HPSP Decision Deadline

[bafanculo]

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Is anyone out there facing the deadline for making a decision...my AF recruiter told me that he would like me to make up my mind one week after I find out if i am accepted or not...and i believe the date they release the scholarships is on the 28th of Feb.
I am still undecided....i like the financial aspect...but don't like the fact that i may have to go to war one day....any other people have some insightt hat could sway me one way or the other.

As far as med schools...i am also undecided...i have acceptances at Creighton, St. Louis, and Loyola...any one know some pros and cons of any of these.

 

[tman]

i like the financial aspect...but don't like the fact that i may have to go to war one day...

This is a no brainer. You are looking for a free ride without having to live up to your end of the deal. If you join the Air Force your chances of being deployed in support of our country's ongoing and forthcoming operations are very very high. If you are not interested in being deployed then what is the point of joining the military (other than a free ride)?

There is no shame in deciding that the military isn't for you, it's an all volunteer force and only those who voluntarily decide to serve their country are in the military.

What is shameful is when someone decides that they are willing to reap the benefits of signing the bottom line of a contract but when the time comes for them to live up to their part they are unwilling to uphold their promise.

We (the U.S. military) are here for one purpose, that is to support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemys foreign and domestic... We are not here to provide free school while expecting nothing in return. If you join the military you must be willing to put your country's needs above your wishes, this does not sound like something you are willing to do.

Take out a loan, or reassess your motivation for taking a HPSP scholarship.

 

[tedstriker]

Whoa thar, bucko. Dude was only asking for more information about people's HPSP experiences! It's alright for him to be unthrilled at the prospect of war. Also, from what I know of HPSP it's not exactly a free ride. The service obligation makes sure freeloaders give back to their country for the financial support. Bafanculo isn't pledging allegiance to Al Qaeda or anything...

 

[tman]

Bucko??? What is this "Happy Days"?? Did I say that he was pledging his loyalty to Al Qaeda? Did I degrade the original poster? He asked for advice and I gave it to him. No one is thrilled at the prospect of going to war, having been there and done that I speak from experience on that subject (do you?), but that IS what the military is here for. I simply stated the obvious, if you are not willing to put yourself in a situation where you may be sent to war, why even consider joining the military? The service obligation that you refer to is an obligation to serve the needs of the country, which for military members quite possibly means going to war if called upon to do so. I stated before and I'll say it agin, there is nothing wrong with deciding the military isn't for you, but if you decide to take advantage of the military's scholarship programs then you should be willing to live up to your end of the deal.

 

[cdreed]

bafanculo- the board that meets to decide who qualifies for the AF HPSP doesn't meet until the first week in April this year, so you have time to decide. Unfortunately, they do give you only a short time once you've qualified to accept or deny. They want to offer the scholarship to someone else who will use it if you decide to decline the offer.

But please, consider whether you really want to join the military or not. In the next few years, I can guarantee you that you will be deployed and possibly even participate in a campaign of war. The money is not worth it, if money is all you hope to gain. Another aspect to consider... I speak with HPSP recipients all the time that feel slighted. If you attend an inexpensive school, then the service gets the best end of the bargain. However, this really shouldn't be a decision based on finances alone.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to pm me. I'll try to answer them as honestly as possible. I'm active duty AF now hoping to use the HPSP for school. Still waiting on the board results in April.

Cyndi

 

[republicandr]

bafanculo,
I am currently a civilian. I also applied for the Air Force HPSP scholarship and then withdrew from it. I applied to the military medical school (USUHS) and that is where I am going next year (Army). I was fortunate enough to be accepted to other public and private schools as well. I choose the military, because I feel called to serve. I signed up for the National Guard in high school, and ended up not going. I have regretted it ever since. I believe that our military is key in keeping our nation a free country. I do not look forward to going to war, but the chances are that I will be deployed and will need to defend our country. At that point, I will know that what I am doing is protecting my wife, my children and my country.

Many of my relatives do not understand why I want to join the military. It was a long and well thought out decision. I also, considered sticking with the civilian route because of the freedom that is provided. But, I knew I would always regret not having served my country.

There are four options to becoming a military physician: USUHS, you can join in the reserves (HPSP), you can join after medical school (FAP) or you can join as a practicing physician.
During college I invited a recruiter to speak to our pre-med group. He came, and invited us to a local medical center (Madigan - Army). It is a great facility. I went back recently and spoke with residents, nurses, and technicians. They love being in the military and they feel that the training they are receiving is excellent. Some also work in the civilian sector and say that they enjoy medicine in the military more. This may be different for medical providers who are in smaller clinics.

I recommend that you go to a medical center, or a base and shadow physicians, residents, or medical students so that you can see first hand what it is like to be a military physician. This is a small investment of time that may provide you great insight.

Good luck.

 

[HouseHead]

Any idea how to find out about the real resident experiences in military hospitals? If I went HPSP (I've considered Army for a long time), I'd want to do a military residency. I've heard to views: they are "easier" for such things as surgical specialties, in that they are more regimented and less abusive of residents, and the opposite, that they often demand more of their residents because of doctor shortages in military hospitals.

I'd also love to hear how people arranged to shadow military docs. I should have tried to do that while I was back in the area of a major Army teaching hospital, but I didn't (shadowed a private practice plastic surgeon instead- way fun!).

Regardless, I won't go HPSP until my second year (entering this year) if I go at all.

 

[Jet915]

As for the HPSP deadlines, I was told by my AF recruiter that the board meets in mid February and that if they dont fill up the scholarship spots (150 of them) during that time, they will meet again in mid March. I was also told that if you are approved, they give you about one week to decide.

Jetson

 

[Samoa]

I've been told that HPSP recipients will NOT be called to serve while in school or in training. Is that not true?

 

[republicandr]

I asked that same question to physicians who are at USUHS. They said that as a medical student, the services we could offer would not be very helpful to the military. They would rather draft a physician than to have a medical student (not fully trained in medicine) work with soldiers.

So, it is very, very unlikely that one would be called out of school to go to war. My father-in-law was drafted into the military while he was in residency. They waited for him to finish his residency program before he had to start working for the military.

The first time you could be called would be after your internship year (year after medical school), if you did a transitional year. You would be a GMO. You really need this fifth year before you can be allowed to prescribe medicine independently.

 

[kaos]

I was wondering, what happens after HPSP, after you've done ur active duty and want to get back into civilian practice? What is the job market for doctors like that?