By: Helen Udy
Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) students are those that have received a scholarship to attend medical school through the Air Force, Navy, or Army. There are many benefits of being an HPSP student and an HPSP significant other. One of the biggest benefits is that tuition and health insurance costs for the student are covered 100%. Students are also reimbursed for all required school materials and medical supplies. These refunds can take a few months to come through, so be patient, they will come!
As an HPSP student, your student will receive a monthly stipend to help cover any living expenses. Another great benefit is that your student can rent a laptop or tablet through the military. They will pay a yearly rental fee but will get reimbursed for the fee, making the rental completely free!
As an HPSP student and significant other you can also receive credit card benefits and discounts at various food places, amusement parks, and access to USAA for banking and insurance. SeaWorld offers 3 free tickets every year for active duty military members and their families, Disneyland and Disneyworld offer discounted tickets and hotel rooms, and Lagoon offers discounted tickets as well.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve and American Express Platinum credit cards are great to get! The yearly fee (over $500) is waived for both cards as an active military member and you can receive points for flights and hotel rooms, as well as various monthly benefits including UberEats credit (making dinner time even easier).
While in school, your student will participate in branch specific officer trainings.
Air Force
Officer Training School (OTS) is a 5 week training. Most students do this training after their first year, but some do complete it before first year begins.
Air Force Operational Medicine Course (AFOM 101) is a 10 day training that your student will complete the year after they complete OTS. During this training they will learn about aerospace medicine and will get to pilot a plane! If your student is interested in pursuing flight medicine, they will take subsequent AFOM courses in the following years.
Navy
Officer Development School (ODS) (5 week training) - waiting for more info on this
Army
Direct Commission Course (DCC) and Basic Officer Leadership Course (BOLC)
Since COVID, these two training have happened one right after the other, but sometimes they are completed in two separate years.
During their 4th year, your student will complete audition rotations with military and civilian residency programs. The military branch that your student is a part of will pay for 2 military audition rotations for your student. During their 4th year they will also participate in the military match. This match happens in December. If they don’t match in the military match they will also have an opportunity to match in the civilian match!