I've recently been accepted to TCOM, and I've always been open to the military route of paying for medical school. I have no problem with living the military lifestyle, or any of the sacrifices that it entails...BUT I am getting married this summer, and my fiance is not sold on the idea. If there are any current HPSPers or Docs out there who have pros/cons for what their experience has been and what it has meant for their family life, it would be greatly appreciated.
Looking for HPSP Advice
- Thread starter Sh3rlock
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First browse the other threads and you'll see plenty of pros and cons. Military life can be hard on families, especially spouses.
Also assuming TCOM is as cheap as other Texas schools then HPSP makes absolutely no financial sense. You will end up so far behind in the long run. If you want to serve wait until residency and look into FAP.
Also assuming TCOM is as cheap as other Texas schools then HPSP makes absolutely no financial sense. You will end up so far behind in the long run. If you want to serve wait until residency and look into FAP.
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Please take this advice to heart. When you are married, it is not just about yourself. You have to make joint decisions in the best interest of the family (especially if you plan having kids between now and the next 10+years).
I have had to deploy twice with two kids. The first time, my son was 6 months old and my daughter was just over 2 years old. The second time I deployed was 12 months later. Each time was extremely difficult on my wife and kids. Imagine being stationed at your first base in an area where you and your spouse know nobody (and potentially have young kids) and have no support system in place. You are given orders for a 6 month deployment. How do you think your spouse is going to be able to cope?
The money issue has been beaten to death in this forum (i.e. taking HPSP primarily for the money being a bad idea), but the spousal issue needs periodic reminding that your spouse MUST also be onboard with the military. Otherwise, it is a quick way down the divorce road, and this seems to manifest either during or shortly after deployments.
Just my 2 cents. Take it for what it is worth.
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On the issue of family; you need to be real honest with your wife. Having grown up in the military, it is an eventuality that you will deploy someday. Maybe more than once. She will do the single parent thing from time to time. I loved growing up in the military. I was always much more mature and independent than other kids my age. So, a little hardship won't necessarily be bad for your kids. Plus, base kids are the most accepting group around because everybody knows the drill (somebody is always the new kid, so everybody takes care of each other). Ask your recruiter for some of the spouse swag. There is a dvd about being a military spouse that might be fun for her. Dependent life is like running a marathon: it sucks, everyone thinks it doesn't sound like fun, but it builds strength and most people who do it are proud that they did.
As for TCOM, well, as I'm here now I can give you some OBLC/COT advice. You should plan for having ZERO summer break between first and second year. You might get a couple of weeks off, but not enough time to do anything but get drunk and prepare for year 2. It is in your best interest to get your first training done before school. OBLC overlapped orientation, so my schedule is totally jacked up between year 2-3 because I have to take the boards and then go straight to OBLC. This blows and I don't want anybody else to get hosed. Check your start dates and call the school to see if you can skip orientation (if you go Army. The AF kids all had time to go to COT, though they are talking about moving the start date for first year up a couple of weeks, so I don't know.). It was a waste of time. They lost any paperwork I turned in during orientation and I just had to do it again after school started anyway, and apart from the white coat ceremony, there just wasn't that much value added for the weeks worth of death by powerpoint about the gym or the tutoring center.
Congrats, by the way.
As for TCOM, well, as I'm here now I can give you some OBLC/COT advice. You should plan for having ZERO summer break between first and second year. You might get a couple of weeks off, but not enough time to do anything but get drunk and prepare for year 2. It is in your best interest to get your first training done before school. OBLC overlapped orientation, so my schedule is totally jacked up between year 2-3 because I have to take the boards and then go straight to OBLC. This blows and I don't want anybody else to get hosed. Check your start dates and call the school to see if you can skip orientation (if you go Army. The AF kids all had time to go to COT, though they are talking about moving the start date for first year up a couple of weeks, so I don't know.). It was a waste of time. They lost any paperwork I turned in during orientation and I just had to do it again after school started anyway, and apart from the white coat ceremony, there just wasn't that much value added for the weeks worth of death by powerpoint about the gym or the tutoring center.
Congrats, by the way.
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There's a lot of good advice on here. For what it's worth, I've seen numerous lengthy deployments wreck shaky marriages, and even good ones. So it is absolutely crucial that your spouse is on board with the military life because, as many have said before, the odds are very good that you will deploy. It is also possible that you will move to a permanent duty station on the other side of the country and then deploy a few months later, and your spouse has to be ready to deal with that.
I don't mean to sound too negative because I've known many marriages that survived several deployments. The keys, at least from my experience, are open communication and dealing with any potential problems or pitfalls as soon as possible. I hope this was of some help, and best of luck with whatever you choose.
I don't mean to sound too negative because I've known many marriages that survived several deployments. The keys, at least from my experience, are open communication and dealing with any potential problems or pitfalls as soon as possible. I hope this was of some help, and best of luck with whatever you choose.
