For those on Military HPSPs?

[JoshD]

I will be attending KCOM next year and am waiting to hear if I have received an HPSP from the Navy. I was just wondering, for all of you who are in med school and have received these scholarships, what do you think? Are you glad you took the HPSP from the military? Is there anything you wish you would have known prior to "signing on the dotted line"? Any info would be appreciated but I would really like to hear from present KCOM students as this is more pertenent to my situation. Thanks a bunch!!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[bustinbooty]

There are a lot of KCOM students on HPSP scholarships. Most seem to like them, but are having some problems with reimbursement on books and supplies.
The best advice I can give as a military brat is that I hope you have chosen the military scholarship for the right reasons. I.e. You have a specific interest in the military. If you made this choice for chiefly financial reasons, you are not going to come out ahead in the long run.
If you are enthusiastic about military life, more power to you and welcome to KCOM!!! Congrats on getting in.
You can do a search on HPSP through the threads and find out a plethera of info about pros and cons of the scholarship. In my personal experience, the pros and cons ultimately balanced each other out, and I withdrew from the scholarship because I didn't have a specific desire to serve in the military.
Keep in mind that most HPSP'rs and recruiters will do nothing but sing the praises of the HPSP program. In addition to these opinions, seek some other objective opinions as well (like from people who have been through the whole program and experienced it from beginning to end.) I think you will get a different version of the story from these people, like I did. If the whole HPSP program seems almost "too good to be true", then you probably need to do some more homework on it.
I don't mean to discourage you from taking the scholarship. If you have a desire to serve in the military, especially on a ship in the Navy, then HPSP is perfect. however, if you think that it is a free ticket through medical school and that you are going to come out way ahead finanically, you might want to reconsider.
BEST OF LUCK!!

 

[JoshD]

Thanks for the info. I think I would enjoy serving in the Navy, especially aboard ship. I can't say for sure that I would like it, though, seeing as how I have never had any experience with it. I hope I get a few more replies, especially from people who are in the later stages of med school. I look forward to reading any and all info I can get. Thanks again.

 

[pyoj]

i have not had any problems getting reinbursed by the army for books and equipment, etc. just make sure you know what the military will pay for (basically everything that your school marks as "required") and then it's just a matter of getting all the paperwork to all the right people ASAP. i got all my money back within 3 weeks of submitting forms.

there are about 7 people in my class with military scholarships but input is hard to comeby other than the fact that they seem to have an easier time managing their budget/finances. and the main things that 2nd years note is their experiences at OBC, or COT or whatever officer training they had. we don't talk much to third or fourth years.

what our school it trying to do is organize a military club where we can keep a record of all the scholarship students and keep an archive of their experiences. if KCOM has a strong standing with military students, they may have a club where you can get good information. it's also a good way to make your connections.

sorry i couldn't be more helpful...good luck!
~pyoj
COMP '05

 

[JoshD]

From what I know, KCOM does have a club for military students. I think it would be a good place to get to know all the other people at my school on HPSP scholarships. Thanks for the info!

 

[dctrben]

JoshD

I am currently active duty Army and am 'giving' all that up to go to med school. I know that the Navy is very different from the Army, but there are many similarities as well. In the Army, most doctors are not generally very well respected and this is due to the perception that all the good doctors got out for the 'good money.' This is, of course, not always the case.

Another challenge to deal with is the malingerer (someone who is sick all the time to get out of work) and this person's tendency to clog up the system. Being a professional you of course still need to treat them (and there are plenty of folks in the Army that abuse the system).

All that said, I too am trying for the HPSP (Air Force and Army) because the people in the military are the best around. The NCOs are truly there because they love the job and many senior officers are as well. The only major drawback I see to a career in military medicine is that due to the nature of the military, as you get more rank you gradually move more into staff positions and have more contact with paperwork than patients.

Good luck with the scholarship, I hope to join you at KCOM next year (my interview is on 6Dec).

 

[JoshD]

Thanks for the insight. I am sure that the rosy picture painted for me by my Naval recuiter is not totally the truth. I realize there will be drawbacks to being a Naval Physician, but, right now, I will take the scholarship if it is offered to me. Good luck on your interview at KCOM. If you like small towns you will like Kirksville. The school I found to be really good and the students and profs were great. Just try to relax and enjoy the day as it is pretty long! Take care and I hope to see you at KCOM in August.

 

[LisaB]

I'm an MSI at MSU-COM right now and went with the AF. I chose the AF because i'm originally from texas, and there are plenty of bases in texas.

Reimbursement will be getting worse because the military is logged up with the current reserve people getting called up due to the war. all 3 branches offer the same with regards to what they pay for. so really, its up to you to decide what you prefer. I think its a good deal. Good luck.

 

[PainMan]

Here is a job listing for an Anesthesiologist at Brooke Army Medical Center for a civilian at 274 thousand dollars? Do medical docs actually work next to civilains making over 2x what they are?!?

General Anesthesia; must be a "Jack of all Trades" except there are no OB or Ped cases!
Job Description Will work an average of 52 hours per week; some weeks less and some weeks more. Usual OR hours are 7am to 4pm M-F. 2-3 times per month will work 10am to 6pm M-F. 2-3 times per month will pull overnight call from 3pm to 7am. Don't worry, there is a very nice call room to sleep in and we pay you whether you are sleeping, gassing or eating pizza watching CNN! Once every three months you will pull a 24 hour shift on a Saturday or Sunday from 7 to 7.
Practice Description Great group of physicians, CRNAs, techs and support! Residency program in hospital. If you like working with residents, you will love these because they are the best in the country! If you don't like working with residents, you won't have to!
Location Description Brooke Army Medical Center is located in San Antonio! This is a NEW State of the Art facility in one of the most charming and beautiful cities in Texas!
Citizenship Info No H-1B visas or J-1 Visas as this is not an underserviced area. You do not need to be a citizen as long as you have a green card and a SS#.
Salary Information (Permanent or Locums) $110 per hour; our docs average $274,000 per year.

 

[Barton]

LisaB- How is the AF HPSP? I am going to talk to a recruiter over X-Mas break, and am seriously considering applying. How competitive is the scholarship, and what factors are considered? What type of time committment is required DURING med school? Is it like, one weekend a month, two weeks in the "summer"? Does there have to be an AFB near your school? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Stickboy]

Josh-

I am an M1 at NSU-COM, and on a Navy HPSP scholarship. I spent 10 years in the Navy as a Naval Flight Officer, and had a great experience.

"Bustinbooty" passed the best advice. I recommend accepting a military scholarship *ONLY* if you are willing to accept the challenges (and benefits) of military medicine.

One aspect that is often discussed, of course, is the pay disparity. However, there are a couple of important things to look at:

1.) A military intern or resident will almost make *twice* as much money as a comparable civilian resident. If you want "proof" check out your favorite civilian hospital website with information about residency programs. You'll see the salaries at about 30-35K/year. Then check the military's pay charts (also available online) an O-3 (LT in the Navy, or Capt. in the Army/AF)with 4 years of service (which is where you'll fall out after med school) makes about 45-55K, after you factor in all pays and allowences (It depends a little on where your stationed, and a couple of other things.)

2.) The bigger factor is the issue of debt. As an HPSP bubba, you'll graduate with little or no debt, so while your civilian counterparts begin paying back $100+K in loans (or deferring them so they can accrue more interest) You'll get to keep all of your pay.

3.) Once you finish a residency, that's when the civilians far exceed the military in terms of pay...but it depends on the specialty. The Navy's health website has a great article on the issue of "dissatisfiers" in military medicine (and talks about more than just pay issues). They have a chart of the pay gap, and some specialties (like Family Practice and Internal medicine) only lag by 10-20%. (Of course "big time" specialties like Neurosurgery lag by as much as 50-60%).

4.) Don't forget, though, that a military career is "only" 20 years. If you're joe average, starting school at 23, you graduate at 26 and "retire" at 46. You've still got another 20 years (or more) in private practice if you want it, while collecting your military retirement (50% of your base pay). In fact, if you do the math for this scheme, the low-end specialties in the military make *more* than someone without the military career. You'll never "beat out" the neurosurgeons and radiologists, though. And remember, you rarely hear about hand transplants happening at your local military hospital.

Okay, after all that, my opinion is that a decision to go HPSP has to be about more than just the money. No amount of money can make up for being deployed and away from family and friends, missing your kids' first words or steps, or doing an incredibly dangerous and demanding job.

For me, the true compensation came from pride and a sense of duty. It may sound cliche, but the concepts of "Honor, Courage Committment" *mean* a lot. It's awesome to be a part of a community where you are alongside so many others that feel the same way. That's what makes the career worth it.

Anyway, if you want to chat more about it, I'd be happy to talk to ya more. Just drop me a line. Good Luck! Fly Navy!

Cheers,
-Fred

 

[JoshD]

Fred,

Thanks for all the great info. I am definitely considering the Navy HPSP for more than the money. Like you, I think it would be great to be a practicing physician WHILE serving my country. Right now I can't think of anything I would enjoy more. I am 27 years old right now and am not married or in a serious relationship. I think it would be really exciting to be a doc on board ship someplace. I would like to see a little bit of the world before I die and, with the Navy, I may get that opportunity. Again, thanks for all the info. Take care...