HSPS VA scholorship

[hopefulldr]

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Hi!

I have been lucky enough to have one A already so early in the cycle so I have started looking at how much it would actually cost me. Both my parents are VA doctors so I kinda have an understanding of what it would be like to work there. Since this program is so new- there is hardly any information about the application cycle so I would love to talk to someone on here about it.

Mainly- how early I should aim to submit and how to be a competitive applicant.

 

[decentfish]

Did you end up applying? I submitted literally two days before the deadline because that's when I got my A. I'm not sure what makes a competitive applicant; nobody discussed the content of their app on past forums. But what I did glean is that even though the VA claims Fall 2025, it will be Winter 2026 if you get awarded due to how long it takes them to review the apps.

 

[darkeon]

recipient here. 90% of the the VA scholarships will go to vets. 10% of us are non-vets. Anyone can apply but there is a strong preference for vets. You may end up in the 10 percent though with your parents being VA doctors so might be worth shooting your shot.

So the VA scholarship is still relatively new. Because of the long years of medical training, there are no MD/DO students that have been placed into VA jobs yet. The oldest cohort should be somewhere in residency now so that's why info is limited because we all care about job placement but nobody's actually done it yet, at least nobody in MD/DO.

The VA emphasizes that their needs come first so while you can give geographic preference, they have more say. You can help yourself by doing a speciality in high demand in your area. This is usually internal/primary/psych which they as of recent now have declared as their biggest need now on the scholarship website. You cannot do pediatrics (no reason to explain why lol).

Unlike the military branches' HPSP, the VA HPSP does not participate in the military match. You'll still be doing the civilian match like everyone else. After residency is completed, you'll apply for VA doctor job postings and once placed, you'll be there for 6 years.

If it helps, I applied super early, like at the start, in October? I got waitlisted in January and then off the waitlist somewhere spring time, like March, I think. It's been nearly 2 years for me so I just can't remember the exact timeline but I do recall waiting for a good while.

Hope this helps. PM me if you need any other q's and i'll try to respond in a timely manner.