r/Military_Medicine

Current civilian ICU nurse getting classes and crest out in place to apply to CRNA school within the next year or 2. Now that the loan caps are in full effect, I was looking at military options. With private loans almost being a necessity now, would military be a better route financially? I understand you’d be paid a lot less while serving your 3 or 5 years, but you’ll also not have any debt and be getting some sort of compensation during your training whether stipend or O1 pay. If anyone could share that would be greatly appreciated.

Can anyone confirm that a person with a pregnancy or postpartum profile is exempt from attending AMEDD CCC? If this is true, how long does the course 9-00-C23 (DL) stay valid?

TLDR - where will my family be while I go through the UMO pipeline and a potentially several month long holdover between ODS and phase I. Is it possible we’re apart for a year during this training?

I’m looking into direct accession into the Navy as a UMO. I’ve been told I’m among the first to do so (as in the first or second person ever). As such, my path is probably going to be different than many folks and the Navy is still figuring out how it’s going to work.

I’ll need to go to ODS, probably have some holdover time, and then start the 3 phase pipeline.

I’m married with kids so Im trying to figure out how these steps might happen. At first, my recruiter thought I’d get my final duty station upon commissioning before the pipeline. My family would PCS there and I would go to each school while they settle in.

That has changed and he was told the billet selection will happen the typical way where they’re assigned near the end of phase 2 or phase 3.

Is my family going to stay at our current home while I got to ODS then a holdover that could be as long as 5 months and then the 6 month pipeline? Will we PCS to Groton , I’ll do ODS and then do the holdover time and phase 1 and 3 there? Something else?

Are there corollaries? Maybe someone who graduated intern year and had holdover until the January UMO start?

I swear in this week and am wondering the process of applying for my CAC ID as well as how reimbursements work.

I’m an active duty DS at Fort Sam; 68W with paramedic. I have about 7 yrs time in service and am hoping to apply either to IPAP or EMDP2. I don’t have my bachelors yet and have only taken a few courses since I’ve been in (not including the paramedic program). I did go to a nursing school (BSN program), but dropped out 9 months prior to graduating to enlist (life happens). I have considered AECP, but truthfully I want the autonomy/larger skillset and the scope of practice that comes with either being a PA or MD. I’ve heard IPAP is actually harder to get into that EMDP2. Is this true?

I am looking for advice on an age waiver for the HPSP. I am 41 years old and planning to go back to medical school next fall (2027). I talked to an army recruiter about getting an age waiver for the HPSP and he acted like that is not possible for someone my age. I have read elsewhere that there are applicants getting approved older than me, even into their 50’s. This conflicting information is frustrating. Is there truly nothing I can do or do I just need to be directed down the correct pathway? Thank you.

Hi everyone. I wanted to reach out and see if anyone in MDSSP is able to confirm whether or not good years can be accumulated during medical school.

Also, if anyone wants to chime in about their overall experience with the program, I'd be happy to read about it. I'm a current M2 who is currently in the process. Thank you!

I’ve been thinking for a long time about joining the navy as a physician and am preparing to enter EM residency next year.
Looking at benefit programs my understanding of FAP is every 1/2 in residency is a 1/2 year active duty, but minimum 2 years active. However, 8 years total service commitment not including time in residency. So if I go down this path and take the minimum 2 years active I’d be in the reserves for six more years.
I’m assuming I could extend active duty to cover these years but if after two years I realize I hate active duty how time consuming and career limiting is the navy reserves? Would civilian employers be less likely to hire me due to the risk of me being deployed?

After taking the oath, how long does it take after that to get the first paycheck? It’s been 4 weeks for me since swearing in and I still didn’t hear/receive anything. My recruiter is out of office

Hey I'm looking to join either the Navy or Army after I finish my FNP next year. What are yalls thoughts towards military medicine? I understand the added responsibilities that providers in the military have. Would the navy or army be better for new grad FNP?

Does anyone know what steps are needed to become a 73B? I know you need to be licensed through the medical board, but how do you get to that point? If anyone has any information or advice, I would really appreciate it. Thank you in advance!

Hi all,

Spoke with a recruiter recently. My long term goal is to join the NG and serve as a field surgeon and/or flight surgeon as an attending. I am an M4 currently and I figured my more flexible fourth year schedule might allow me to join, but from what I heard it looks like this might be something I'll have to push off until late residency or after residency.

I heard I'd need to do a 3 week officer commissioning class, self paced online BOLIC course, then 3 weeks in person BOLIC, which is probably more time than I can afford as an M4, and certainly more time than I can afford as an early resident. I thought I had seen people join in M4/residency but the recruiter did say there is a new policy that you have to get all of the above done within 18 months of joining which makes that kind of thing difficult.

So I am now leaning towards just joining near the end of residency or as an early attending. But thought I would ask here just in case anyone knows of a work-around. Eager to join but need to do what's practical. To clarify this was army NG, not sure if air NG is different.

Thank you!

Hey! Curious how everyone’s experience has been with getting their stipends. I took my oath at the end of July so by no means am I expecting it soon, just curious how long it took everyone’s stipends to get to them. Trying to financially plan as best as I can lol

I'm a 4th-year med student applying to anesthesia. I've got above average step/level scores and have done well on core rotations. Not 100% I'll match this cycle, but anesthesia is what I want to do. If I don't match, I'll complete a TY/Gen Surg/Medicine intern year and will reapply. Two Q's.

1. Is it likely/possible to match Anesthesia after completing flight surgery?

2. Is TY/Surg/Med intern year preferred for a reapplicant to Anesthesia?

I’m considering USCG as a part time position for advancing my EMS career as I am a Licensed EMT-B at the moment. What sort of training would I be entitled to, What benefits am I eligible for? Fire/Medic is the end goal.

Hello,

I’m looking for some career/life advice from people who may have experience with the military, dentistry, engineering, or balancing two demanding careers.

I graduate in about a year with a Civil Engineering degree and have already accepted a position with a bridge design firm in Oklahoma City. I’ll graduate debt-free, and I’ve saved a significant amount of money that I plan to use to purchase a small multifamily property around the time I graduate.

My current plan is to stay in Oklahoma City for at least 4 years after graduation so I can:
• Earn my PE license
• Build experience as a bridge engineer
• Start buying and managing rental properties
• Establish a strong financial foundation before becoming more geographically flexible

My girlfriend is pre-dental and plans to apply to dental school next cycle. She already has some student debt, and we are seriously considering the **Air Force HPSP scholarship** because having dental school paid for and receiving a monthly stipend would significantly reduce the financial pressure during school.

The part we are struggling with is what happens **after dental school**.

If she goes the HPSP route, we know the Air Force could determine where she is stationed. Long distance is something we both strongly want to avoid.

The timing also makes this complicated. I should be getting my PE around the same time she graduates from dental school. We would like to be married by then and ideally start having children within the following few years.

Our long-term goals are to:
• Build a portfolio of rental properties
• Eventually move into larger real estate investments
• Have her own a dental practice someday
• Build our careers without sacrificing too much time together or putting unnecessary strain on our future family

For people who have been through something similar, I would really appreciate your perspective:

**1. Would you choose the Air Force HPSP or take out dental school loans in our situation?**
**2. How difficult is it realistically for an Air Force dentist to get stationed near a specific city or region, especially if their spouse has an established career?**
**3. Does being married or having children have much influence on assignments, or should we assume we could still be sent anywhere?**
**4. How common are deployments or extended periods apart for Air Force dentists?**
**5. For anyone who did HPSP, did the financial benefits outweigh the loss of control over where you lived and worked?**
**6. For dentists who took out loans instead, did the additional career/location freedom make the debt worth it?**
**7. Is there anything we should be doing over the next 4–5 years to make these two career paths work together better?**

I realize there probably isn’t a perfect answer. We’re mainly trying to figure out whether avoiding several hundred thousand dollars of potential dental school debt is worth giving up some control over our location during an important period of our lives.

I’ve always been a planner. I decided when I was young that I wanted to become a civil engineer and eventually invest in real estate, and I’ve spent years saving and preparing to finally start doing that. Now I’m trying to make sure we think through how **both of our careers, marriage, future kids, real estate, and her eventual dental practice fit together**, rather than making each decision independently.

Any advice or firsthand experiences would be greatly appreciated.

I have been an RN for about 5 months and am thinking about joining the US Army as a nurse active duty. I’ve been in contact with recruiters but none are army nurses… what does it really look like? I’ve tried to do research but it never really gives me a good picture of what I might see/do. Anyone have any experience/ advice??

My girlfriend was recently accepted into Army HPSP Dental and commissions next Monday.

When she submitted her packet months ago, she listed:

Fort Irwin, CA
Fort Huachuca, AZ
BAMC/Fort Sam Houston, TX

She didn’t really understand what the first two locations were like when she chose them. I wish she had disclosed this with me and asked me which bases to list, because from my experience at Fort Irwin, it is not a place anyone would like to be stationed at… I had a miserable time there and I’m sure many of you all can share similar experiences..

I was on the phone with her recruiter today because I am helping her finalize her paperwork before the commissioning, and was just finding out about her duty station preferences and I fear that she will get stationed at Irwin or Huachuca.. We plan on getting married before she graduates and with 4 year contract on the line we’re both really worried these choices are already locked in..

Can she still update her duty station preferences before her eventual Dental Corps assignment? Or are the preferences submitted with the original HPSP packet locked in?

Also, does HPSP Dental typically ask for updated preferences again closer to graduation?

Looking for anyone with **Army HPSP/Dental Corps/HRC assignment experience** who can clarify. Thanks!

Hi everyone I am a medical student and was wondering if anyone knows where I can find the FY27 DCC dates. I am trying to plan ahead. Someone at my unit sent me a list of dates but they do not include the June date that many of my friends went to this last June.

I would appreciate any help.

Current AF AD looking into this. anyone out there that’s gone through it recently or is in it and able to speak to these questions? haven’t been able to find much info online and the recruiter I talked too wasn’t super knowledgeable on this. TIA!

1. are you required to match military for residency? Or are you able to do residency civilian? If so, does that time still count towards AD? Does it increase your ADSC?
2. What rank do you commission at if you are prior service? I am Capt currently, would be meeting Maj boards during med school if still AD.
3. AF here so bear with me. what does medical look like in the Navy? Are you always assigned to a ship or primarily stay hospital/clinic only? How common are deployments/what do those look like? Do you only stay in your speciality or can “needs of the navy” have you taking a non-specialty (that doesn’t need specialized training) job? what is military residency like? What does typical day (hours/responsibilities/etc) look like? How often do Drs PCS?
4. Do you get BAH in addition to E-7 pay? If so, at E-7 rate?
5. are you eligible for continuation pay and medical bonus’s? If yes, is the ADSC able to run concurrent with the HSCP one?
6. If I have a current ADSC am I eligible to do this and just have the ADSC added onto the backend?

Anything else you wish you knew prior to doing HCSP?