Incentives for pathology

[Enkidu]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I'm currently in the national guard and I want to go into pathology. My understanding is that STRAP is only available to critical wartime specialties, and I don't think that pathology is one of them. Is there any incentive program that I am eligible for? I guess that I can take MDSSP in medical school, but not STRAP afterwards?

Edit: Likewise, is loan repayment limited to wartime specialties as well? It's hard to see why any pathologist would join the reserves under these circumstances.

 

[Enkidu]

Also - does being in the army reserve obligate you to do a military residency? I just spoke to a recruiter and he said that it does. That doesn't seem right to me...

 

[DeadCactus]

No, it doesn't. Recruiter is wrong. The reserve components have no control over what you do in your civilian life and that includes residency. That's one of the big bonuses of being in the reserve vs active duty...

 

[Army Recruiter]

correct, currently STRAP is not available to Patholgy, However when you complete med school, if you match into Path and its on the list that year you would be able to. FAP (Active duty version of strap) is available to Patholgy, as of right now, but that could change with the tightening of the budget. DeadCactus is correct, you would not be obligated to a mil residency with the MDSSP, HPSP most likely.

 

[notdeadyet]

No, it doesn't. Recruiter is wrong. The reserve components have no control over what you do in your civilian life and that includes residency. That's one of the big bonuses of being in the reserve vs active duty...

Ditto this. If you are not dealing with an AMEDD Officer Recruiter, do so now. Non-AMEDD Officer Recruiters have a lot of bad info floating out there. It's too complicated if you're not familiar.

As a Guardsman, you would likely be transferred to the Reserve once you finish med school and are in residency. The Guard does not have much need for pathologists; these are served by the Reserve.

Not only would you not be required to do a military residency as someone in the Reserve Corps (which is a good thing), even if you wanted to, you would have no particular ability to do so other than the possibilities open to civilians (and acquiring similar active duty obligations that they would).

 

[Enkidu]

correct, currently STRAP is not available to Patholgy, However when you complete med school, if you match into Path and its on the list that year you would be able to. FAP (Active duty version of strap) is available to Patholgy, as of right now, but that could change with the tightening of the budget. DeadCactus is correct, you would not be obligated to a mil residency with the MDSSP, HPSP most likely.

When was the most recent time that path was on that list?

 

[Army Recruiter]

I can only find information on Strap back to FY 10, and Path has not been on there for Reserves. It is an option for Active duty, FAP. This information is Army specific, the monetary amounts are the same across all services, but the AOC specifics may vary.

Sorry, for not having the greatest answer. The list for FY14 (Oct-Sep) should be out around July or August.