Navy HPSP - Full Deferment?

[Teufelhunden]

I'll tell you what's driving me crazy...

Since I have no clue whether or not I have a shot at getting a full deferment, I can't really even begin to talk with civilian programs about their residencies. For example, I'm on an out-rotation now where I think I'm a good fit...I love the program, and they seem to love me. When talking to the PD the other day, he asked if I was interested in doing residency at this program. I told him that I was, but that I have no idea what my chances are of the Navy saying "yes."

Anyway, I guess there's no way around this. Don't get me wrong, I love the military and I'm grateful for HPSP....however, it would be nice if, somehow, we could be given information regarding deferments earlier in the process...it would certainly make communication w/ civilian programs more fruitful. I mean, talk about a waste of time if you're courting a program, and that program is courting you...you interview successfully, get accepted...only to have the Navy deny you a deferment.

What sucks is the lack of knowledge. I feel like I have no control or insight into my future (as compared with my non-HPSP classmates). Hell, it would almost be easier if NO ONE got a deferment....at least that way I'd know.

Sorry for the rant. Any ideas? Anyone know anyway to "feel the Navy out," or somehow get an idea of what my chances are?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[militarymd]

Hey, this is the exact kind of thing I'm trying to warn potential applicants to HPSP about. Military medicine is rampant with that kind of policies.

You can't feel them out because they don't know......THEY REALLY DON'T KNOW!!!!

Anyways, my advice is go ahead and apply to your civilian program of choice, but let the program director know what position you are in. The program director will most likely understand and come up with a solution for you.

You can always count on having to pay back a loan, but you can never count on how the military is going to treat you until they dish it out to you....whether it is good or bad....if you are lucky, it will mostly be good.

 

[Homunculus]

Originally posted by Teufelhunden
I'll tell you what's driving me crazy...

Since I have no clue whether or not I have a shot at getting a full deferment, I can't really even begin to talk with civilian programs about their residencies. For example, I'm on an out-rotation now where I think I'm a good fit...I love the program, and they seem to love me. When talking to the PD the other day, he asked if I was interested in doing residency at this program. I told him that I was, but that I have no idea what my chances are of the Navy saying "yes."

Anyway, I guess there's no way around this. Don't get me wrong, I love the military and I'm grateful for HPSP....however, it would be nice if, somehow, we could be given information regarding deferments earlier in the process...it would certainly make communication w/ civilian programs more fruitful. I mean, talk about a waste of time if you're courting a program, and that program is courting you...you interview successfully, get accepted...only to have the Navy deny you a deferment.

What sucks is the lack of knowledge. I feel like I have no control or insight into my future (as compared with my non-HPSP classmates). Hell, it would almost be easier if NO ONE got a deferment....at least that way I'd know.

Sorry for the rant. Any ideas? Anyone know anyway to "feel the Navy out," or somehow get an idea of what my chances are?

in my personal experience i think militarymd is mistaken. then again, my experience is with the Army, so the Navy may be different. you should be able to talk to any military program director and get a feel for the likelihood of getting a deferral. the program directors i have talked to all knew how many military slots there were, and roughly how many approved deferments there would be. chances are they will defer at least a few in most specialties, especially in the Navy where the GME isn't as large.

as for the civilian program-- sell yourself to them. it's *your* future, so butter them up the best you can-- act as if you'll get the deferment and if you do and match civilian, great, but if you don't, it's no skin off your back. program directors in the civilian world are used to playing that game-- most of the time instead of worrying about military taking their prospects, it's other programs taking their prospects. don't sell yourself short just because you may not be able to match civilian. the nice thing about the military match being so early is that you will know in time to save yourself from having to interview if you're taken. if you get a deferment it allows you to spend some more time in the civilian world before the civilian match. it *should* work out . . . lol

 

[militarymd]

Originally posted by Homonculus
in my personal experience i think militarymd is mistaken. then again, my experience is with the Army, so the Navy may be different. you should be able to talk to any military program director and get a feel for the likelihood of getting a deferral. the program directors i have talked to all knew how many military slots there were, and roughly how many approved deferments there would be. chances are they will defer at least a few in most specialties, especially in the Navy where the GME isn't as large.

I have been involved in the GME selection processes for 4 academic years. I know how the numbers work.

Here is the problem. Training and deferrments are based on projected needs based on retirements and separations. Now you need to give notice 6 to 9 months notice before you retire or separate, while it takes 2 to 4 years to train new physicians. So as you can see, it is very difficult to predict staffing requirements. If after the GMESB meets and releases results in December, and then in January a number of unexpected physicians put in their papers, they all of a sudden need to defer a lot of people the next year, but then later that year, people who are supposed to get out decide not to, then those projected needs for deferments all of a sudden goes away. Bottom line, because of the military's inability to keep stable numbers of physicians, no one ever knows how many deferments, FTOS are needed each year.

If a program director is telling you he knows that there will be deferments or not....I won't go so far as to say it is a lie, but at best it is only an educated guess. Their guess is based on what the physicians in that particular specialty is going to do in the next year and year after that....are they going to get out or stay in, or what....you can't predict what everyone is going to do.