Military Scholarships: Are they worth it?

[SusGob711]

Does anyone on here have any personal experience or insight regarding the medical school scholarships offered by the military. Is any branch preferred over another? Is the service commitment reasonable for the amount of scholarship offered? What is a physicians life like in the military?

I already did a little bit of research on their respective sites however personal accounts are always best 🙂

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[WholeLottaGame7]

Does anyone on here have any personal experience or insight regarding the medical school scholarships offered by the military. Is any branch preferred over another? Is the service commitment reasonable for the amount of scholarship offered? What is a physicians life like in the military?

I already did a little bit of research on their respective sites however personal accounts are always best 🙂

Go peruse the military medicine boards. You will get personal accounts galore.

 

[Poliscidoc]

If I had to pick one I would go with the Navy. It seems like a safer gig to me.

 

[NickNaylor]

As others said, check out the military medicine board. I'd say that if you want to go into the military (NOT just for the scholarship), then it's probably worth it. As for the other questions, go ask the people in the military medicine board.

 

[mvenus929]

I'm an army brat.

Don't go for the scholarship just for the money. If you're interested in the military, then it's worth considering. Otherwise, it'll make your life very difficult. For instance, your commitment doesn't start until after your residency. If you're going for something like surgery, that means you're pretty much going to be a lifer (20 years of service).

Historically, you'd make more in the civilian sector, but with the reforms in healthcare, that might no longer be true...

 

[TooMuchResearch]

I'm an army brat.

Don't go for the scholarship just for the money. If you're interested in the military, then it's worth considering. Otherwise, it'll make your life very difficult. For instance, your commitment doesn't start until after your residency. If you're going for something like surgery, that means you're pretty much going to be a lifer (20 years of service).

Historically, you'd make more in the civilian sector, but with the reforms in healthcare, that might no longer be true...

It will continue to hold true.

 

[nogolfinsnow]

Don't do it for the money, there are lots of ways to get people to help repay your loans. If you really want to serve, then it's a reasonable decision to make.

 

[plauto]

go into it for the military life only. Moneywise it's an awful decision except for some short residencies in low paying specialties where you need to run the numbers to see where you stand, especially if you got accepted to a very expensive school.

 

[ruiner]

I'm doing Navy HPSP. As others have said, I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't also want to serve, the money does not hurt though. Everyone I've talked to though has said if you only join for that you will hate it. The Air Force is definitely the most civilian like life style of the branches, but to me you can't beat the Naval Hospitals. It is true that residency and med school don't count towards commitment, but you don't have to do a military residency so it wont necessarily feel like you are constantly in the military if you dont want it to.

 

[45408]

Quite a few of my classmates did it - Army, Air Force and Navy - and I don't think the perks vary much between branches. Just to repeat what everyone else has said - don't do it for the money. Do it because you're interested in military medicine or the military life. Most of my classmates who did it have/had parents in the military. One of the Navy guys is the son of two doctors who were both in the Navy.

 

[SirGecko]

As others have said there is an entire forum for milmed, so I'd check that out.

My short advice for you is that I would not recommend milmed if your thinking went: Medicine------>Tuition$$$$!!!---------->Military. That path leads only to the dark side of shattered expectations and frustration with what is ultimately a small cog in one huge bureaucracy. (the federal government)

Now if your thinking was more along the lines of: I want to serve------->military --------> how best can I use my talents? ---------> Medicine! Then I think you'd be a much happier person in the military then people that joined for the above thinking. (and of course there is also the caveat of not doing medical corps if what you really want to be is a pilot, or a SEAL, or whatever; if that is the case you can do that first and then come back to medicine)

If my above post wasn't as clear and as clever as it seemed to me here is my point in a sentence. Join the military if you want to join the military but don't do it if you just want money for school.

 

[VTBuc]

If I'm not mistaken, doesn't Navy have a higher chance of having to do a GMO tour and delaying your entry into residency?

 

[SirGecko]

It is true that residency and med school don't count towards commitment, but you don't have to do a military residency so it wont necessarily feel like you are constantly in the military if you dont want it to.

Errr... I'd check that one again if I were you. I'm USUHS so I know we all have to apply to the military match but I am pretty sure the HPSP kids do as well.

If I'm not mistaken, doesn't Navy have a higher chance of having to do a GMO tour and delaying your entry into residency?

That is correct. You are far less likely to get accepted to some residencies directly from your internship year in the Navy. (some like radiology pretty much require you go do a GMO tour)

 

[aspiringOSTEO]

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[avatarftw]

a

 

[VTBuc]

I'm doing Navy HPSP. As others have said, I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't also want to serve, the money does not hurt though. Everyone I've talked to though has said if you only join for that you will hate it. The Air Force is definitely the most civilian like life style of the branches, but to me you can't beat the Naval Hospitals. It is true that residency and med school don't count towards commitment, but you don't have to do a military residency so it wont necessarily feel like you are constantly in the military if you dont want it to.

From what I understand, HPSP students have to do military match and civilian deferments are rare/the exception. I'm pretty sure you'll have to jump through hoops to get that.

Though, I'm not sure why on Earth you'd want to do civilian deferral unless you wanted to go into a residency not offered in the military. Military residency pay is considerably higher than in civilian residency.

 

[ruiner]

You have to put your hat into the military match, but there are options beyond that if you don't end up matching into a competitive specialty and you have the scores. Even at my interview at USUHS, they made it clear that it is possible to do a civilian residency graduating from there.

Rereading what I originally said I guess I made it sound like that's just a simple option to not do a military residency. No definitely not the case but it's not that uncommon, at least from the people I've talked to since staring the app process.

 

[ruiner]

Military residency pay is considerably higher than in civilian residency.

Also longer in some cases though :O

 

[aspiringOSTEO]

1

 

[silverhorse84]

Well, in regards to having to do a military residency, you don't if you fulfill your time as a GMO and then get out. A little harder for us usuhs students, but I've known several hpsp people who did a military internship, then spent 4 years as a GMO, got out, and then did a civilian residency. This would be a little easier in the Navy, since we do fill more of our "GMO" spots with pre-residency trained physicians rather than post-residency ones, but I would imagine it could be done in any of the services.

 

[Perrotfish]

I'm doing Navy HPSP. As others have said, I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't also want to serve, the money does not hurt though. Everyone I've talked to though has said if you only join for that you will hate it. The Air Force is definitely the most civilian like life style of the branches, but to me you can't beat the Naval Hospitals. It is true that residency and med school don't count towards commitment, but you don't have to do a military residency so it wont necessarily feel like you are constantly in the military if you dont want it to.

You need to do a residency with the Navy unless the grant you a deferal for a civilian residency (which they almost never do) or unless you do a 1 year internship and then finish your service as a General Medical Officer before beginning a civilian residency (a real possibility, even if that's not what you want)

Also there is nothing particularly civilian like about the Air Force, at least for physicians.

You have to put your hat into the military match, but there are options beyond that if you don't end up matching into a competitive specialty and you have the scores. Even at my interview at USUHS, they made it clear that it is possible to do a civilian residency graduating from there.

They weren't clear with you at your interview. If you want a deferment to do a competitive residency in the civilian world you need to put 'deferment' as your first choice on your military match list, which is both a longshot and wastes your first choice on a longshot. There is no opportunity to beg for a deferment after you found out the military match went badly. If you don't match into something competitive even though you 'have the scores' you just don't match, your only option to get into that civilian residency is to do a 1 year internship and serve out your time as a GMO

 

[ruiner]

IDK, its not that I dont believe you but I know doctors who have gotten the civilian deferrals and none have said that it was that overly difficult. I guess I will see what happens in 3ish years.

I should make it clear I want to do Balboa for residency anyway, so have already planned on doing a GMO anyway.