How limiting is HPSP for residency options

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chasq123

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I've been looking into ways to pay for medical school lately, and have been thinking a lot about the HPSP. I've talked with my local Air Force recruiter and have gotten a lot of info, but wanted to see if anyone here had input about the HPSP. My main concern is that I'll be limited to what residency I can pursue. I have a pretty limited exposure to medicine, and am not really certain what specialty I'd like to do. I really like idea of having my entire tuition and books paid off, but I have this fear that if I do sign up for the HPSP, four years from now I'll be forced to enter a residency that I do not want to pursue. Anybody have any insight on this?
 
If you are worried about HPSP getting in the way of your residency choice, you could always go for National Guard. That's what I decided. I mean there is still a chance that you may not get the residency you want but at least you have more of a choice and the Guard is more flexible with residency options.
 
Gsun88 said:
If you are worried about HPSP getting in the way of your residency choice, you could always go for National Guard. That's what I decided. I mean there is still a chance that you may not get the residency you want but at least you have more of a choice and the Guard is more flexible with residency options.
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You can do HPSP with the Guard? Or is it a different program?
 
chasq123 said:
I've been looking into ways to pay for medical school lately, and have been thinking a lot about the HPSP. I've talked with my local Air Force recruiter and have gotten a lot of info, but wanted to see if anyone here had input about the HPSP. My main concern is that I'll be limited to what residency I can pursue. I have a pretty limited exposure to medicine, and am not really certain what specialty I'd like to do. I really like idea of having my entire tuition and books paid off, but I have this fear that if I do sign up for the HPSP, four years from now I'll be forced to enter a residency that I do not want to pursue. Anybody have any insight on this?
Click to expand...

They won't force you into a specialty you don't wish to pursue. You may not match to your desired specialty, and may only initially match to an intern year. At that point you can reapply or go out to GMO land for a few years. At that point you can reapply with theoretically better chances of matching (due to extra "points" on the match) or just finish out your obligation and apply civilian.

There are a higher percentage of DOs in the military versus civilian, as well as a greater number in non primary care specialties.
 
Gsun88 said:
If you are worried about HPSP getting in the way of your residency choice, you could always go for National Guard. That's what I decided. I mean there is still a chance that you may not get the residency you want but at least you have more of a choice and the Guard is more flexible with residency options.
Click to expand...

Except isn't the national guard program limited to certain specialties from the start? You wouldn't train at an army program, but go into the civilian match. But I'm pretty sure they only allow you to pursue certain specialties. Not so with HPSP.
 
Roberie said:
Except isn't the national guard program limited to certain specialties from the start? You wouldn't train at an army program, but go into the civilian match. But I'm pretty sure they only allow you to pursue certain specialties. Not so with HPSP.
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They told me depends on your National Guard branch. Each one is different with different needs, however I thought HPSP would force you to apply to military matches first, then civilian but you may be **** out of luck if your top 3 spots are taken and they put you through as a GMO. At least this was the way it was explained to me by a person who did the program. Even if the Guard doesn't need the specialty you want, they can transfer you to another Guard state that needs it. That was from my NG Recruiter.
 
Gsun88 said:
They told me depends on your National Guard branch. Each one is different with different needs, however I thought HPSP would force you to apply to military matches first, then civilian but you may be **** out of luck if your top 3 spots are taken and they put you through as a GMO. At least this was the way it was explained to me by a person who did the program. Even if the Guard doesn't need the specialty you want, they can transfer you to another Guard state that needs it. That was from my NG Recruiter.
Click to expand...

OK. Well I'm not as well versed in how the guard program works.

As for HPSP, you do participate in the military match. You can be granted a deferment for the civilian match, but this is very much the exception. For example, this year we were told there would be perhaps only ten civilian deferments. In terms of the actual match, you rank all military programs. For my specialty there are four possible locations. I then ranked a fifth choice "transitional year" internship. If I don't match to one of my top four choices I think I'm pretty much at least guaranteed that TY spot, which wouldn't be so bad since my particular specialty requires a TY year for the PGY-1 year anyhow.

You only enter GMO after you've completed an internship. So if I don't match as a "preselect" to my chosen specialty, and also don't match the following year if I reapplied during intern year, then I would likely go GMO after intern year.

There is also their version of the scramble called the rebuttal board. If you don't match to your chosen specialty you have the opportunity to jump into another unfilled specialty. Not quite certain how that process works with interviewing and the like.

Let me also clarify that I'm talking about the army match. There are far more deferments and other intricacies in the other branches.
 
How limiting is the HPSP? Id say very. I though about HPSP long and hard, but decided I would like to maintain a great deal of control on where and what I match in.
 
you lose money with the HSPS. Do it because you want to serve the military, not because it's a smart financial decision.
 
notbobtrustme said:
you lose money with the HSPS. Do it because you want to serve the military, not because it's a smart financial decision.
Click to expand...

The best advice anyone can give you. Never do it for the cash, do it cause you want to serve. As a physician you won't be so poor that you can't pay back your loans, it will just take more time. Every time I hear a horror story it's because the applicant did it for the cash and is now stuck.
 
Some of the financial stuff is really a drop in the bucket in the long run. The 20k bonus, for example, is really miniscule considering the commitment you're making.
 
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