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Are there any navy HSCP scholarship graduates on here that can answer some questions?


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I was just accepted to a PA program and have been going through the process to complete the hscp scholarship for the navy over the last couple of months.

 

This is what my understanding of the program is...

I would go to school and receive a salary (not tuition reimbursement) for the 2 years that I am in school as well as money for housing and food as well as earn 30 vacation days per year and healthcare insurance benefits. After my schooling is complete I would then commission into the navy for minimum 3 years and work in family medicine in one of the navy's 3 hospitals or one of there smaller offices. The shifts are typically 9-5 Monday through Friday. It is unlikely that I would be working in anything other than family medicine during my first 3 years.

 

Questions:

is the scope of practice for PA's in the navy different than civilian PA's?

 

I am still a little confused as the exact salary for when I would be actually working as a PA as well as the total money I would receive as a student.

 

Do I get to choose where I would go after school?

 

Is there anyone on this forum who has been through this program that can give me the pros and cons of working as a pa in the navy vs a pa as a civilian. Would you recommend this program? Would I get better experience working as a civilian PA?

 

 

 

 

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I was just accepted to a PA program and have been going through the process to complete the hscp scholarship for the navy over the last couple of months.

 

This is what my understanding of the program is...

I would go to school and receive a salary (not tuition reimbursement) for the 2 years that I am in school as well as money for housing and food as well as earn 30 vacation days per year and healthcare insurance benefits. After my schooling is complete I would then commission into the navy for minimum 3 years and work in family medicine in one of the navy's 3 hospitals or one of there smaller offices. The shifts are typically 9-5 Monday through Friday. It is unlikely that I would be working in anything other than family medicine during my first 3 years.

 

Questions:

is the scope of practice for PA's in the navy different than civilian PA's?

 

I am still a little confused as the exact salary for when I would be actually working as a PA as well as the total money I would receive as a student.

 

Do I get to choose where I would go after school?

 

Is there anyone on this forum who has been through this program that can give me the pros and cons of working as a pa in the navy vs a pa as a civilian. Would you recommend this program? Would I get better experience working as a civilian PA?

 

 

 

 

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As a navy PA, you'll be given a scope will be that of a typically family medicine PA. It's pretty broad. As far as autonomy, you'll basically be independent.

 

Salary as a student will be as an E6 over 0 years. When you graduate it will be O2 over 2 years. The total compensation will be based on where you live as BAH for housing depends on zip code. You can google both of these. Also add 11k per year for bonuses as a PA.

 

You sort of chose. You'll be given a list to pick from, but if need dictates, they'll tell you where to go.

 

The biggest pro is not dealing with insurance. The biggest con is dealing with all the annual trainings that all service members do and not having control over your life.

 

I think it's worth it. You won't get better experience in family medicine going civilian.

 

Your going to work more than 9-5. To get all your work done more like 8-5/6.

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https://www.federalpay.org/military/calculator

 

Use the above site to get the estimates for your pay.  Then take the taxable figure and go over to www.paycheckcity.com and input that into their salary calculator.  You get to chose your State of residence when you join the Navy and most chose a State with no state tax like Texas or Florida.  Once you get that amount you use that amount plus the non-taxable figure from the fedpay calculator and you'll know how much you'll get per year.  Divide by twelve for the monthly amount. :)

My question is the family practice requirement, is that legit?  Just seems kinda odd.  I mean I know the Navy isn't going to take a new PA and then allow them to go straight into a residency however it sounds like your first duty station will be a hospital/clinic CONUS...shore duty essentially.  Is that correct?  One can come into the program, get stationed stateside for three years and get out...?  No muss, no fuss?  The thought I have with this program is that it is primarily geared toward prior service folk who will then finish up their Navy careers and retire from the Navy as PAs.  Looking for the catch...just suspicious that way.  I would think they would send the new PA onboard ship or with the Marines instead of at a cushy clinic/hospital for three years...  Is that the bait & switch, three years of heaven and then the Navy drops the bomb of seaduty!  Just thinking as I type that this is actually a great deal for the Navy.  If the PA decides they'd like to go to residency then the only way to be competitive is to go blue/green side so now they have you for another three years before you can apply. 

 

2 years PA school

3 years payback

3 years blue/green side

1 year residency

2 years payback

11 years total....

 

So after PA school it's either three years or they've got you for eight years....I think I'm beginning to see the logic of this from the Navy's side...

 

Anyone in the know please correct my assumptions.

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https://www.federalpay.org/military/calculator

 

Use the above site to get the estimates for your pay. Then take the taxable figure and go over to www.paycheckcity.com and input that into their salary calculator. You get to chose your State of residence when you join the Navy and most chose a State with no state tax like Texas or Florida. Once you get that amount you use that amount plus the non-taxable figure from the fedpay calculator and you'll know how much you'll get per year. Divide by twelve for the monthly amount. :)

 

My question is the family practice requirement, is that legit? Just seems kinda odd. I mean I know the Navy isn't going to take a new PA and then allow them to go straight into a residency however it sounds like your first duty station will be a hospital/clinic CONUS...shore duty essentially. Is that correct? One can come into the program, get stationed stateside for three years and get out...? No muss, no fuss? The thought I have with this program is that it is primarily geared toward prior service folk who will then finish up their Navy careers and retire from the Navy as PAs. Looking for the catch...just suspicious that way. I would think they would send the new PA onboard ship or with the Marines instead of at a cushy clinic/hospital for three years... Is that the bait & switch, three years of heaven and then the Navy drops the bomb of seaduty! Just thinking as I type that this is actually a great deal for the Navy. If the PA decides they'd like to go to residency then the only way to be competitive is to go blue/green side so now they have you for another three years before you can apply.

 

2 years PA school

3 years payback

3 years blue/green side

1 year residency

2 years payback

11 years total....

 

So after PA school it's either three years or they've got you for eight years....I think I'm beginning to see the logic of this from the Navy's side...

 

Anyone in the know please correct my assumptions.

You will most definitely be in a form of primary care to start. It doesn't have to be CONUS. Lots of people are sent to Guam and Japan. It's not cushy either. You will be the patient grinder. You can also deploy from a CONUS hospital. I did. My time with the marines was far more cushy than being in the clinic. I see half the patients and see much less complicated diseases. It's rare to go straight to operational billet unless you are prior service. For the uninitiated, it would be difficult to be still perfecting your practice and learning operations. Plus terrible skill rot happens operational, which can be irreparable if occurring right out of school.

 

Most people who choose to do a residency apply after 2 years of service and start after the third.. Doing it after 2 tours would derail career development, since you should be running a clinic or doing admin work at that time. Otherwise you might find yourself failing to be selected for promotion and kicked out. It's not as competitive as you think to get a residency in the military since most get out after the first 3 years and the higher ups are doing things that look better on their fitrep.

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As a former 8404 I could end up with the Marines straight out of school?  That would suck precisely for the reason you posted.

 

So one eventually gets out of patient care?  I knew of a Vietnam era PA who worked with us at Lejeune.  He was a crusty old sea dog.  CDR and he went up in the new physician sideways when the LT thought his role as physician outranked the CDR.  The walls shock.  Chief essentially evacuated the clinic to give the CDR space.  I mean they were behind closed doors but that didn't matter.  Ah that brings back happy times!

 

That's pretty cool that one can get into a residency after one tour.  I know of EM and Ortho are there any others?  You thinking of one?

I'm applying to PA school next year and hope to get the HSCP.  I'm an old fart but I can get 20 years before 62 without a problem.

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As a former 8404 I could end up with the Marines straight out of school? That would suck precisely for the reason you posted.

 

So one eventually gets out of patient care? I knew of a Vietnam era PA who worked with us at Lejeune. He was a crusty old sea dog. CDR and he went up in the new physician sideways when the LT thought his role as physician outranked the CDR. The walls shock. Chief essentially evacuated the clinic to give the CDR space. I mean they were behind closed doors but that didn't matter. Ah that brings back happy times!

 

That's pretty cool that one can get into a residency after one tour. I know of EM and Ortho are there any others? You thinking of one?

 

I'm applying to PA school next year and hope to get the HSCP. I'm an old fart but I can get 20 years before 62 without a problem.

You could, but the need is equally as greet in primary care, so you would just have more options.

 

Everyone gets out of patient, at least as their primary job, eventually. Plenty see some patients on the side, but I've never seen a CDR PA seeing patients. Being in the MSC, we compete with HCAs for promotion slots. I know a LCDR ortho naval residency PA that just took a position as the assistant DFA for the hospital. Literally sees zero patients now. Has to if he wants a chance at CDR in this draw down.

 

There is now ortho, EM, general surgery, and flight surgery open to us. They are working on dive medicine. I was thinking about EM in the navy, but I've decided to leave the navy and go to a civilian residency using my GI bill to supplement my income like a lot of physicians do that serve their whole commitment as GMOs.

 

HSCP is good for civilians and it's awesome for prior enlisted. No brainer for prior corpsmen IMO.

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As a former 8404 I could end up with the Marines straight out of school?  That would suck precisely for the reason you posted.

 

So one eventually gets out of patient care?  I knew of a Vietnam era PA who worked with us at Lejeune.  He was a crusty old sea dog.  CDR and he went up in the new physician sideways when the LT thought his role as physician outranked the CDR.  The walls shock.  Chief essentially evacuated the clinic to give the CDR space.  I mean they were behind closed doors but that didn't matter.  Ah that brings back happy times!

 

That's pretty cool that one can get into a residency after one tour.  I know of EM and Ortho are there any others?  You thinking of one?

 

I'm applying to PA school next year and hope to get the HSCP.  I'm an old fart but I can get 20 years before 62 without a problem.

 

 

You certainly can end up with the Marines out of school, at least if you're going through IPAP. Me and two other classmates did. The other twelve got sent to clinics and hospitals.

 

You know, I was terrified that I was going to lose all of this knowledge during my green side tour, and end up a terrible PA - but it didn't really happen like that. I saw a fair bit more acuity and variety than I expected to see, and for much of it, I was totally alone, the senior medical person for a company of Marines in a foreign country. I didn't see my "supervising physician" a single time during our whole deployment! I always had my nose in a book, because there was literally no one else to turn to. Anyway, it's only two years and goes by quick. By the time you get back to a hospital, you'll be amazed how much knowledge comes back out of the woodwork. I'm not gonna lie, it's a steep learning curve at first, but you end up seeing so much of the same stuff over and over you can't help but pick it back up. So instead of doing multiple I&D's and lac repairs & more MSK exams than I can imagine, I'm doing pap smears and reviewing labs with old people. I wouldn't say it's any harder, it's just different, and you're going to be trained well enough to do all of it.

 

Regarding residency (or "fellowship" as the Navy calls it), many selections I've seen are guys just finishing their first tour. I was real tempted to do an EM residency, but I kind of wanted to get my feet in Family Medicine first after doing my green side tour. I just wanted more knowledge base to build on, and I'm going to stay in the Navy for 20 years anyway and will be eligible to retire no matter what. I also didn't want to forgo the opportunity to choose orders for a change, as I had no choice right out of IPAP, and will not be guaranteed a choice right out of fellowship. Finally, because of the ins and outs of how the retention bonus works, I could go to fellowship no, and lose out on $80K, or take the 80 grand and then go to fellowship.

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There is now ortho, EM, general surgery, and flight surgery open to us. They are working on dive medicine. I was thinking about EM in the navy, but I've decided to leave the navy and go to a civilian residency using my GI bill to supplement my income like a lot of physicians do that serve their whole commitment as GMOs.

 

Man, I saw the message announcing the sections for the Gen Surg fellowship, and I was like WTF?!?! I never even heard that program was in the works. I must not be getting all the emails, lol.

 

It's funny, though - one of my classmates from IPAP is in the upcoming Gen Surg cohort, two are in the Ortho program (and one of our instructors from IPAP is the director of that program), and two students from the IPAP class prior to ours (including my Phase 1 sponsor) are in the E Med program. Small Navy for real!

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Man, I saw the message announcing the sections for the Gen Surg fellowship, and I was like WTF?!?! I never even heard that program was in the works. I must not be getting all the emails, lol.

 

It's funny, though - one of my classmates from IPAP is in the upcoming Gen Surg cohort, two are in the Ortho program (and one of our instructors from IPAP is the director of that program), and two students from the IPAP class prior to ours (including my Phase 1 sponsor) are in the E Med program. Small Navy for real!

Yeah, I remember thomsky when he was an intern in ortho and I was a student there. Believe he taught ENT at IPAP. He sure has had a nice career progression.

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Thanks for the replies.  I'll be applying for HSCP as well as looking into the USPHS Corps.  Either is a good route.  PHS would allow me to wear the uniform longer and get 75% of base pay at a 30 year retirement.  Only catch is no residency training and eventually I would have to get out of seeing patients.  Seems a waste to spend so much time to get to PA school, through it, only to not practice very long.  So I thought the Navy but it seems that the nature of the beast is precisely that. 

The CDR who was seeing patients was an anomaly and even he said so.  He just had too much time in the Navy and knew everyone that mattered so they let him do his own thing.  Heck he might have been a Korean War vet.  He saw patients and had little patience for any corpsman or physician who didn't.

thanks for the info.  I figure the HSCP is a no-brainer for me...I just hope the powers that be see it that way as well when they award it. Be real nice to earn that salary while going through school supporting the fam...be even nicer if the PA program at the community college accepts me as well.  Thanks again for the info.

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