Navy HPSP Final Thoughts

[ubertrooper60]

Hello. So before I even begin this post, let me say that I have considered just about everything there is to consider with the Navy HPSP. And I sincerely mean that, having read an example contract, all over this site, speaking to Navy doc who have done GMO, gone straight through, some fellowship trained, etc. Ultimately, I pursued the Navy for base locations and gut instinct.

I have been fortunate enough to attend a prestigious medical school this fall, and my financial aid package really isn't that bad, in terms of the loan amount I would have to take out. Might suck if I end up in a non-surgical field, but still not horrible. Anyway, at this point, I was fairly certain I would accept the scholarship. It is a great means to serve my country, and if I get great board scores, do research (and my school allots a year for that), and succeed in clinical rotations, that I should be able to go straight through, either through civilian deferment or Navy residency.

That being said, even if I am lucky enough to obtain a Navy residency, I am not sure I want that. I have spoken to several individuals who said their training at NMC San Diego, for example, was excellent and allowed for obtaining top fellowship spots. And one individual did this path in the late 2000s. However, I am not sure I would like to even restrict myself to Navy residencies. I could potentially have the opportunity to go to any number of civilian residencies, and as fresh college graduate, I have no idea about what specialty I might like or where I might like to live in the country. These concerns (and the possibility of doing a GMO that may set my career back and the heavy military administration) are giving me cold feet about signing on the dotted line.

However, I would be giving up my chance to serve my country, and I'm not so sure that wouldn't eat away at me since the opportunity is right in front of me if I didn't take HPSP. Additionally, although my loans wouldn't be that bad, having medical school paid for would be incredible. And I need a car for school, and the signing bonus would certainly help with that.

I know many of you on this forum are incredibly critical of milmed and the HPSP. Is that simply because things didn't work out as you had planned? How can I justify passing up this scholarship when it would mean a lot of money (I know I would get paid less later, though), a chance to serve my country, and helping me get a car and other necessities?

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[WernickeDO]

Hello. So before I even begin this post, let me say that I have considered just about everything there is to consider with the Navy HPSP. And I sincerely mean that, having read an example contract, all over this site, speaking to Navy doc who have done GMO, gone straight through, some fellowship trained, etc. Ultimately, I pursued the Navy for base locations and gut instinct.

I have been fortunate enough to attend a prestigious medical school this fall, and my financial aid package really isn't that bad, in terms of the loan amount I would have to take out. Might suck if I end up in a non-surgical field, but still not horrible. Anyway, at this point, I was fairly certain I would accept the scholarship. It is a great means to serve my country, and if I get great board scores, do research (and my school allots a year for that), and succeed in clinical rotations, that I should be able to go straight through, either through civilian deferment or Navy residency.

That being said, even if I am lucky enough to obtain a Navy residency, I am not sure I want that. I have spoken to several individuals who said their training at NMC San Diego, for example, was excellent and allowed for obtaining top fellowship spots. And one individual did this path in the late 2000s. However, I am not sure I would like to even restrict myself to Navy residencies. I could potentially have the opportunity to go to any number of civilian residencies, and as fresh college graduate, I have no idea about what specialty I might like or where I might like to live in the country. These concerns (and the possibility of doing a GMO that may set my career back and the heavy military administration) are giving me cold feet about signing on the dotted line.

However, I would be giving up my chance to serve my country, and I'm not so sure that wouldn't eat away at me since the opportunity is right in front of me if I didn't take HPSP. Additionally, although my loans wouldn't be that bad, having medical school paid for would be incredible. And I need a car for school, and the signing bonus would certainly help with that.

I know many of you on this forum are incredibly critical of milmed and the HPSP. Is that simply because things didn't work out as you had planned? How can I justify passing up this scholarship when it would mean a lot of money (I know I would get paid less later, though), a chance to serve my country, and helping me get a car and other necessities?

You hit upon a major theme in this: service. I have found that people who have a desire to serve in the military will only ever have that desire satisfied by actually serving. If you are one of these people, then you have to decide whether it is worth it to satisfy that desire in light of the many negatives associated with milmed.

You have NOT considered everything to consider. I know this because you do not yet know what you don't know, so by default you have not considered everything. It's no fault of yours, you simply are not in a position to ask these questions, nor are you qualified as a pre-med to know to ask them. You cannot make decisions now that will affect your medical career 4+ years down the road.

If you want to go straight through with your residency, then going Navy is a bad idea. Don't know the actual numbers but as I understand it about 50% of interns go GMO. The plus side is that once you do your GMO time you will be competitive for residency. The opposite is true in the Army. But if you want to graduate med school, finish residency, and go into practice, avoid the military.

Congrats on being accepted to a prestigious medical school. I can assume that there is an excellent teaching hospital attached to it. While rotating there as a MS3 & 4, you will make contacts within the programs you are interested in, and apply to a residency that is in your own back yard. How will you feel when your medical school colleagues are graduating from residency and getting ready to start practicing, while you are fighting for a residency spot or buried under paperwork? Why cut yourself off from all of the options for training and limit yourself to milmed? Additionally, what if you decide to do a specialty that is competitive in the military, like EM or general surgery? A good student should have no problem with this in the civilian world. It will be more difficult in the military.

Think milmed is a meritocracy? Think again. Students with inferior boards, grades, and skills will be selected ahead of you because of prior service or family connections. Trust me on this one.

Ask yourself: do you want to be a physician or a Naval Officer? If the answer is physician, shred that contract and run far, far away from the military. The perks you receive now (tuition paid for, bonus, nifty uniform) will be nothing compared to the career sacrifices you may make down the line, as you watch your medical knowledge and skills atrophy in the morass of powerpoints and SHARP training. Some people go straight through, get what they want, and have a great time in the military. There are others who have the opposite experience. In my opinion, it is not worth the risk of surrendering control of your life and career in the hopes that the military will do right by you.

 

[Red Lobster Actual]

do research (and my school allots a year for that)

Can't do this on HPSP.

and the possibility of doing a GMO that may set my career back and the heavy military administration)

How can you set your career back when you don't even know what you want to do? Though there is quite a bit of admin work.

You are young, by the time you hit 27 you'll be grossing 100k/year at 27 should you be sent off to GMO land. I can assure you most of your friends would not be doing that well. A few will, but not most. Plus the 2-4 years of GMO can mature you and help you find the path right for you. Also, while on HPSP you can GMO your obligation out and go to a civilian residency.

How can I justify passing up this scholarship when it would mean a lot of money

If the financial aid package is that good, HPSP is not that good of a financial deal for you.

helping me get a car and other necessities?

Don't get a new car. Drive a 1995 toyota camry with 2 million miles on it that you can get for $1000. Eat ramen noodles instead of filet mignon. Being poor builds character, you're 22 and smart, you'll figure it out. I was poor all my life and I got tired of it so therefore I decided the suck of taking Uncle Sam's money and milmed was less suck than staying poor. No ragrets on my end. And seriously, depending on where you live that $1800/month take home really isn't that much money.

a chance to serve my country

Once you finish your residency you will always have the option of a direct accession into the military as an attending physician. FAP is another way when you get into residency but I've yet to see or talk to anyone that has actually done that. These latter two options gives you far far more leeway when getting into the military versus HPSP.

 

[ubertrooper60]

I'm not doing it. I got so shaky when thinking about signing the contract, and I've always been one to follow my gut. Even if my military career could potentially be incredible, so could my civilian one. And with the civilian one, I'm not promised to something I don't truly know is for me or if I would enjoy. Ultimately, it comes down to whether or not I'm ready to commit to the Navy, and at 22, I can't say that.

I do feel somewhat badly about not serving now, though. I feel like I'm chickening out of the military, for lack of a better way to say it. But I hope this is the right call.

 

[Cooperd0g]

You can always still join when you finish your training if you want.

 

[Onefellswoop87]

I'm not doing it. I got so shaky when thinking about signing the contract, and I've always been one to follow my gut. Even if my military career could potentially be incredible, so could my civilian one. And with the civilian one, I'm not promised to something I don't truly know is for me or if I would enjoy. Ultimately, it comes down to whether or not I'm ready to commit to the Navy, and at 22, I can't say that.

I do feel somewhat badly about not serving now, though. I feel like I'm chickening out of the military, for lack of a better way to say it. But I hope this is the right call.

The right call is the one you feel comfortable with (after weighing the options). There are many ways to serve your country (military before or after med school, VA, rural/underserved areas, etc.) There are also many ways to pay for medical school, which it sounds like you have a head start on that already with your financial package. Your thinking, that you outlined in the first post, is mostly thorough but incomplete. WernickeDO & RedLobsterActual made very good points of a more complete picture of HPSP and subsequent active duty medicine. If/when you join, the needs of the Navy come first, so you have to be ready to yield control over to them (specifically in terms of location and timeline of training).

 

[Red Lobster Actual]

I do feel somewhat badly about not serving now, though. I feel like I'm chickening out of the military, for lack of a better way to say it. But I hope this is the right call.

There is no shame in this. Follow your instincts.

Plus according to some nostradamus supercomputer on reddit we are up for world war 3 in the next two decades so you'll probably be drafted like Hawkeye in M*A*S*H anyways

 

[WernickeDO]

I'm not doing it. I got so shaky when thinking about signing the contract, and I've always been one to follow my gut. Even if my military career could potentially be incredible, so could my civilian one. And with the civilian one, I'm not promised to something I don't truly know is for me or if I would enjoy. Ultimately, it comes down to whether or not I'm ready to commit to the Navy, and at 22, I can't say that.

I do feel somewhat badly about not serving now, though. I feel like I'm chickening out of the military, for lack of a better way to say it. But I hope this is the right call.

Another angel gets his wings...

There is always time to serve later, and to do so on your own terms. Best of luck.