MDSSP or Staying reserve till contract ends?

[Jane_Jane]

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Hello guys,

I am an enlisted member in the Army reserve. My contract is approach its end soon so I should ETS in another year. However, my qualm here is that I’ve recently been admitted to medical school, and I am afraid of being sent away in the middle of my education. Hence, I started looking into doing scholarships such as HPSP and MDSSP just so they leave me alone during my school years, might as well get some extra cash in the meantime to pay for books. I am aware of the payback time.

My question is, should I do the MDSSP or just rely on luck and wait till my current contract ends while still attending med school? They might or might not send me away during that time, should I just risk it? My unit is pretty accommodating, but I don’t know if they would accommodate me if I keep RST drills so I can study for my exams.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

It seems incredibly unlikely you'd get sent on a deployment with under a year left on your contract. I suppose you could get activated for some state duty, but I'd talk to your leadership tbh. Worst case scenario, LoA from school or defer a year if you somehow get called up for extended active duty in the next couple months. Don't sign up for more time unless you want more time imo.

 

[Jane_Jane]

It seems incredibly unlikely you'd get sent on a deployment with under a year left on your contract. I suppose you could get activated for some state duty, but I'd talk to your leadership tbh. Worst case scenario, LoA from school or defer a year if you somehow get called up for extended active duty in the next couple months. Don't sign up for more time unless you want more time imo.

That makes sense. I haven’t signed anything yet I still have time to decide. I’m interested in doing more time for sure but 8 years for MDSSP is a bit terrifying to think about. Who knows what happens 8 years from now? I do not want to defer since I’ve taken quite a bit of gap years already, but we’ll see. Appreciate the insight!

 

[armytrainingsir]

I would definitely talk to your command. If you don’t anticipate any change in commander anytime soon, I probably wouldn’t sweat it. Even better, reach out to your battalion surgeon and see if you can get them on your side. The higher you can plead your case and find a sympathetic ear without pissing off people, the better.