PTSD and the HPSP

[nyck0530]

Hello everyone, I was a combat infantry medic with the 2-2 in. for four years. I have done my share of deployments, none of my time was spent back in the aid station. I was a line medic. I got out looking forward to going to med school. Not too long ago I was diagnosed with PTSD (with a rating of 95 on the scale). A lot of people are telling me to file for disability. I'm looking at the HPSP as a good option down the road once I start applying for med schools. Does anyone know if having this disability will disqualify you from an HPSP scholarship? Does PTSD automaticaly disqualify you anyways? Any info would be helpful! Thanks

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[orbitsurgMD]

Hello everyone, I was a combat infantry medic with the 2-2 in. for four years. I have done my share of deployments, none of my time was spent back in the aid station. I was a line medic. I got out looking forward to going to med school. Not too long ago I was diagnosed with PTSD (with a rating of 95 on the scale). A lot of people are telling me to file for disability. I'm looking at the HPSP as a good option down the road once I start applying for med schools. Does anyone know if having this disability will disqualify you from an HPSP scholarship? Does PTSD automaticaly disqualify you anyways? Any info would be helpful! Thanks

At a minimum, you would need a waiver for something that would make you NPQ for general duty, which PTSD would. If your condition is bad enough to qualify you for disability, then I think a waiver would be a long shot. You would be expecting to be waivered for general duty--which you should be for medical--and yet have a diagnosis that makes you not qualified. Seems impossible.

If I were doing your physical, I would make you NPQ, no waiver. The only situation where I might recommend a waiver would be if you had a psychiatric evaluation that concluded that your PTSD was in fact an adjustment disorder of a transient and limited nature. Sounds like yours isn't.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Go for the disability. It would be more worth it than being a military doc and this is coming from someone with PTSD who is prior service.

 

[Croooz]

Go for the disability. If over 20% you get school paid for anyway.

 

[nyck0530]

Go for the disability. If over 20% you get school paid for anyway.

Thanks for everyones input....I'm going to file for it in a few days, so in a few a years I'll find out percentage if any I'll get. Just out a quick question, how is school paid for with 20 % ? I have never heard that.

 

[IgD]

Are you concerned at all that you might not qualify for the disability pension? If you are high functioning enough to go to medical school why do you need disability? Also, doesn't the VA disability system have income limits? If you are a physicians you certainly would be outside of the limits.

 

[orbitsurgMD]

Are you concerned at all that you might not qualify for the disability pension? If you are high functioning enough to go to medical school why do you need disability? Also, doesn't the VA disability system have income limits? If you are a physicians you certainly would be outside of the limits.

Down the road, there will be routine inquiries about physical and psychiatric
diagnoses and treatment on each and every application for and renewal of medical licenses, malpractice insurance and hospital staff membership. Having a permanent psychiatric disability would likely require that you have a statement from your currently-treating psychiatrist that your disorder was controlled and not likely to interfere with your professional practice. There are some instances where your practice might have to be monitored.

Also, most permanent disabilities require some followup with the VA for continued rating. This may be a benefit in saving medical costs as at least some of the medical services you might need would be covered (but probably not all).

 

[Croooz]

Thanks for everyones input....I'm going to file for it in a few days, so in a few a years I'll find out percentage if any I'll get. Just out a quick question, how is school paid for with 20 % ? I have never heard that.

Not 100% on the name of the program it's under. I believe it's Vocational Rehab. Anyway you are entitled to it if over 10% service related disabled. At 20% they pay for tuition, books, computer, and tutor. I know of 2 people who used it to earn their undergrad degrees. The other who was going to use it for medical school decided not to so they could use HPSP. He never submitted his record for VA disability benefits but would've received over 20%.

I would check it out and see. I didn't believe it either till I was sitting in class and the 2 students were called outside and came back with the books they needed for the class. The test was postponed a week to give them time to study. Since it was the school's and VA's responsibility to get these students their books and they were late.

If it works out you can get medical school paid for. I mean they have it available so why not use it.

 

[nyck0530]

Not 100% on the name of the program it's under. I believe it's Vocational Rehab. Anyway you are entitled to it if over 10% service related disabled. At 20% they pay for tuition, books, computer, and tutor. I know of 2 people who used it to earn their undergrad degrees. The other who was going to use it for medical school decided not to so they could use HPSP. He never submitted his record for VA disability benefits but would've received over 20%.

I would check it out and see. I didn't believe it either till I was sitting in class and the 2 students were called outside and came back with the books they needed for the class. The test was postponed a week to give them time to study. Since it was the school's and VA's responsibility to get these students their books and they were late.

If it works out you can get medical school paid for. I mean they have it available so why not use it.

thanks. I have no idea if I even qualify for disability, and I'm pretty sure that it is a disability that is constantly updated through who ever is handling my case. I figure if it's there and I'm entitled to it, I'll use it. I appreciate everyones input.

I also know that PTSD is something that can be controlled and even taken care of through therapy (EMDR), I truly hope by the time I go to pass a Med board, I won't have an existing pysch problem to explain, rather than just a history of one. As nice as disability may be (especially if it pays for tuition and such), I much rather be healthy than having a disability and being paid for it.