not direct accession, but not HPSP...

[vamedrnr]

I am a prior service Army Infantry Officer and current MS2. I know the good, bad, and ugly of the Army -but I miss it and the dudes and the mission. I went through all of the paperwork prior for HPSP before I left the Army but I could not sign on the dotted line because I really needed some time away to make up my mind. I am well aware of FAP and how it works as well. I'm at a state school, and my total package of financial aid with the GI Bill and the school is far better than the Army, plus I am not 100% sure I want to go back in (I am including all of this because otherwise multiple people will likely respond about HPSP). So the point of all this is that I call the recruiter today and he says there are three options: 2 year HPSP, FAP, and some other program that would allow me to match and go through Army residency, but not commission until I graduate. Does anyone know what this is all about? Mostly I am interested in the logistics of how/if Army rotations would happen for someone not formally in HPSP and what the timeline is if anyone knows anything about this. Again, I know all about HPSP and FAP and unless someone has specific information about the availability of 2 year HPSP contracts, I am really looking for anyone with knowledge about this other program that would allow me to do commission after graduation, do Army residency and the subsequent ADSO without a standard HPSP contract.

Thanks in advance.

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[colbgw02]

As I understand it, there's really no benefit to you for doing the direct accession following medical school graduation. I am fairly confident that the Army does not offer any financial incentive to eligible civilian medical student who choose to participate in the Army match. Basically, all you get is the "favor" of the Army letting you do one of its residencies with the subsequent GME obligation. Well, I suppose there is also the benefit of the residency years on active duty, which - given your prior service - may be useful when applied toward retirement.

If you really miss the operational side of things, then I suppose you could accept a direct commission for the sole purpose of doing an internship and subsequent GMO tour. But you'd have to really, really miss it to sacrifice so much, at which point I have to question why you wouldn't just go back to trying to being an infantry officer again.

If you forego HPSP and FAP, then you can still sign up as a fully-trained, BE/BC physician. At that point, it's likely you'll be offered a substantial signing bonus and potentially some significant input into your first assignment.

In my opinion, the control over your life that civilian residency and potentially fellowship permits is extremely valuable. No reason to give that up now. Finish training, and then negotiate with the Army when you have the most leverage possible.

 

[idq1i]

What "dudes and mission"? You will not find the camaraderie that you seem to be missing in the medical corps, at least not in the army. It's all about getting your fat as$ permanently profiled, promoted, and PCSed to bigger and better places. That, and diagnosed with sleep apnea by some quack to puff up your VA claim

 

[vamedrnr]

As I understand it, there's really no benefit to you for doing the direct accession following medical school graduation. I am fairly confident that the Army does not offer any financial incentive to eligible civilian medical student who choose to participate in the Army match. Basically, all you get is the "favor" of the Army letting you do one of its residencies with the subsequent GME obligation. Well, I suppose there is also the benefit of the residency years on active duty, which - given your prior service - may be useful when applied toward retirement.

If you really miss the operational side of things, then I suppose you could accept a direct commission for the sole purpose of doing an internship and subsequent GMO tour. But you'd have to really, really miss it to sacrifice so much, at which point I have to question why you wouldn't just go back to trying to being an infantry officer again.

If you forego HPSP and FAP, then you can still sign up as a fully-trained, BE/BC physician. At that point, it's likely you'll be offered a substantial signing bonus and potentially some significant input into your first assignment.

In my opinion, the control over your life that civilian residency and potentially fellowship permits is extremely valuable. No reason to give that up now. Finish training, and then negotiate with the Army when you have the most leverage possible.

Thanks. I forgot to add: a key component is that I want to do an Army residency. I am certain that I want to do be in primary care and I am confident in the Army training for those fields. More importantly, it is a huge financial and emotional benefit: I am married and we are about to start my family. Telling my wife that we may move one of 10 location anywhere in the country in 2.5 months and get paid very little for 3-4 yrs is far different than having 6 months to prepare to do a DITY into a system that we are already used to, followed by a significantly higher salary (>6 yrs TIS). Regardless, for a variety of reasons Army residency is actually one of the things attracting me back to the beast. At this point, overall money is not nearly as important as consistence and stability (and yes, I know that as a prior service infantry guy in primary care my chances of profis or BDE surgeon -> deployment are high -I'm at peace with that).

 

[vamedrnr]

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[colbgw02]

Well, if Army residency and primary care are a foregone conclusion, then you really need to consider HPSP. Assuming a 3-year residency, even a 2-year scholarship will add time to your post-residency obligation, but only by a year. And that needs to be weighed against the preservation of your GI benefits for possible transfer to your family. Otherwise, you're signing up for the GME obligation without getting much in return.