So with HPSP, if I take the scholarship for 4 years, I go through med school, choose whatever residency I want (or do I have to choose a military residency?), and THEN pay it back with 4 years of service?
dude. seriously. you need to do some research on your own. Read the HPSP paperwork, go to the website, contact a recruiter. Some of these questions are so basic to the concept of the mil programs that it just makes it seem like you are basing everything on the info given at this forum.
i understand that this place is a haven of information and i literally spent every second when i first considered the program reading archived posts. That said, you should check out the stickies and read them in depth...they have a huuge amount of info.
i also understand that the whole concept of military med might be new and exciting (as it was for me) and you might not feel comfortable contacting a recruiter, so i will try to help with your question.
"if I take the scholarship for 4 years, I go through med school"...
--> yes. at some point you go to officer training and you are committed to Active Duty Training during your summers from medical school....meaning rotations at military hospitals.
"choose whatever residency I want (or do I have to choose a military residency?)"
--> just like in the civilian world, you need to MATCH into a residency program. (not just choose what you would like - this depends on grades, board scores, etc...). Then when you match, you go through a military internship which is followed by either a military residency, or a GMO assignment. Alternatively, you could match to a civilian deferment through HPSP (not the case at USUHS). This however, is rare. A
"and THEN pay it back with 4 years of service?"
--> So, you either go through residency and THEN pay back your 4 years. OR, you do 2 GMO tours which last 2 years each, and then you are free. Some of the more competitive residencies in the military would require a GMO tour before residency, so that 2 year GMO tour counts towards you payback.
please please read those stickies and the other posts in the forum. im not saying the questions you arent asking arent valid, they are. But, some people have had different experiences with how everything goes down and it is worth it to read up on what the military can do. I highly recommend the Pro/Con's of MilMed Sticky including Viewpoints.
hope this helps....disclaimer: i havent gone through any of this....the info i offer is from the material that i have researched as well as the info given by those who have gone through it on this forum....the whole point of everyone posting on the forum is to help people make INFORMED DECISIONS, so read read read and inform yourself