Toying with HPSP, but concerned about an IM future

[haikuhero]

Few things to address:
- I have been reading in this mil med forum on related topics. I mostly got my answer. Want to see if there is any fresh perspectives.
- I've been accepted for 5 US MD and am actively doing HPSP paperwork
- Currently being courted by the army


Scenario:
I am interested in FM, EM, Heme/Onc, and I'm pretty certain I can squeeze out a FM/EM/IM slot in the Army, do my commitment, see the desert, and be on my merry way.

I wanted to do HPSP since high school (uncle did HPSP), my dad is in the military, I was born on base, and grew up in a military community. I know about, and am ok with all the bologna of the military and look forward to aspects of it.

However.... over the last 3-4 years, Heme Onc has crept into the picture as a serious specialty to consider (due to a personal vandetta). However, I do not think my security on getting an IM > Heme/Onc is very good. And after that, my military training in this subspeciality would seriously hinder what I do in civilian after neverland is over. I do not think I would enjoy my life if I got stuck doing just IM (I can't tell you this right now, since I haven't had enough exposure to in patient medicine, but the same reason I want to do FM, I want to do Heme/Onc)

This interest in Heme/Onc (or any IM subspecialty) has caused me to pump the breaks and consider putting this decade long dream to rest.

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[DrMetal]

Few things to address:
- I have been reading in this mil med forum on related topics. I mostly got my answer. Want to see if there is any fresh perspectives.
- I've been accepted for 5 US MD and am actively doing HPSP paperwork
- Currently being courted by the army


Scenario:
I am interested in FM, EM, Heme/Onc, and I'm pretty certain I can squeeze out a FM/EM/IM slot in the Army, do my commitment, see the desert, and be on my merry way.

I wanted to do HPSP since high school (uncle did HPSP), my dad is in the military, I was born on base, and grew up in a military community. I know about, and am ok with all the bologna of the military and look forward to aspects of it.

However.... over the last 3-4 years, Heme Onc has crept into the picture as a serious specialty to consider (due to a personal vandetta). However, I do not think my security on getting an IM > Heme/Onc is very good. And after that, my military training in this subspeciality would seriously hinder what I do in civilian after neverland is over. I do not think I would enjoy my life if I got stuck doing just IM (I can't tell you this right now, since I haven't had enough exposure to in patient medicine, but the same reason I want to do FM, I want to do Heme/Onc)

This interest in Heme/Onc (or any IM subspecialty) has caused me to pump the breaks and consider putting this decade long dream to rest.

No one can guarantee you a fellowship spot at this point. In the Navy, we only make one Heme/Onc per year. I dunno what the Army's numbers are, likely not much greater.

You need to be ok with being a general Internist, at least for some part/time of your career. If you're not ok with that, don't take HPSP.

 

[orbitsurgMD]

Few things to address:
- I have been reading in this mil med forum on related topics. I mostly got my answer. Want to see if there is any fresh perspectives.
- I've been accepted for 5 US MD and am actively doing HPSP paperwork
- Currently being courted by the army


Scenario:
I am interested in FM, EM, Heme/Onc, and I'm pretty certain I can squeeze out a FM/EM/IM slot in the Army, do my commitment, see the desert, and be on my merry way.

I wanted to do HPSP since high school (uncle did HPSP), my dad is in the military, I was born on base, and grew up in a military community. I know about, and am ok with all the bologna of the military and look forward to aspects of it.

However.... over the last 3-4 years, Heme Onc has crept into the picture as a serious specialty to consider (due to a personal vandetta). However, I do not think my security on getting an IM > Heme/Onc is very good. And after that, my military training in this subspeciality would seriously hinder what I do in civilian after neverland is over. I do not think I would enjoy my life if I got stuck doing just IM (I can't tell you this right now, since I haven't had enough exposure to in patient medicine, but the same reason I want to do FM, I want to do Heme/Onc)

This interest in Heme/Onc (or any IM subspecialty) has caused me to pump the breaks and consider putting this decade long dream to rest.

It ain't your daddy's (or uncle's) HPSP.
It ain't your daddy's (or uncle's) Army (or Navy, or Air Force)
The viewpoints on HPSP here range across a long period. What your uncle may have experienced may not represent the near-term future at all.
If you have your hopes for training in a medicine subspecialty like heme-onc, or for that matter any other subspecialty, take seriously the comments recent active-duty people have made about how few people get selected for fellowship training in any given year. There aren't many places in the military where a subspecialist can have enough case volume to stay on top of his/her game. Those hospitals may have only one or two subspecialists. These people stay at whatever center they are working for long periods of time, so unless they are retiring, there may not be a reason to send an interested internist for fellowship training unless there is a certain job for them at the end of their training. If you really want something like heme-onc and would be unhappy waiting 2-4 years for fellowship orders while you saw lots of general internal medicine clinic burning up your payback, only to have it all wound back up after a fellowship, then stay civilian, train civilian to whatever level you want in whatever you want and size up the opportunities in milmed if that still interests you.