HPSP Medical Discharge - HELP!

[SFO]

I am an HPSP student in my 4th year. I was commissioned in Jan 2010 on a 3 yr scholarship. I was dx w/ stage 1b melanoma in May 2012 (at the end of my 3rd year of school). I graduate in May 2013 & am set to go to a residency in July.

My medical records, etc are being sent for review to determine if I will lose my scholarship. Letters from my surgeon say that melanoma was removed, wide excision & lymph node biopsy show no residual melanoma (both were negative). My only "ongoing treatment" is that I have to go to the dermatologist every 6 months where they look at my skin for new moles. My functioning is completely normal.

Anyone know if they will discharge me? What, if anything, can I do to help prevent getting discharged?

Help!

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[NavyFP]

Doubt it. You should be good to go. Wear sun screen.

 

[bustbones26]

I am an HPSP student in my 4th year. I was commissioned in Jan 2010 on a 3 yr scholarship. I was dx w/ stage 1b melanoma in May 2012 (at the end of my 3rd year of school). I graduate in May 2013 & am set to go to a residency in July.

My medical records, etc are being sent for review to determine if I will lose my scholarship. Letters from my surgeon say that melanoma was removed, wide excision & lymph node biopsy show no residual melanoma (both were negative). My only "ongoing treatment" is that I have to go to the dermatologist every 6 months where they look at my skin for new moles. My functioning is completely normal.

Anyone know if they will discharge me? What, if anything, can I do to help prevent getting discharged?

Help!

Back in my day, I reported some changes in my health condtion to the HPSP and they sent me to Walter Reed for an evaluation. All of the doctors asked me right up front if I wanted to say in or not "wink wink" because if I really wanted out, they could write up the paperwork to sound as if I was dying, but if I wanted to stay in, they would be as positive as possible.

In my career I have seen:
--A doctor with a prosthetic limb
--A doctor with a spinal cord injury that walked around on c-arm crutches for the rest of his life
--Heard rumors of a senior physician with Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc.

So how knows?

Just go through the motions and let the hands of fate make their call. If you are excluded from HPSP, its not the end of the world!!

 

[SFO]

Just go through the motions and let the hands of fate make their call. If you are excluded from HPSP, its not the end of the world!![/QUOTE]

Thanks for the support....I know it's not the end of the world & it sure beats metastatic disease!

I'm just trying to do anything & everything I can to stay in. I have really been looking forward to serving.

 

[Dodadoctah]

so no med school debt, no cancer, and no commitment to pay back...sounds like a win win.

 

[SFO]

so no med school debt, no cancer, and no commitment to pay back...sounds like a win win.

oh no, i would get to pay back the scholarship & all the stipends if discharged - nice thought tho!

 

[J-Rad]

Knew a guy a year behind me in med school who did an internship at the hospital I trained in. He also was DXd with melanoma in med school and had it excised. He stayed in.

 

[NJEMT1]

I recently had an active duty patient on dialysis after failed transplant.

 

[deleted480308]

oh no, i would get to pay back the scholarship & all the stipends if discharged - nice thought tho!

Double check that, in other areas medicL discharge forgives debt of service.....and the active military guys told me that applied here too

 

[MilMD01]

Yeah I was under the assumption that a medical discharge is OK and you are relieved of your commitment, unless the medical issue was a pre-existing condition.

 

[Perrotfish]

Yeah I was under the assumption that a medical discharge is OK and you are relieved of your commitment, unless the medical issue was a pre-existing condition.

I was told that this is only true once you're on active duty. While you're still a scholarship student in medical school I think they have the option to make you pay it back.

 

[SFO]

I was told that this is only true once you're on active duty. While you're still a scholarship student in medical school I think they have the option to make you pay it back.

It goes to the secretary of the Air Force who decides how much you owe back. The admin folks told me they have only seen it 100% forgiven if the person is terminal.

 

[deleted480308]

Oh dear, then keep petitioning hard to stay in. Maybe even call your congressman

 

[teacherman84]

On a loosely related note, not I think this will get me booted, but am I just creating a headache for myself by informing HPSP I had an ORIF to repair a clavicle fracture last month? Once I'm recovered I won't have any deficits, just a little hardware. I was about to scan my medical records but after reading this it seems like I'll just be creating extra hoops to jump through.is it required to report minor things like this? Thanks

 

[SFO]

On a loosely related note, not I think this will get me booted, but am I just creating a headache for myself by informing HPSP I had an ORIF to repair a clavicle fracture last month? Once I'm recovered I won't have any deficits, just a little hardware. I was about to scan my medical records but after reading this it seems like I'll just be creating extra hoops to jump through.is it required to report minor things like this? Thanks

it's really easy, you just scan & send in the medical records - not much of a headache on your part. dunno how they define what you have to report - one form i saw is the RCHRA Reserve Component Health Risk Assessment - which you can find on google if that helps you figure out what you have to report - & in the AF we have to do that yearly health status certification.

 

[mzarrowsmith]

Related story in Washington Post today.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...d2e444-40b8-11e2-ae43-cf491b837f7b_story.html

But given the difficulty of attracting/keeping people in the MC, I wouldn't think you have much to worry about.

 

[dermpathdoc]

Generally if the military discharges you due to medical reasons you do not have to pay back your commitment and stipend. I know because it happened to me. I was medically discharged because I failed my hearing test in my internship physical. I worked very hard to stay in the Army, even having my state senator petition on my behalf. I went so far as to ask the secretary of the Army to confirm that I did not have pay back my tuition and stipends. This was in the mid 1980's. I really doubt it has changed that much.
I do not believe you will have any problems remaining in the military if there is no evidence of active disease. A high school friend went to UHUHS and retired as an Army surgeon. He practiced as a surgeon in the PNW for several year and two years ago was called up to active duty..only 12 months after being diagnosed and successly treated for cancer. They sent him first to Landstuhl and then to Afghanistan.

 

[SFO]

I got a waiver for the melanoma - they're keeping me!

 

[deleted480308]

That's awesome!

 

[absolutdokta]

I was told that this is only true once you're on active duty. While you're still a scholarship student in medical school I think they have the option to make you pay it back.

OP graduates in may. day before graduation they are gonna break the news....so uh, you're getting let go but since you're still a med student you owe us (insert insane amount here) dollars


that would blow