USAFA and HPSP

[Tennis0102]

Hello, I am a senior in high school and just accepted my appointment to the AFA. I very much like a lot of the different career paths, but have been a bit confused with how HPSP works with USAFA. I understand the commitment time incurred for medical school and how it lines up with residency but was wondering if it adds on to commitment from USAFA or if it is paid off at the same time you are active duty for USAFA. For example after graduating USAFA I owe 5 years, if I got HPSP and went to medical school for 4 years I would then owe 4 years for my medical school scholarship. Would these be paid off at the same time or would I be required to be active duty for 9 years total?
Also, is residency or subspecialties considered active duty, and if they are would they count towards the required time for USAFA?

 

[AFrpaso]

Good question.

I know that the Active Duty Service Commitment (ADSC) for traditional follow-on graduate education is served concurrently with the Academy's ADSC. I also know that the timer doesn't start on the additional commitment until after the program is completed.

If the AF handles medical school in a similar fashion, then the 4-year ADSC incurred through HPSP would start once you finished the medical school program. At that point, you would have served 4/5 years of the Academy's ADSC. The last year of the Academy ADSC would run concurrently with the first year of the HPSP ADSC. Then you would need to serve the remaining three years of the HPSP ADSC. That makes a total of eight years of active service, four of which would be served in medical school.

You should confirm this through other means.

They're not treated the same. See AROTC Parent's post. They are more knowledgeable.

 

[AROTC Parent]

Hello, I am a senior in high school and just accepted my appointment to the AFA. I very much like a lot of the different career paths, but have been a bit confused with how HPSP works with USAFA. I understand the commitment time incurred for medical school and how it lines up with residency but was wondering if it adds on to commitment from USAFA or if it is paid off at the same time you are active duty for USAFA. For example after graduating USAFA I owe 5 years, if I got HPSP and went to medical school for 4 years I would then owe 4 years for my medical school scholarship. Would these be paid off at the same time or would I be required to be active duty for 9 years total?

More likely 14 years active duty. The commitment is consecutive not concurrent for AFA and HPSP. An HPSP scholarship does not always equate to a four year obligation - it depends on your Residency after Med School among other variables.

The math isn't simple but here is an easy example without citing the US Code or Regulations. AFA 4 years. Med School on HPSP 4 years. You will be 26 when starting a Military Residency on Active Duty (ex is Orthopedics) 5 years. Payback as MD/DO is 4 years for the Residency/HPSP obligation and 5 years for AFA Obligation = 14 years on Active Duty. The commitment is longer if selected for a funded civilian residency or for other medical specialties with longer residencies. Assuming you are 18 you will be at least 36 40 when exiting Active Duty.

Edit: with underline and stike through. Tennis- thanks for checking my math skills....

 

[AROTC Parent]

Good question.

I know that the Active Duty Service Commitment (ADSC) for traditional follow-on graduate education is served concurrently with the Academy's ADSC. I also know that the timer doesn't start on the additional commitment until after the program is completed.

If the AF handles medical school in a similar fashion, then the 4-year ADSC incurred through HPSP would start once you finished the medical school program. At that point, you would have served 4/5 years of the Academy's ADSC. The last year of the Academy ADSC would run concurrently with the first year of the HPSP ADSC. Then you would need to serve the remaining three years of the HPSP ADSC. That makes a total of eight years of active service, four of which would be served in medical school.

You should confirm this through other means.

They're not treated the same. See AROTC Parent's post. They are more knowledgeable.

Your response was close - except you aren't paying back a service commitment while in med school on HPSP as you aren't on Active Duty and your example leaves out medical residency which is 'paying back commitment and gaining more'.

 

[Tennis0102]

14 years on Active Duty. The commitment is longer if selected for a funded civilian residency or for other medical specialties with longer residencies. Assuming you are 18 you will be at least 36 when exiting Active Duty.

I read somewhere that time in medical school is not considered active duty, so would the 14 years that you found to be required active duty start when I started medical school, or would it start when I graduate medical school?

 

[AROTC Parent]

I read somewhere that time in medical school is not considered active duty, so would the 14 years that you found to be required active duty start when I started medical school, or would it start when I graduate medical school?

You are correct that unless you attend USUHS you are not on AD in medical school. The 14 years begins once you graduate medical school (age 26) if you are selected for an Active Duty medical residency. You are correct... my math is wrong and you will be 40 when you complete your obligation. I'll edit my post above.
Graduate AFA Age 22
Graduate Med School Age 26
Complete Military Residency (Ortho example 5 yrs AD) Age 31
9 Years active duty as a physician (AFA 5 yr ADSO + 4 yr HPSP/Residency ADSO) Age 40

 

[Tennis0102]

You are correct that unless you attend USUHS you are not on AD in medical school. The 14 years begins once you graduate medical school (age 26) if you are selected for an Active Duty medical residency. You are correct... my math is wrong and you will be 40 when you complete your obligation. I'll edit my post above.
Graduate AFA Age 22
Graduate Med School Age 26
Complete Military Residency (Ortho example 5 yrs AD) Age 31
9 Years active duty as a physician (AFA 5 yr ADSO + 4 yr HPSP/Residency ADSO) Age 40

I have one more question if you don't mind. Residency and sub specialties are considered active duty, so would those pay off requirement to USAFA. I have seen another person write it out as you did, and was confused as to why AD residency does not count for the USAFA ADSO. Is it just one of those things that is that way because it is?

 

[AROTC Parent]

I have one more question if you don't mind. Military residency and sub specialties are considered active duty, so would those pay off requirement to USAFA. I have seen another person write it out as you did, and was confused as to why it AD residency does not count for the USAFA required commitment. Is it just one of those things that is that way because it is?

It's great you are asking these questions now. It's a big commitment for an 18 year old. This is the complicated part. Yes, most are on AD during residency and are paying off their HPSP commitment but a military residency, funded civilian residency, or fellowship are also adding to your obligation. Coming out of military residency you owe the greater of your HPSP (4 year) or Residency (3-6 year) + fellowship (subspecialty) obligation plus your AFA 5 year obligation. All this assumes a straight through path and no detour after Intern year as a flight surgeon for example. Generally after completion of residency you would 'serve' in your specialty rather than begin a fellowship (sub specialty) but a very small percent apply and are accepted to specialize. Expect the worst.

Key is whether you have a passion to serve as an AF Officer regardless of career field. If so, and you accept the difficulty and impediments of getting through a military academy and accepted to medical school it is a path to consider. Getting into medical school is difficult. Getting into medical school via a military academy or ROTC is more difficult. If you have a passion to serve the military population as a physician then go for it but understand you can get there through any college with a shorter obligation.

Keep your options open. You aren't committed at the AFA until you begin your third year? Take an academic scholarship and go the civilian route to med school then talk to an AMEDD recruiter - the military will always need doctors.

Go get additional input by reading the Military forums on SDN or the Military HPSP Facebook page. Make contact with @kp2001 - I think kp has/is serving though not in the AF. There may be other physicians on this forum too.

 

[Tennis0102]

It's great you are asking these questions now. It's a big commitment for an 18 year old. This is the complicated part. Yes, most are on AD during residency and are paying off their HPSP commitment but a military residency, funded civilian residency, or fellowship are also adding to your obligation. Coming out of military residency you owe the greater of your HPSP (4 year) or Residency (3-6 year) + fellowship (subspecialty) obligation plus your AFA 5 year obligation. All this assumes a straight through path and no detour after Intern year as a flight surgeon for example. Generally after completion of residency you would 'serve' in your specialty rather than begin a fellowship (sub specialty) but a very small percent apply and are accepted to specialize. Expect the worst.

Key is whether you have a passion to serve as an AF Officer regardless of career field. If so, and you accept the difficulty and impediments of getting through a military academy and accepted to medical school it is a path to consider. Getting into medical school is difficult. Getting into medical school via a military academy or ROTC is more difficult. If you have a passion to serve the military population as a physician then go for it but understand you can get there through any college with a shorter obligation.

Keep your options open. You aren't committed at the AFA until you begin your third year? Take an academic scholarship and go the civilian route to med school then talk to an AMEDD recruiter - the military will always need doctors.

Go get additional input by reading the Military forums on SDN or the Military HPSP Facebook page. Make contact with @kp2001 - I think kp has/is serving though not in the AF. There may be other physicians on this forum too.

Thank you so much for your help and great advice. Being an officer is my top priority and I've looked into other careers in the Air Force after graduation and am very enthusiastic about them, this was just one path that I was struggling to find clear answers about. I'll definitely keep looking into it, and will message the user you attached to see if he can help if I have anymore questions. Thanks again.

 

[tim13rat]

Hello, I am a senior in high school and just accepted my appointment to the AFA. I very much like a lot of the different career paths, but have been a bit confused with how HPSP works with USAFA. I understand the commitment time incurred for medical school and how it lines up with residency but was wondering if it adds on to commitment from USAFA or if it is paid off at the same time you are active duty for USAFA. For example after graduating USAFA I owe 5 years, if I got HPSP and went to medical school for 4 years I would then owe 4 years for my medical school scholarship. Would these be paid off at the same time or would I be required to be active duty for 9 years total?
Also, is residency or subspecialties considered active duty, and if they are would they count towards the required time for USAFA?

Feel free to ask me any questions. I am a USAFA grad, did HPSP, then a civilian deferred residency program, now in my 2nd year of AD practice.

Applying for HPSP at USAFA is a difficult process (more so than it needs to be), I recommend getting started as soon as possible with the health professions interest group and whoever the advisor is there now.

Here's my commitment:

USAFA: 5 year commitment
Med School: 4 year commitment
Residency: 3 year commitment (but working off USAFA commitment concurrently during residency)

So, upon completion of my medical residency, I owed 9 years back to the AF.

I know this is a rehash of what AROTC Parent stated, but just wanted to put myself out there in case you had further questions. Not many go the USAFA to HPSP route, and it can be difficult to find the right information because most of the Air Force is not familiar with the process you will have gone through.

 

[BGG1264]

Feel free to ask me any questions. I am a USAFA grad, did HPSP, then a civilian deferred residency program, now in my 2nd year of AD practice.

Applying for HPSP at USAFA is a difficult process (more so than it needs to be), I recommend getting started as soon as possible with the health professions interest group and whoever the advisor is there now.

Here's my commitment:

USAFA: 5 year commitment
Med School: 4 year commitment
Residency: 3 year commitment (but working off USAFA commitment concurrently during residency)

So, upon completion of my medical residency, I owed 9 years back to the AF.

I know this is a rehash of what AROTC Parent stated, but just wanted to put myself out there in case you had further questions. Not many go the USAFA to HPSP route, and it can be difficult to find the right information because most of the Air Force is not familiar with the process you will have gone through.

Feel free to ask me any questions. I am a USAFA grad, did HPSP, then a civilian deferred residency program, now in my 2nd year of AD practice.

Applying for HPSP at USAFA is a difficult process (more so than it needs to be), I recommend getting started as soon as possible with the health professions interest group and whoever the advisor is there now.

Here's my commitment:

USAFA: 5 year commitment
Med School: 4 year commitment
Residency: 3 year commitment (but working off USAFA commitment concurrently during residency)

So, upon completion of my medical residency, I owed 9 years back to the AF.

I know this is a rehash of what AROTC Parent stated, but just wanted to put myself out there in case you had further questions. Not many go the USAFA to HPSP route, and it can be difficult to find the right information because most of the Air Force is not familiar with the process you will have gone through.

Can you share more details on the HPSP option you took after USAFA. I have a son there and is concerned if he does not get one of the coveted 18 slots for medical school that he will be stuck for 5 yes until he can try the civilian route.

 

[AROTC-dad]

Can you share more details on the HPSP option you took after USAFA. I have a son there and is concerned if he does not get one of the coveted 18 slots for medical school that he will be stuck for 5 yes until he can try the civilian route.

@tim13rat is not likely to respond in a timely manner as the member has not posted since May 06, 2021.