Navy HPSP GMO questions

[yogurt480]

I need to get more of an idea of what the service commitment looks like for Navy medicine. I’m told it’s a year of service for a year of school paid for by HPSP (excluding a year long internship), and that time as a GMO counts towards the service obligation. But is it also true that some longer residencies add to this commitment (if so how much exactly)?

Also, if I were to become a GMO and then go on to get a residency in the military, would they just add time to my service commitment year for year for my residency?

What do they mean when they say “you’re guaranteed a residency” if I could get denied my residency more than once and serve as a GMO? Since the internship is not a residency because it’s not called that, it’s called an internship.

It appears that a GMO is a military doctor, but is it true that it doesn’t even count as primary care, meaning I would need to somehow obtain and go through a primary care residency? How well does it transition if at all?
Looking here: FSMB | State Specific Requirements for Initial Medical Licensure
if I were a physician and wanted to practice in WA state I would need 2 years training as an MD and only 1 as a DO? So if I were a DO the 1 year Navy internship would count as my training?

I want to serve my country, so I really don’t mean to come off negative, just have a lot of questions that I can’t find answers to and don’t want to count on my recruiter. Seems like a super raw deal especially considering the fact that I wouldn’t be paid as much as a normal doctor (bonuses) during anytime as a GMO/residency/internship.

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[SirGecko]

So the basics of how commitment works have been addressed a lot on this forum so that could be a place to look to get some more clarification if this doesn’t address your questions.

Yes, commitment is a year for a year for HPSP. Residency is also a year for a year but is served at the same time as HPSP commitment. So if you have a residency that is longer than the commitment you already had you would have a commitment the length of the residency.

Not sure what you mean about being gaurunteed a residency. They will send you to do an intern year because you cannot get an independent license in the US without it. They are talking about moving to more people straight through residency but this is a moving target right now. See the pediatrics thread currently on the forum for some more discussion of this including some input from Captain Schofer (mccareer.org).

Also not sure exactly what you mean on your next question. You have to have an independent license as a GMO. Not all states will grant this with only one year of post grad training so you have to get the license from one of the states that will. If you want to practice primary care after the military most practice environments will want you to complete a residency so you should do that either in the military or after you get out.

 

[yogurt480]

Thanks for the response. You basically answered all of my questions that I posted, I really couldn't find the answers anywhere. I remember hearing things like the "guaranteed a residency" thing somewhere, but cannot recall where.

Taking what you said into account, what stage does retirement officially start to accrue? I’ve seen things that say that since I’m ranked I will accrue retirement while in school in the HPSP program, and things that say that once I’m in active duty paying back my time and not being trained I will accrue. Still more things say that I cannot accrue until my service commitment ends (which could be years and years from now) or that I am qualified to accrue early, but it’s an ROTC retirement.

What do you think my chances are of getting a civilian family medicine residency after completing my service obligation? I know they don’t like it when you wait to get a residency, so would it lower my chances of being able to get one, or maybe help because I was serving my country?

 

[SirGecko]

Your time in medical school doesn’t count toward retirement for hpsp unless you transfer to the reserves. (Not sure of the particulars there as I didn’t do HPSP and am not a reservist, I’ve just heard it’s a way to get credit for that time) While active duty you get credit towards retirement even while in residency. (So everything post medical school barring an interruption in service like the career intermission program)

I wouldn’t think getting a family medical residency after serving as a GMO and getting out of the military would be difficult.

 

[pgg]

I remember hearing things like the "guaranteed a residency" thing somewhere, but cannot recall where.

It used to be, and probably still is, the case that USUHS grads are guaranteed an inservice PGY1 position somewhere. HPSP'ers didn't have the same guarantee. No one was assured of a PGY2+ position.