Recruiter vs Forum? unclear

[Flyerlax42]

I am a pre-med heart set on joining the military to serve; money not an issue. I want to do a GMO tour and then a fairly competative residency. My recruiter said to me that if i do that 2 years as a FS or GMO then do my residency all I owe is 2 years after that as say an opthamologist or radiologist, no matter what. Reading these posts I think that's selective truth. Theoretically, if I did opthamology i would have to pay back 3 years for the 3 year military residency? but 2 if i did a deferrment to a civilian residency is that correct? So i could owe more time by doing a military residency? right? that is my big question does a military residency add more time?
Finally, since both GMO that i want to do are 2.5 years with the 6 month training how does that work with pay back is it really 3 years if u strecth that tour out or wait 6mnths to do it? I could jsut do a 3 year scholarship and then be done with the military and off to my speciality of my choice (more or less). If i did 4 years I'd still have 1.5 left, too short to do another fs or dmo tour? right you cannot cut it short? but if i want to go into surgery after my tourh that would mean i would have to owe another 4 or 5 years for that military residency? Also, how hard is it for a returing GMO doctor to get that civilian deferrment? I just want to get all the fine print before I sign.

is that correct?
i just want to make sure I have all my facts before i pick branches/years to serve
thanks alot

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[IgD]

See example #2 on http://www.hpsp.net/index.php?title=HPSP

 

[Flyerlax42]

See example #2 on http://www.hpsp.net/index.php?title=HPSP

thanks alot, really helpful

take care

 

[psychbender]

You do a military residency, you owe a length of time equal to the length of the residency. Do a four-year ER residency, owe four years after residency. Pick a six-year ortho residency, owe six years after the residency. This is regardless of whether you take a three or four-year scholarship (as, time in residency pays back the scholarship years, then you incur a time-debt for the residency). If you do a civilian deferment, then you owe a number of years equal to your scholarship length (three year scholarship, three year payback). So, if you took a three-year scholarship, got a civilian deferment into the six-year ortho residency, you'd come back owing three years (or, possibly do those three years as a GMO pre-residency).

 

[NavyFP]

You do a military residency, you owe a length of time equal to the length of the residency. Do a four-year ER residency, owe four years after residency. Pick a six-year ortho residency, owe six years after the residency. This is regardless of whether you take a three or four-year scholarship (as, time in residency pays back the scholarship years, then you incur a time-debt for the residency). If you do a civilian deferment, then you owe a number of years equal to your scholarship length (three year scholarship, three year payback). So, if you took a three-year scholarship, got a civilian deferment into the six-year ortho residency, you'd come back owing three years (or, possibly do those three years as a GMO pre-residency).

No, you do not pay any time back with residency, but you pay residency concurrently with the HPSP time.

 

[psychbender]

See, that's where I got a bit confused with how different people presented it.

Ok, but the result is the same in that you owe a length of time equal to that of your military residency, or length of scholarship, if no military residency taken.

 

[BuckyBoy_DDS]

See example #2 on http://www.hpsp.net/index.php?title=HPSP

That link says you only get $35k for tuition...


I thought the military pays FULL tuition, is there a cap?

 

[notdeadyet]

I am a pre-med heart set on joining the military to serve; money not an issue.

If that's the case, why not just finish med school and then join? If you went to the military with MD in hand, they'd trip over themselves trying to get you to sign up. You'd have a lot more leverage than someone with a BA.

You could even do the FAP program after you graduate, which would pay you quite a bit, if you wanted to avoid the GMO thing.

 

[jsnuka]

That link says you only get $35k for tuition...


I thought the military pays FULL tuition, is there a cap?

I know that in the funded legal program, they only give out a few awards to people going to expensive alw schools. They try to steer you to go to your state school. It may be the same way wit hmed school too.

 

[edmadison]

If that's the case, why not just finish med school and then join? If you went to the military with MD in hand, they'd trip over themselves trying to get you to sign up. You'd have a lot more leverage than someone with a BA.

You could even do the FAP program after you graduate, which would pay you quite a bit, if you wanted to avoid the GMO thing.

You can do either of these, of course. The biggest downside is that your FAP money is taxed, but HPSP scholarship is not.

Ed

 

[Flyerlax42]

I cant thank everyone enough for your responses.

I want to do a GMO, flight surgeon or undersea medical officer. I just dont want to get burned by doing a 4 or 5 year residency with 1.5 years left as repayment for HSPS. You can do all your time as a GMO and leave in exactly the 3 or 4 years right? or does however long your 2nd GMO tour is mark the end of your duty. For example, if a HSPS takes a 2 year flight surgeon billet and then another 2 year flight surgeon billet is it 4 years u now have to serve now or can u leave after u have repayed ur 3?

thanks again, I am facing a lot of family pressure not to join so I want to have the facts perfect plus now i dont trust my recruiter.

 

[orbitsurgMD]

I cant thank everyone enough for your responses.

I want to do a GMO, flight surgeon or undersea medical officer. I just dont want to get burned by doing a 4 or 5 year residency with 1.5 years left as repayment for HSPS.

You will certainly have longer than that to repay after the end of your residency, regardless of whether you do a GMO/FS/DMO tour before your residency, unless you complete all of your obligation as a GMO first, then exit the service and do a civilian residency without service support.

You can do all your time as a GMO and leave in exactly the 3 or 4 years right?

Right.

or does however long your 2nd GMO tour is mark the end of your duty. For example, if a HSPS takes a 2 year flight surgeon billet and then another 2 year flight surgeon billet is it 4 years u now have to serve now or can u leave after u have repayed ur 3?

It can depend. Normally you can leave at the end of your EAOS. But if you sign an extension agreement that is tied to your annual bonus payment, and the year period over which the bonus is paid ends after your EAOS, you are obligated to stay until that later date. To leave at your initial end of obligated active service date,you must forgo the bonus for that remaining part year from the end of the prior bonus period until the EAOS date. No partial payment for partial year, that is.

You can also be extended by Presidential order or Congressional act. You can be extended if you voluntarily accept orders to a billet that involves a minimum duty tour, which you are supposed to be told about before you accept, like an accompanied overseas tour with a 3-year minimum.

thanks again, I am facing a lot of family pressure not to join

Think seriously about not joining, if that is the case.

so I want to have the facts perfect

Good idea.

plus now i dont trust my recruiter.

Also a good idea. They will lie and/or conceal the whole truth from you.

 

[wook]

I am a pre-med heart set on joining the military to serve; money not an issue. I want to do a GMO tour and then a fairly competative residency. My recruiter said to me that if i do that 2 years as a FS or GMO then do my residency all I owe is 2 years after that as say an opthamologist or radiologist, no matter what. Reading these posts I think that's selective truth. Theoretically, if I did opthamology i would have to pay back 3 years for the 3 year military residency? but 2 if i did a deferrment to a civilian residency is that correct? So i could owe more time by doing a military residency? right? that is my big question does a military residency add more time?
Finally, since both GMO that i want to do are 2.5 years with the 6 month training how does that work with pay back is it really 3 years if u strecth that tour out or wait 6mnths to do it? I could jsut do a 3 year scholarship and then be done with the military and off to my speciality of my choice (more or less). If i did 4 years I'd still have 1.5 left, too short to do another fs or dmo tour? right you cannot cut it short? but if i want to go into surgery after my tourh that would mean i would have to owe another 4 or 5 years for that military residency? Also, how hard is it for a returing GMO doctor to get that civilian deferrment? I just want to get all the fine print before I sign.

is that correct?
i just want to make sure I have all my facts before i pick branches/years to serve
thanks alot

It sounds like you want to do a GMO tour first, then residency. If you are looking at civilian residency be advised that some programs are not as receptive to older and more experienced candidates. In my case, I had no previous professional medical experience, but several programs expressed concern since I had significant experience (ie concern about my age). One person who was interviewing with me (he was just completing his GMO) at one program admitted that he was asked outright if he would be able to handle working as a resident since he had been a GMO for several years. Just something to keep in mind....



Wook

 

[NavyFP]

Psychbender -Ok, but the result is the same in that you owe a length of time equal to that of your military residency, or length of scholarship, if no military residency taken.

Not necessarily, If you do PEDs/IM/FP and go straight through you would owe 2 years for residency (internship is a neutral year). With a 4 years HPSP committment, you would still owe 4 years which is longer than the residency payback.


Buckeyboy-DDS That link says you only get $35k for tuition...
I thought the military pays FULL tuition, is there a cap?

No, there is no cap. It is full tuition, fees, required materials. If all that costs $60K, then DOD will fork out $60K.

 

[Galo]

I cant thank everyone enough for your responses.

I want to do a GMO, flight surgeon or undersea medical officer. I just dont want to get burned by doing a 4 or 5 year residency with 1.5 years left as repayment for HSPS. You can do all your time as a GMO and leave in exactly the 3 or 4 years right? or does however long your 2nd GMO tour is mark the end of your duty. For example, if a HSPS takes a 2 year flight surgeon billet and then another 2 year flight surgeon billet is it 4 years u now have to serve now or can u leave after u have repayed ur 3?

thanks again, I am facing a lot of family pressure not to join so I want to have the facts perfect plus now i dont trust my recruiter.

Listen to your family. Read these forums, and call up Navy bases and talk to as many physicians as you can. Unless you want to be an officer first and a physician a distant second, the military is not a good way to become or practice as a physician. By doing the GMO years you will only put off getting trained, and although its been debated here before, possibly make you less likely to get into a "competitive" residency.

Good luck

 

[AF M4]

Slow down Flyer - just wait, you do NOT have to make a decision now, and you DEFINITELY should not.

I'm a 4th year HPSP for the Air Force, wanting to go into ER. I've worked my butt off and done well in med school, but might not get into residency because there are only so many slots and lots of people with active duty experience in line ahead of me. So I'll probably end up doing a tour as a flight surgeon, which should be fun, although it's not what I'd wanted to do.

Anyway, you're pre-med now, right? You have NO idea what lies in store for you in medical school. NO IDEA. I'm sure you thought you studied hard in college (I know I did), but just wait for the first biochem exam, and especially Step 1. You will go through a lot, and your views about a lot of things will undoubtedly change. There will be many times that you'll think that going into medicine was not the right thing for you, and you might even decide to do something else. It will be stressful, and there will be a lot of uncertainty. If you have a family, even more so. But the thing to take away from it is this: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION RIGHT NOW. Do NOT sign any military contract as a medical student. Complete medical school first, then decide if after all those long hours whether you want to be locked into a contract for the next several years. If you still want to serve in the military, great, look up the FAP page for details and start from there. If not, then you haven't locked yourself into working really hard for something and not getting exactly what you worked so hard for. Keep your options open - every branch of the military will always desperately need doctors, and they'll always be willing to sign you up.