Military Scholarship...

Started by DrMom922
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DrMom922

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10+ Year Member
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When I get in to medical school, my husband and I talked about me doing the military scholarship, specifically the Air Force. Has anyone done this, and can you give me any information about it other than what recruitment officers like to tell you. I have to consider the fact that I have three children as well. Any info would be appreciated, Thanks!
 
I bailed on this. Got to point where all I needed to do was sign the dotted line for the Air Force, but I got cold feet. Too many people I talked to told me to not do it for the money, which ultimately was the only reason I was doing it.

Not to mention the fact that I was scared about their residency placement. I basically got the feeling that if their wasn't a slot for the residency you wanted at the base they wanted to place you at, you'd be placed in some other residency program (probably as a Flight Surgeon). I was not down for this idea. Being locked into training in an area I wouldn't want didn't sound ideal.

But hey. I know plenty that have done it/doing, and they like it. Different strokes for different folks. You'll pay the money back eventually so really don't just do it for the money.
 
Yeah, for me there is a lot consider before I sign anything. I appreciate the feedback. Anyone else have anything to add?
 
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Do not do anything military unless it's for a reason other than money. The HPSP is really only worth it if you plan on being a career military officer... otherwise you may as well do loans, or look into something with the reserves or the guard. I plan on taking a military scholarship, but no the HPSP, and not for the money.

EDIT: Particularly with children. Life in the military with a family is... tough. My husband was in the army for a while, and I cannot imagine raising kids in that environment.
 
Exalya said:
Do not do anything military unless it's for a reason other than money. The HPSP is really only worth it if you plan on being a career military officer...
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If you aren't gonna do a scholarship for the money, then don't do the scholarship at all. Too many people say not to do the HPSP for the money, but that's a big reason I did it. If you are not doing the HPSP for the money, then just go active duty after residency and don't let the military pay for any of your education.

Why do you think the HPSP is only worth it if you plan on being a career officer? I think I will only pay back my committment and then I will only be 39 years old. I will have plenty of time to make money. Now some branches have better residency placement than others, which is why I chose Army.

A significant portion of my family has been in the military and so I also joined for personal, familial, and national pride and honor. I feel everyone should serve our country in some way possible and this is my way of giving back. I was gonna join the military regardless of the HPSP but I figured I would get free schooling and a bonus out of it. OP, if you have specific questions, PM me
 
bleeker10 said:
If you aren't gonna do a scholarship for the money, then don't do the scholarship at all. Too many people say not to do the HPSP for the money, but that's a big reason I did it. If you are not doing the HPSP for the money, then just go active duty after residency and don't let the military pay for any of your education.

Why do you think the HPSP is only worth it if you plan on being a career officer? I think I will only pay back my committment and then I will only be 39 years old. I will have plenty of time to make money. Now some branches have better residency placement than others, which is why I chose Army.

A significant portion of my family has been in the military and so I also joined for personal, familial, and national pride and honor. I feel everyone should serve our country in some way possible and this is my way of giving back. I was gonna join the military regardless of the HPSP but I figured I would get free schooling and a bonus out of it. OP, if you have specific questions, PM me
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That's just my opinion. The guard is a better choice for me because one, I have a family, and two, I don't want to be in my 30's when I start the career I really want outside of the military. If I were to choose the HPSP, which has a fairly heavy commitment and may limit your residency choices, I would only do it if the military was my end-goal. It is not, so it's not my choice. The guard will still effectively pay for my education, with a commitment that is better for me.

I say not to join *just for the money,* because if you don't understand the military and the hardships that go with it, it might not be worth it. A lot of people have a lot of misconceptions about the service and just see it as a free ride, which it is not. Without a certain amount of the honor and pride you spoke of, the military is just not that rewarding. However, this is from my experience as a military wife. Someone else's experience could be different.
 
DrMom922 said:
When I get in to medical school, my husband and I talked about me doing the military scholarship, specifically the Air Force. Has anyone done this, and can you give me any information about it other than what recruitment officers like to tell you. I have to consider the fact that I have three children as well. Any info would be appreciated, Thanks!
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I am planning on doing HPSP through the Army, though the Air Force has pretty much the same program. I'm studied it for a few years, met with those currently in the program, and actually work for the Army now and meet with recruiters. The AF doesn't have the signing bonus now and is the smallest of the three programs (Army, Navy, AF). With the Navy and AF you can pretty much rest assured to go into a GMO or Flight Surgeon capacity your intern year (at least). "Flight surgeon" is misleading because you neither fly nor perform surgery. With the Navy, a tour on the USNS Mercy (the floating hospital performing humanitarian missions around the world) should be expected. Some people are very interested in these two options. The Army is the biggest program (most money, most personnel, most residencies, etc.) and I have not met anyone yet who was "directed" into one speciality or another. Yes, you are always at their discretion and despite the horror stories, I have heard nothing but good. I do believe a person needs to do it because they want to do Military Medicine though. Given the benefits of commission and pay, I think it is the best Military route, although there are others.
 
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