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Every potential HPSP applicant I talk to has only a vague clue as to what a GMO is, how the military GME system works, how many scholarships are offered vs filled, how many deferrals are given out each year, the administrative collateral duties, the abomination that is Tricare, etc. Most aren't even aware of these issues, much less what our anesthesiology guru here says about them. 🙂 Hell, I'd wager that a majority of premed hopefuls don't even know what a residency is, much less how military GME might suffer from things like staff deployments.
But they all know the military's doing something in Iraq.
HPSP recruiting is suffering for exactly the same reason as military recruiting overall is suffering: people are getting sent to a nasty, dangerous ****hole in what is viewed by many as an unpopular war. No more, no less.
Definitely - I went in for college money just after the gulf war, but would not have now or near future. Everyone (whos realistic at least) knows when you sign up theres an (albeit small) chance that you might have get deployed somewhere nasty, but now- you're lucky if you don't. Risk/ benefit ratio has changed.
Rob and I worked together for 5 years at NMCP. His career is NOT your typical career in the Navy....for anyone coming in now.
He's one of the guys who had a great run in Navy Medicine. If all those military medicine devotees out there base their opinion on the likes of Rob's career....they have another thing coming.
If you run into him again, say hi for me....Asian dude in Alabama...he'll know who it is.
One of my additional duties in the Navy reserve is working for the SG as a Professional Schools Liaison Officer. Last year 50% of Navy HPSPs went unclaimed. This year it's even worse....last stats I saw were 66% unclaimed.
Even though I'm 49, BUMED agreed to give me an HPSP age waiver. No, despite being in the USNR x 17 years, I turned it down.