With all this financial talk...

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I don't get it. Do you have to serve or is it some kind of option?
 
You don't have to go to USUHS to get the same benefits but you better figure out if the military is for you. If you are willing and capable of joining the military it is an excellent way to pay for medical school.
 
You can also get similar benefits at any medical school you get accepted to if you join the military and there is a similar public health core.
 
Health Professions Scholarship Program is one option and there is one other option, can't think of name off top of my head.
 
I've heard some very controversial discussions regarding doing military medicine for financial concerns.

If money is that big of a deal, go into private practice in a subspecialty and make bank.

Of course, the military route does have some interesting retirement perks courtesy of officer payment, but at the cost of mandated service.
 
PreMedOrDead said:
I've heard some very controversial discussions regarding doing military medicine for financial concerns.

If money is that big of a deal, go into private practice in a subspecialty and make bank.

Of course, the army does have some interesting retirement perks, but at the cost of mandated service.
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The military is only a good option if the military is something you would want to do. Doing it for the money alone is a dumb idea and you will probably be miserable and regret your choice.
 
Marleynarley said:
What do you guys think of the Uniformed Service University Medical School? I mean I know it's not a top school but its free (relatively) and an MD=MD=MD...
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As others have mentioned, it's useful for those who have served in the military.

So, not useful for me or most others.
 
There is also the US Public Health Service Commisioned Corp, which is also a contractual agreement with scholarship benefits.
 
And finally the National Health Service Corps.
 
Jas1360 said:
And finally the National Health Service Corps.
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Thanks for the info. Good to learn something new despite it's not my interest. You sure seem excited about this matter, since most of the posts in this thread are yours. :laugh:
 
Lol, just up too late at night plus I did a lot of research about this topic. My friends know better than talking to me about anything I'm interested in when I'm tired.
 
If you WANT to be in the military, then it is a good option. HPSP will get you to the same place as well. If you WANT to pay your debt off, you will probably regret going military very very sorely.
 
Jas1360 said:
Health Professions Scholarship Program is one option and there is one other option, can't think of name off top of my head.
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Financial Assistance Program (FAP)? The general consensus seems to be, if you want to join the military both hpsp and fap are great. However if the military is not your thing, you're better off taking out loans and paying them off. Like PreMedOrDead said, if you go private practice you'll definitely be able to pay it off. Though full tuition along with monthly spending money is enticing...
 
Jas1360 said:
The military is only a good option if the military is something you would want to do. Doing it for the money alone is a dumb idea and you will probably be miserable and regret your choice.
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This.

Moosepig said:
If you WANT to be in the military, then it is a good option. HPSP will get you to the same place as well. If you WANT to pay your debt off, you will probably regret going military very very sorely.
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And this.


/thread
 
Hau5MD said:
Financial Assistance Program (FAP)? The general consensus seems to be, if you want to join the military both hpsp and fap are great. However if the military is not your thing, you're better off taking out loans and paying them off. Like PreMedOrDead said, if you go private practice you'll definitely be able to pay it off. Though full tuition along with monthly spending money is enticing...
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FAP has nothing to do with military service and only mitigates the costs associated with applying (ie, MCAT registration and sending your AMCAS, though many schools recognize FAP and decrease or eliminate their secondary fees). It's based strictly on parental income.

(sent from my phone)
 
NickNaylor said:
FAP has nothing to do with military service and only mitigates the costs associated with applying (ie, MCAT registration and sending your AMCAS, though many schools recognize FAP and decrease or eliminate their secondary fees). It's based strictly on parental income.

(sent from my phone)
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Actually there are two different FAP programs. The one you mentioned is through AMCAS and does exactly what you said. The other one is through the military for people in residency training. They have similar names but they are completely different programs. Fee Assistance Program versus Financial Assistance Program (military).
 
Jas1360 said:
Actually there are two different FAP programs. The one you mentioned is through AMCAS and does exactly what you said. The other one is through the military for people in residency training. They have similar names but they are completely different programs. Fee Assistance Program versus Financial Assistance Program (military).
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Ah, thank you for the correction. Haven't heard of that program before. I also didn't see that Hau5 said financial instead of fee. My bad, Hau5.

(sent from my phone)
 
I though the Uniformed Service school was Osteopathic.
 
Did you also get a survey in the mail about military medicine? They gave me a dollar and said I would get 5 more if I filled it out.
 
Jas1360 said:
The military is only a good option if the military is something you would want to do. Doing it for the money alone is a dumb idea and you will probably be miserable and regret your choice.
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👍

USUHS you are on active duty, so you get paid more per month compared to HPSP. But the commitment is 7 years (post-residency, some can be paid off pre-residency doing GMO).

HPSP is a 4 year commitment (post residency OR some or all paid off GMO). This is much easier to get back out into the civilian world sooner.

FAP allows you to match into a civilian residency and then serve post residency. Though, I believe they only pay off a certain amount of loans per year. If you are unsure you want to commit to the military at this point, it may be the best. However, they only take docs that they are lacking, so they may not accept you if they already have enough of certain specialty, so it is no guarantee.
 
Hau5MD said:
What's the survey on?
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Its all about what you think about military medicine. They want to know if people are aware of the options and they want to know what people think about military medicine. What kind of preconceived ideas to prospective medical students hold?
 
I don't know about USUMS, but with HPSP, you almost have to go to a military residency, and then I'm pretty sure they can essentially dictate what you will specialize in. If you are interested in ortho and have the scores and they need ortho, then you may get that residency. But if they don't have the residency available, they will have you specialize in something they are in need of (i.e. family, psych, etc.) You get to go to school for free plus a good stipend each month, but you end up giving that time back after medical school (I hope you like the military) with the possibility of deployment and not practicing in the field you choose. Most of the physicians I have talked to said stay away from HPSP unless you have that desire for military work. I am not saying military work is bad. I have huge respect for our troops and military personnel. It just is not for everyone.

If any of this is wrong, please let me know (I know you internet fiends will).
 
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