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- Jul 27, 2016
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All right bear with me... I'm pretty flabbergasted after the call I received today from the HPSP recruiter I have been working with for several months.
To set the scene: I will be starting my first year in osteopathic medical school in 1 week. I had been planning on doing the Air Force HPSP and was working with a recruiting office based out of Aurora, CO.
On April 25, 2016, (approx. 5 months before the start of med school) I receive the wonderful e-mail:
This is great news! I signed the form immediately. It was the official letter for acceptance and the wording is as follows:
I held on to that letter for nearly 5 months... as if it were gold. My fate was sealed. But one week before school is starting and the head of their office (MSgt. Brett Diaz, FYI) called me today and said I had been rejected due to medical reasons (I had LASIK surgery but the recruiter said it's usually not a problem, I also had surgery on my leg as a kid but it has never been a problem growing up, I competed in NCAA swimming, even.) But those were the reasons he is now disclosing to me... at this stage, super late in the game.
Now, this is quite upsetting. At this point, I had thought, with only one week before school, that all my ducks in a row, no need to worry about applying for FinAid and I can go ahead and rely on the stipend to supplement my ability to pay rent and groceries from here on out. I had the scholarship letter and everything!
Well that's not the case anymore.
I am not so much as upset as confused. No point in being angry anyway: I am going to med school one way or another. I will make it through and be confident in my abilities. But something very odd happened here and I intend to find out what exactly happened at this office.
Firstly, my specific recruiter was not the cream of the crop. I think I'd be doing a service to anyone here who is thinking about AF HPSP to at least know who this person is. I will not degrade his character as a person, nor am I trying to jeopardize his career in the Air Force, but I will report on what I had observed.
His name is TSgt James Mikus and he's based out of Aurora, Colorado, Health Professions Recruiting. He is very friendly and helped me with the application when I originally applied. I believe the week that I dropped in at his office to apply was also the very first week of his exerience in recruiting for HPSP, so he's a bit new.
He's also the recruiter that personally e-mailed me the acceptance for the scholarship, so I see him as personally responsible for holding to that written contract as it was offered above, yet now being withdrawn.
I don't think I am being rejected for the reasons that they say (medical). This late in the game, I think someone in that office made a mistake or lost my application (TSgt. Mikus) and the cover-up is that they hoped to call me, withdraw the offer, and that would be the end of it. No questions asked on my end... hopefully.
Well I have questions...
And here's why I think this is some kind of cover-up:
I am a cordial person, I have understanding and goodwill. I very courteously emailed my recruiter's supervisor (MSgt. Diaz) and asked for his supervisor's contact info. I think if I need to bring this to someone's attention, I should not let this office sweep my acceptance letter under the rug as if it had not been offered. Someone high up needs to know that either these guys should not be offering scholarship letters so soon and then dashing out the hopes and dreams of med students right before they matriculate.
At any rate, I am not sure what else I can do, I can move on quickly, but I wanted to hear from what folks in this forum might say.
I have half a mind to think that I just got a dud recruiter and need to restart the app with a competent person. At this point, I would have to do the 3-yr HPSP. Might even GO NAVY!
Sorry for being TLDR... At best I was hoping to bring this to someone's attention, let the AF know they need to make improvements in this office in Aurora before they end up screwing someone else's life before med school.
Happy to answer any question... thx for reading...
To set the scene: I will be starting my first year in osteopathic medical school in 1 week. I had been planning on doing the Air Force HPSP and was working with a recruiting office based out of Aurora, CO.
On April 25, 2016, (approx. 5 months before the start of med school) I receive the wonderful e-mail:
"Congratulations on your selection for the Air Force Health
Professions Scholarship Program! I've attached the letter of acceptance in
this email. Please review it, sign, and send back to me. Please change the
date to the estimated date of completion from medical school. Call if you
have any questions or concerns."
Professions Scholarship Program! I've attached the letter of acceptance in
this email. Please review it, sign, and send back to me. Please change the
date to the estimated date of completion from medical school. Call if you
have any questions or concerns."
This is great news! I signed the form immediately. It was the official letter for acceptance and the wording is as follows:
"It is a pleasure to inform you that you have been selected for a commission in the United States Air
Force MC Health Professions Scholarship Program pursuing a doctorate in Medicine with an
expected completion date of June 30, 2020.
Please sign the acknowledgment below and return it as soon as possible in order to initiate the
commissioning paperwork. We look forward to having you on our Air Force team."
Force MC Health Professions Scholarship Program pursuing a doctorate in Medicine with an
expected completion date of June 30, 2020.
Please sign the acknowledgment below and return it as soon as possible in order to initiate the
commissioning paperwork. We look forward to having you on our Air Force team."
I held on to that letter for nearly 5 months... as if it were gold. My fate was sealed. But one week before school is starting and the head of their office (MSgt. Brett Diaz, FYI) called me today and said I had been rejected due to medical reasons (I had LASIK surgery but the recruiter said it's usually not a problem, I also had surgery on my leg as a kid but it has never been a problem growing up, I competed in NCAA swimming, even.) But those were the reasons he is now disclosing to me... at this stage, super late in the game.
Now, this is quite upsetting. At this point, I had thought, with only one week before school, that all my ducks in a row, no need to worry about applying for FinAid and I can go ahead and rely on the stipend to supplement my ability to pay rent and groceries from here on out. I had the scholarship letter and everything!
Well that's not the case anymore.
I am not so much as upset as confused. No point in being angry anyway: I am going to med school one way or another. I will make it through and be confident in my abilities. But something very odd happened here and I intend to find out what exactly happened at this office.
Firstly, my specific recruiter was not the cream of the crop. I think I'd be doing a service to anyone here who is thinking about AF HPSP to at least know who this person is. I will not degrade his character as a person, nor am I trying to jeopardize his career in the Air Force, but I will report on what I had observed.
His name is TSgt James Mikus and he's based out of Aurora, Colorado, Health Professions Recruiting. He is very friendly and helped me with the application when I originally applied. I believe the week that I dropped in at his office to apply was also the very first week of his exerience in recruiting for HPSP, so he's a bit new.
He's also the recruiter that personally e-mailed me the acceptance for the scholarship, so I see him as personally responsible for holding to that written contract as it was offered above, yet now being withdrawn.
I don't think I am being rejected for the reasons that they say (medical). This late in the game, I think someone in that office made a mistake or lost my application (TSgt. Mikus) and the cover-up is that they hoped to call me, withdraw the offer, and that would be the end of it. No questions asked on my end... hopefully.
Well I have questions...
And here's why I think this is some kind of cover-up:
- TSgt. Mikus was incredibly disorganized or forgetful with my file. I think I must have signed and turned in the same forms over and over again as he requested because he kept losing them or something. I didn't want to come off as a pain in the butt to them so I would just keep filling them out. The guy couldn't keep track of anything. He was not well-suited for HPSP.
- My medical records were sent to his office, but under a different recruiter's name. I think he just left the records sitting on a desk without even opening them for a long time. Nearly 2 months went by and he asked me constantly if I had obtained my medical records and could bring them to him. I could only tell him "They should be there by now"... I had to gently suggest he try opening any packages they might have received that weren't actually addressed to him and he finally found it (took him only 2 minutes). My app must have been running 2 months behind because of that oversight.
- One way or another, he offered me the scholarship. It was offered. It was signed. It was a done deal... from my eyes. Now with one week to go until school, I am desperate for answers.
I am a cordial person, I have understanding and goodwill. I very courteously emailed my recruiter's supervisor (MSgt. Diaz) and asked for his supervisor's contact info. I think if I need to bring this to someone's attention, I should not let this office sweep my acceptance letter under the rug as if it had not been offered. Someone high up needs to know that either these guys should not be offering scholarship letters so soon and then dashing out the hopes and dreams of med students right before they matriculate.
At any rate, I am not sure what else I can do, I can move on quickly, but I wanted to hear from what folks in this forum might say.
I have half a mind to think that I just got a dud recruiter and need to restart the app with a competent person. At this point, I would have to do the 3-yr HPSP. Might even GO NAVY!
Sorry for being TLDR... At best I was hoping to bring this to someone's attention, let the AF know they need to make improvements in this office in Aurora before they end up screwing someone else's life before med school.
Happy to answer any question... thx for reading...