Caribbean Schools & Military Loan Repayment

[sportsbeth]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hello,

I am applying to several Caribbean schools, including SGU and AUC and I am interested in a military loan repayment plan. I am wondering if anyone has done this and could give me some insight. I’m a little confused if it works the same way for Caribbean students as it does for med students from the US.

Thank you

 

[Kramerica]

Hello,

I am applying to several Caribbean schools, including SGU and AUC and I am interested in a military loan repayment plan. I am wondering if anyone has done this and could give me some insight. I’m a little confused if it works the same way for Caribbean students as it does for med students from the US.

Thank you

Caribbean Med School is no go for Army HPSP (I'm not sure if this is what you meant by loan repayment plan):

The U.S. Army Health Care Team will pay 100 percent of your tuition for a graduate-level health care degree at any accredited medical, dental, veterinary, psychology or optometry program in the United States or Puerto Rico.

http://www.goarmy.com/amedd/hpsp.jsp

 

[sportsbeth]

Oh, okay. Thanks. I was misinformed. Do you happen to know of any military programs that would accept students from Caribbean schools?

 

[glamqueen]

Oh, okay. Thanks. I was misinformed. Do you happen to know of any military programs that would accept students from Caribbean schools?

There are none. I believe you can do the FAP residency program, but I actually think that with that you have to have your intern year done already also.

I do know for sure there are no military branches that will support HPSP scholarships to a Carib student.

Why don't you apply to U.S. DO?

 

[sportsbeth]

Thanks, I appreciate the info. Yeah, I am considering applying to DO schools.

 

[BAZ]

I would check with a recruiter. I have a friend who is a carib grad and went to one who didn't seem to to indicate being from a Carib school would matter.

 

[SirGecko]

I would check with a recruiter. I have a friend who is a carib grad and went to one who didn't seem to to indicate being from a Carib school would matter.

Is your friend past his internship year in a US residency program? If not the recruiter was probably confused/ didn't know what he was talking about. (or didn't realize that the guy was talking about a medical school outside the US) If he is past his internship year then I believe it is accurate that he can apply for FAP.

 

[glamqueen]

I would check with a recruiter. I have a friend who is a carib grad and went to one who didn't seem to to indicate being from a Carib school would matter.

BAZ - please don't take this as an insult, as it is not meant that way, but perhaps more as a warning...

Are you on HPSP or currently serving? If you are saying to get information that can be counted on for accuracy from a recruiter - I doubt it. If you yourself are considering serving - please don't ever get information from a recruiter. They are wrong about 90 percent of the time. Recruiters are the last place I would ever send anyone to get information.

I know what worked for me is I went straight to a doctor I know who is finishing her residency in the AF as we speak. I also spoke to a JAG friend of mine who practiced med mal for the AF who connected me to docs he knew. These are good places to get information about the reality and actual facts of HPSP. My opinion of course. But I can't even count how many times a recruiter has been wrong even with me and my classmates. They seem to have no idea - why I'm not sure.

OP - I know for a fact you have to be past your internship (completed) and a doc in order to do FAP and there is not a single branch that will allow a Carib student to do HPSP. I know this is disappointing, but I still think DO schools or retaking the MCAT, more classes etc. are a better option anyway without the military in consideration at all.

 

[NavyFP]

I would check with a recruiter. I have a friend who is a carib grad and went to one who didn't seem to to indicate being from a Carib school would matter.

Sorry, it does matter. Law says HPSP has to be US/Canadian school (AMA/AOA acreditted). Instruction says you have to be licensed to be eligible for active duty.

The Navy for the past 2 years has allowed Carribean School graduates who are ECFMG certified to apply for intern positions. A few were selected, but with the improving number of graduates, I would suspect there will be even fewer opportunities in the forseeable future.

 

[krust3]

interesting,

i'm with an AF reserves med recruiter that seems to think i can get FAP in my intern year (right now basically) since i've got my ECFMG cert. maybe he's FOS....

 

[NavyFP]

interesting,

i'm with an AF reserves med recruiter that seems to think i can get FAP in my intern year (right now basically) since i've got my ECFMG cert. maybe he's FOS....

Probably not. You would just need to be licensed prior to entering active duty. Should not be a huge problem for you.