Howdy! When I was an A&M cadet/ undergrad (1988 - 1992), we didn't have any official counseling/ mentoring programs for those interested in going to medical school with interest in military medicine - whether to pay for med school or make a career as a military physician. YES: there are TAMU cadets that went onto medical school after getting their A&M degrees (as even my Corps buddies thought I was half crazed). In 2020, TAMU College of medicine began its Military Medicine Division and can look at provided link (copy and paste onto your web browser) as far as early admission programs military related (Cadet To Medicine, Military Academy to Medicine, Veteran to Medicine Programs):

https://medicine.tamu.edu/military/index.html

After nearly 3 decades and several deployments/ mobilizations as an Army physician in various roles (in active/ guard/ reserve capacities) great to see TAMU-COM stepping up with supporting training of future physicians with interest in military medicine and/ or caring for veterans. I am NOT full time faculty w/ TAMU-COM nor affiliated with The Commandant's Office but get fielded questions from time to to time from faculty and students (cadets @ A&M or mil svc academies, A&M and non-A&M students). Have talked and worked with the current Division Chief/ Head of Military Medicine @ TAMU-COM - great to see what these programs will do. Appreciate your time to our military/ veteran community and mil/ vet supporters out there. Gig 'em!

Great question:
- Part of it is many undergrads med school bound are not even aware that the programs exist (particularly DoD HPSP/ Health Profession Scholarship Programs offered by DoD Branches USA, USAF, USN). Tuition, Fees, Books all covered with a $20k stipend/ year for each year covered for medical school (2/3/4 yr HPSP programs available).

Army HPSP: https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/specialty-careers/medical/amedd-scholarship

USAF HPSP: https://www.airforcemedicine.af.mil/Media-Center/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/425437/hpsp-fact-sheet/

USN HPSP: https://navalofficerrecruiter.com/navy-hpsp-health-professions-scholarship-program/

- Another part is not quite having as much freedom of choice as still having to serve within the DoD military branch for 2/3/4 years. However, after 7-8 years of active compo Army Svc, left active compo med school debt free and savings to put a down payment on my first home with my wife. Took many of my civilian med school classmates 15+ yrs to pay off medschool + undergrad debt...

I'd ask your niece to consider even Guard/ Reserve options as she can take her active compo time and be added to Guard/ Reserve time for possible eligibility of mil svc retirement...

Stipend is 75% of O1 base pay for 10.5 months/yr. And 1.5 months of full O1 pay/benefits during annual training. 20k sign on bonus is for individuals accepting a 4 year minimum service obligation (accepting a 1/2/3 year scholarship and the sign on bonus would bump the obligation to 4 years minimum, for example).

It's a pretty good deal. But the lack of control over your life, the possibility you may be a GMO and delay your training, the possibility you may not get the residency you want, and the fact that for most specialties and some medical schools it makes financial sense to take out the loans, all contribute to it being not very popular.

Agree with some of the assessment though not necessarily sure HPSP is "unpopular" versus many not knowing that the program even existed. Interesting about the GMO part: quite a few of us docs that did GMO/ General Medical Officer tours before completing residency training found that GMO time helpful for a variety of reasons (getting mil med specific training, a breather between residency years, not sure the initial residency choice was the right choice and buying some time to decide, needing GMO time to compete for certain military residency positions such as Derm, Emergency Med or Ortho during my entry into GME years).

There are ways of going Guard/ Reserve while in civilian residency/ GME that can offset or pay for quite a bit of debt racked up during med school (such as STRAP/ FAP/ Loan Repayment Prgm) depending on residency specialty that I didn't learn more of until I was well into the Guard/ Reserves.

Agree. I actually encourage most interns to consider going GMO/Flight/Dive. However, the majority see it as a hindrance or a delay in their ultimate goal, rather than an opportunity. When I interviewed as an MS4, I told the program director I would not be applying for a PGY2 spot. And that's what I did. And I enjoyed my time in the fleet. Came back, to that same program afterwards.

But that's not how most see it. Right now the Navy is actually having a harder time recruiting compared to the other 2 services, and they think it's primarily because they send out more interns to the fleet than the other two. So they're now trying to do what the Army did some time back, and give more straight through training. As a consequence, they are converting billets previously staffed by GMOs to being staffed by board certified "OMOs" or operational medical officers. Honestly can't imagine being an O4 or above in a previous GMO O3 billet.

Also, with the straight through contracts, even if you want to go out to the fleet, there's no guarantee you'll get a spot in your old program when you come back.

I actually think every intern in the US should do "GMO" time. Maybe not in the military, but in an underserved community clinic, or something. Even if only a year. Would solve the primary care problem we have in this country, give them more spending money, a break, a "do over," and everything else you mentioned.

I think it is just the way society is going. When I was a kid, I was allowed to be a kid. Now, kids are in early start programs, and everything is so hyper competitive from an early age. No one wants to enjoy life on the way to their goal.

Also, not sure how much longer I'm going to stay in. But thinking about switching to the guard or reserves if I get out before 20. How are you liking it?

ER Docs in the Reserve are the coolest.

They really know how to take care of the Soldiers from a morale standpoint. And extremely humble on the M4 range.

They enjoy it.

Reserves (Army, Air Force, Navy) and Guard (Army or Air Nat'l Guard) not bad as the optempo for deployment (OCONUS)/ mobilization to support MTFs or GWOT (CONUS) have slowed down much since I retired out of Army Reserves JAN 2023. Would say if you go Guard/ Reserves (whatever branch) - best to do if working for a civilian medium/ larger med system or VAMC that could cover for you esp. if ever deployed/ mobilized or during 2 week annual training.

Army Reserve Compo can be a lil tricky @ times (esp if you are an O-4/ O-5/ O-6) as you may be leaned on to be in a leadership position that may draw time away during weeknights beyond just "weekend drill".

Depending on your med specialty, you may be able to get some bonus/ incentives (per Army Guard/ Reserves CWSL/ Critical Wartime Shortage List) but need to check with the service specific healthcare recruiter(s) depending on the DoD FY/ Fiscal Year. You should be able to search on GOOGLE. Knew quite a few active compo Air Force and Navy docs/ nurses that went Army Reserves

Don't know the details like y'all do, but the son of a friend of mine went the same or similar route. Went navy and did med school in San Diego. Now stationed in Hawaii.

No debt, plans to do his 20 and basically partially retire. Figure he'll work part time after and play a lot of golf.

Smart kid. Bith my friemd and I still question paternity.