 2y x 40k & 1y x 10k left). You have to apply for those years after residency. If a SM elects to utilize HPLR then STRAP payback will not begin until HPLR ends. I owed 8y for STRAP. If I would elected to use the last 3 years of STRAP after residency, my payback wouldn't have started until after I finished HPLR for a total of a 11y commitment (8y STRAP + 3y addl HPLR). I didn't do that and I am currently in STRAP payback (8y).
I know its confusing... sorry but I'm available for any questions...
STRAP is less money. But as DeadCactus alluded to, money is "worth" more as a resident than an attending. The STRAP/drill money made it so that I had a comfortable residency financially. OP alluded to AT. One can drill during STRAP but its very unlikely the SM would do AT during residency.
Also, keep in mind that all benefits, including HPLR are taxed. For me personally, after state and federal taxes, my loan payments were ~$28k/y.
Since you're in a government payback program you have the option to into forbearance. I don't necessarily recommend it but it's not the worst thing you can do.
Sorry if that's a lot of info. There are two things that I think you should consider strongly that you haven't mentioned.
1) Healthcare -- Tricare Reserve Select healthcare is really cheap and provides excellent coverage.
2) Good years. I was prior service prior to medical school. One of the biggest benefits of STRAP is that the SM can drill thus accruing good year (AKA years that count towards retirement). If one is strongly inclined to staying in for 20 years I would argue STRAP is a better program than waiting.
Also, FY20 bonus for Psych (60W) is $25k annually, thus you would utilize HPLR first. I don't have data for FY21.
Hope this helps.
Please reach out if you have any questions.
I did STRAP + HPLR. Your math is correct there.
You need to account that HPLR is capped at $250k. It pays out $40k x 6 and $10k x 1. It doesn't make sense to take HPLR the last year.
It get really interesting if a Service Member (SM) takes STRAP/HPLR.
I'll you give you my example because I think it provides clarity. I did a 4 year residency with STRAP/HPLR. Thus I had the opportunity to use HPLR for 3 additional years after residency (4y x 40k done, 2y x 40k & 1y x 10k left). You have to apply for those years after residency. If a SM elects to utilize HPLR then STRAP payback will not begin until HPLR ends. I owed 8y for STRAP. If I would elected to use the last 3 years of STRAP after residency, my payback wouldn't have started until after I finished HPLR for a total of a 11y commitment (8y STRAP + 3y addl HPLR). I didn't do that and I am currently in STRAP payback (8y).
I know its confusing... sorry but I'm available for any questions...
STRAP is less money. But as DeadCactus alluded to, money is "worth" more as a resident than an attending. The STRAP/drill money made it so that I had a comfortable residency financially. OP alluded to AT. One can drill during STRAP but its very unlikely the SM would do AT during residency.
Also, keep in mind that all benefits, including HPLR are taxed. For me personally, after state and federal taxes, my loan payments were ~$28k/y.
Since you're in a government payback program you have the option to into forbearance. I don't necessarily recommend it but it's not the worst thing you can do.
Sorry if that's a lot of info. There are two things that I think you should consider strongly that you haven't mentioned.
1) Healthcare -- Tricare Reserve Select healthcare is really cheap and provides excellent coverage.
2) Good years. I was prior service prior to medical school. One of the biggest benefits of STRAP is that the SM can drill thus accruing good year (AKA years that count towards retirement). If one is strongly inclined to staying in for 20 years I would argue STRAP is a better program than waiting.
Also, FY20 bonus for Psych (60W) is $25k annually, thus you would utilize HPLR first. I don't have data for FY21.
Hope this helps.
Please reach out if you have any questions.
Last edited:
