VA HPSP (Physician)

[cheddacheese]

I also heard that I was on the Alternate List on Tuesday. I am rooting for all of us!!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[BotanistOncResSur]

Me too! I got the alternate list decision yesterday. I’m praying that we’re all offered the scholarship in the upcoming weeks.

 

[BotanistOncResSur]

Well guys the Russia crisis may have sparked an increase in the funding for our scholarship program. There’s likely to be a lot more vets needing our assistance. At the end of this, we may be living in a very different world.

 

[cardiology4life]

I also heard back yesterday and was put on the Alternate list. I also think it is a good sign due to the lack of funding. I emailed Scott, and he told me that I should hear back by end of March. Finger crossed for both of us and others!

I too was placed on the alternate list last month and recently emailed Scott and he also told me that they will make Summer 2022/Fall 2023 decisions by end of March. He also told me that the alternate list has nothing to do with not being highly qualified or competitive which is interestingly NOT what someone else, named Richell from the VA, said to a friend of mine when they inquired about their alternate status....I hope that it is a matter of funding and that we all get it! There is not a whole lot of info and transparency. It's a great program otherwise.

 

[cardiology4life]

The previous stats for acceptance was around 64 of 140-150 or applicants. So not too terrible

 

[Binnie5337]

I too was placed on the alternate list last month and recently emailed Scott and he also told me that they will make Summer 2022/Fall 2023 decisions by end of March. He also told me that the alternate list has nothing to do with not being highly qualified or competitive which is interestingly NOT what someone else, named Richell from the VA, said to a friend of mine when they inquired about their alternate status....I hope that it is a matter of funding and that we all get it! There is not a whole lot of info and transparency. It's a great program otherwise.

Can you please elaborate on what Richell has said to your friend?

 

[cardiology4life]

Can you please elaborate on what Richell has said to your friend?

Not much to elaborate, but it was along the lines of if you are in alternate status, it means that you are currently not among the most highly qualified/ competitive candidate, but your app will go through a second look. But this is not what Scott told me. He said it has nothing to do with competitiveness of an application. Again, a bit confusing...all we can do is wait

 

[kj4084]

What seems to be the turnaround time between submission and having your application scored?

 

[futuredoc002]

What seems to be the turnaround time between submission and having your application scored?

I submitted my application on Feb 23rd and as of today my application has been scored. Hoping that's a good sign!

 

[blackbearfox]

I have a question about how this scholarship works... I recently received a quarter tuition scholarship from one of the schools I was accepted to worth approximately 14k a year. If I were awarded the VA HPSP to cover my tuition, would I get the quarter tuition difference to cover my living expenses or is that quarter tuition just chalked up as a nice bonus for the VA not to have to pay?

 

[deleted959484]

I have a question about how this scholarship works... I recently received a quarter tuition scholarship from one of the schools I was accepted to worth approximately 14k a year. If I were awarded the VA HPSP to cover my tuition, would I get the quarter tuition difference to cover my living expenses or is that quarter tuition just chalked up as a nice bonus for the VA not to have to pay?

I had a scholarship before getting the VA HPSP that the school gave to someone else due to getting a full ride from the VA. Probably school specific policies so wouldn’t hurt to reach out to your financial aid office.

 

[LLamb]

Just heard back, changed from alternate list to offer declined. I really had my hopes up so its disappointing. But just feeling blessed to be able to go to medical school in the first place! Best of luck to you all! Wishing you all the best!

 

[kimwipes only]

Status changed to Offer Pending! I was placed on Alternate list a week ago. Good luck to everyone!

 

[inwantstobeadoctor]

Did it take y’all long to fill out the application??

 

[cardiology4life]

Status changed to Offer Pending! I was placed on Alternate list a week ago. Good luck to everyone!

Congratulations! Did you get the email beforehand or was the status first changed on the portal?

 

[cardiology4life]

Did it take y’all long to fill out the application??

It’s really easy to do just make sure you write some good essays

 

[GeneralStCloud]

Status changed to Offer Pending! I was placed on Alternate list a week ago. Good luck to everyone!

Same, on the website. Does 'offer pending' imply anything? I'm not sure if it just means we are still waiting?

 

[blackbearfox]

Congrats to those who got accepted today! Still filling out my application but very excited about the prospects. I had a quick question I wanted to drop in here... So I understand that you have to relocate to work for 6 years wherever there is a need for you. I am trying to figure out VA physician salaries by looking at various job opening for different specialties on USAjob.com or whatever that website is. I found it kinda surprising how different pay can be in different locations. Within the same specialty, there were positions that had a 100k pay discrepancy. Since the VA knows they have us locked in for 6 years, are they most likely to send you to the location that pays the least and to save the higher paying positions for doctors that are not contractually obligated to work for them? This is the primary concern I have since if the VA were to put me in the lowest paying position for my specialty, it would not be financially worth it at all to take the scholarship. If they allowed you to pick a mid level or high paying position, the scholarship might be worth it. I know the program is too young to know exactly how they will place doctors on HPSP but would love to hear some insight if anyone had thought about this before

 

[GeneralStCloud]

Congrats to those who got accepted today! Still filling out my application but very excited about the prospects. I had a quick question I wanted to drop in here... So I understand that you have to relocate to work for 6 years wherever there is a need for you. I am trying to figure out VA physician salaries by looking at various job opening for different specialties on USAjob.com or whatever that website is. I found it kinda surprising how different pay can be in different locations. Within the same specialty, there were positions that had a 100k pay discrepancy. Since the VA knows they have us locked in for 6 years, are they most likely to send you to the location that pays the least and to save the higher paying positions for doctors that are not contractually obligated to work for them? This is the primary concern I have since if the VA were to put me in the lowest paying position for my specialty, it would not be financially worth it at all to take the scholarship. If they allowed you to pick a mid level or high paying position, the scholarship might be worth it. I know the program is too young to know exactly how they will place doctors on HPSP but would love to hear some insight if anyone had thought about this before

From my understanding (jar of salt), you are able to apply to ANY job that fits your specialty on USAjobs.gov. The base salary essentially shakes out to 200k, then they add additional if you are in a higher paying specialty (neuro for example). I got this information via a phone call with Scott a few months ago.

 

[blackbearfox]

From my understanding (jar of salt), you are able to apply to ANY job that fits your specialty on USAjobs.gov. The base salary essentially shakes out to 200k, then they add additional if you are in a higher paying specialty (neuro for example). I got this information via a phone call with Scott a few months ago.

Oh fantastic. Thats so helpful!

 

[kimwipes only]

Congratulations! Did you get the email beforehand or was the status first changed on the portal?

Yes, I got the email first.

 

[kimwipes only]

Same, on the website. Does 'offer pending' imply anything? I'm not sure if it just means we are still waiting?

Based on the email it sent to me, the committee has already made the selection decision, it will only need the chairperson to sign to make it official.

 

[GeneralStCloud]

Based on the email it sent to me, the committee has already made the selection decision, it will only need the chairperson to sign to make it official.

I read a few people the email that was sent and none of them knew what it meant. I emailed and asked. Response below.

'You will get an official award notification once the selection committee chairmen approves the selections.'

 

[Binnie5337]

Just heard back, changed from alternate list to offer declined. I really had my hopes up so its disappointing. But just feeling blessed to be able to go to medical school in the first place! Best of luck to you all! Wishing you all the best!

Sorry to hear that! You can apply again next year as an MS1! But congrats on the med school acceptance! Hope things will work out for you!

 

[smashedpotato13]

I read a few people the email that was sent and none of them knew what it meant. I emailed and asked. Response below.

'You will get an official award notification once the selection committee chairmen approves the selections.'

I also got this same response when I asked what “offer pending” meant on my account!

 

[southernbellepremed]

I'm a little confused by the application. Once I have reached the academic verification and other forms page, do I print and email those forms to my school to fill out? Is there a separate evaluation form for the recommenders to fill out? How do I upload the completed forms? If someone could please help me it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[blackbearfox]

I'm a little confused by the application. Once I have reached the academic verification and other forms page, do I print and email those forms to my school to fill out? Is there a separate evaluation form for the recommenders to fill out? How do I upload the completed forms? If someone could please help me it would be greatly appreciated!

Its pretty simple on your end.. you just enter the email address of your evaluators and they get sent an email on how to create a VA account and submit the eval form. For academic verification, you just enter the info for your dean of admissions and they get sent an email on how to fill out their portion. I would call your school though just to give them a heads up of whats going on and the rundown of the form they need to fill out since many medical schools arent familiar with the specifics of the VA HPSP like they are with the military HPSPs

 

[hello__2019]

Hi everyone, on Thursday of last week, I was told I was an alternate and then a few minutes later received an email that my selection was pending. Today, I was notified that I was tentatively selected for the scholarship.

 

[inwantstobeadoctor]

Hi everyone, on Thursday of last week, I was told I was an alternate and then a few minutes later received an email that my selection was pending. Today, I was notified that I was tentatively selected for the scholarship.

Omg congratulations!!!! That's so exciting

 

[hello__2019]

Omg congratulations!!!! That's so exciting

Thank you! I am super excited

 

[kimwipes only]

Hi everyone, on Thursday of last week, I was told I was an alternate and then a few minutes later received an email that my selection was pending. Today, I was notified that I was tentatively selected for the scholarship.

Congratulations! Do you know if there is a deadline to accept and proceed? I received it too yesterday but I am out of country and couldn’t log in because of the phone verification.

 

[smashedpotato13]

You have 7 days to respond to the award. If after 7 days you haven’t, they rescind your offer.

 

[southernbellepremed]

Its pretty simple on your end.. you just enter the email address of your evaluators and they get sent an email on how to create a VA account and submit the eval form. For academic verification, you just enter the info for your dean of admissions and they get sent an email on how to fill out their portion. I would call your school though just to give them a heads up of whats going on and the rundown of the form they need to fill out since many medical schools arent familiar with the specifics of the VA HPSP like they are with the military HPSPs

Thank you so much!

 

[kimwipes only]

You have 7 days to respond to the award. If after 7 days you haven’t, they rescind your offer.

Thank you for the info! Is there an email i can reply back to, like Scott Dixon ? or i have get into the account to click an acceptance button?

 

[smashedpotato13]

Thank you for the info! Is there an email i can reply back to, like Scott Dixon ? or i have get into the account to click an acceptance button?

You have to get into the account to accept the offer!

 

[kimwipes only]

You have to get into the account to accept the offer!

okay, Thank you!

 

[blackbearfox]

I had one other question I was curious about... If I get the scholarship before I enter medical school, can I accept it for my first three years of school and then drop the scholarship for my fourth year so that I would only have to work at the VA for 4.5 years? or do they make all M1s lock in for the full four years?

 

[hello__2019]

I had one other question I was curious about... If I get the scholarship before I enter medical school, can I accept it for my first three years of school and then drop the scholarship for my fourth year so that I would only have to work at the VA for 4.5 years? or do they make all M1s lock in for the full four years?

We had a call yesterday and they told us no. You can’t piecemeal the scholarship. So once you commit then you commit until you are done with medical school. And if you take it for 3 years and one semester, you will owe 6 years.

 

[deleted771945]

We had a call yesterday and they told us no. You can’t piecemeal the scholarship. So once you commit then you commit until you are done with medical school. And if you take it for 3 years and one semester, you will owe 6 years.

Ah, so if I wanted the scholarship for my last 2 years of medical school only, I would have to apply right before my 2nd year starts then, and I would have to do 3 years of service. Is my thinking correct?

 

[hello__2019]

Ah, so if I wanted the scholarship for my last 2 years of medical school only, I would have to apply right before my 2nd year starts then, and I would have to do 3 years of service. Is my thinking correct?

Yes this seems correct based on the call.

 

[mbennett6999]

Hey all!

I looked through here and think I have a good idea of timeline, but has anyone recently (after early Feb) submitted their application. Any idea how long it takes from being scored to having a decision made? Very anxiously awaiting some kind of decision.

 

[Binnie5337]

Hey all!

I looked through here and think I have a good idea of timeline, but has anyone recently (after early Feb) submitted their application. Any idea how long it takes from being scored to having a decision made? Very anxiously awaiting some kind of decision.

For me, it took ~1 month from app submission to final decision.

Submitted: Mon, Feb 7, 2022
Scored: Mon, Feb 14, 2022
Alternate List: Tues, Feb 22, 2022
Final Decision: Thurs, Mar 03, 2022

 

[cheddacheese]

I submitted at the end of January and was scored within a week. I received word that I am on the alternate list on Tuesday, Feb 22nd, but haven't heard anything about a decision yet! I am an MS-1 though, so that could have changed the schedule too. Fingers crossed that I hear back this week!

 

[mbennett6999]

For me, it took ~1 month from app submission to final decision.

Submitted: Mon, Feb 7, 2022
Scored: Mon, Feb 14, 2022
Alternate List: Tues, Feb 22, 2022
Final Decision: Thurs, Mar 03, 2022

Thank you so much!

 

[smashedpotato13]

I’m still waiting for the background and finger printing email. How long does it take? Just want to get the process moving!

 

[skaran17]

From my understanding (jar of salt), you are able to apply to ANY job that fits your specialty on USAjobs.gov. The base salary essentially shakes out to 200k, then they add additional if you are in a higher paying specialty (neuro for example). I got this information via a phone call with Scott a few months ago.

Just to clarify, does this mean that in order to fulfill your service obligation as a VA doc, you can just apply normally to any VA hospitals you like? They don't place you somewhere?

 

[blackbearfox]

Has anyone on hear gone from "application scored" to an immediate acceptance? I just got an email that I was on the alternate list but it seems that most everyone that has gotten the scholarship was put on the alternate list first. Just trying to figure out how I should take this news/understand my prospects of getting the scholarship. Thanks!

 

[mbennett6999]

Has anyone on hear gone from "application scored" to an immediate acceptance? I just got an email that I was on the alternate list but it seems that most everyone that has gotten the scholarship was put on the alternate list first. Just trying to figure out how I should take this news/understand my prospects of getting the scholarship. Thanks!

Not sure. I feel like last year I saw a few immediate acceptances. I also was placed on the alternate list today (3/23). For reference, I was scored on 3/14

 

[cardiology4life]

Not sure. I feel like last year I saw a few immediate acceptances. I also was placed on the alternate list today (3/23). For reference, I was scored on 3/14

I’ve been on the alternate list for about a month now :/ I think they are wrapping up by end of March

 

[mbennett6999]

I’ve been on the alternate list for about a month now :/ I think they are wrapping up by end of March

Fingers crossed everyone get it! It sort of looks like it comes in batches toward the end of each month?? Is that what you think Scott was implying when you spoke with him? Also, nothing I need to do if I'm on the alternate list right?