Frequently Asked Questions

There are generally two situations where a medical officer would want to pro-rate an annual bonus:

1. The first situation occurs during a General Medical Officer (GMO) tour when a medical officer is transferring into an active duty residency training program. The issue is that GMOs are eligible for the Additional Special Pay bonus while residents are not. For example, a GMO is due for the ASP bonus in January but is due to begin a residency in July. According to military medicine instructions in this situation the GMO would be eligible for a 6 month pro-rated bonus to cover the January - June time period.
2. The second situation in which a medical officer would want to receive a prorated bonus occurs with release from military service. The medical officer received an annual bonus in October but is leaving military service after 9 months in July of the following next year. This situation is described as a "pay gotcha" because the medical officer is not eligible for a pro-rated bonus. In this case, taking the annual bonus would extend the medical officer's service obligation 12 months. The result is that the medical officer would not be able to leave military service until October of the following year.

From 10 USC 2122:

(b) The Secretary of Defense may require, as part of the agreement under subsection (a)(2), that a person must agree to accept, if offered, residency training in a health profession skill which has been designated by the Secretary as a critically needed wartime skill.

Comment: The law appears to read that the military could force a physician into a residency for a "critically needed wartime skill". There is no information available that suggest such a situation had occurred or had been considered.

The answer is possibly yes. Appendix Q of the Joint Federal Travel Regulations lists minimum OCONUS tour lengths. Generally speaking, the minimum overseas tour length is 36 months accompanied and 24 months unaccompanied. Time creditable on an overseas tour begins with the day of departure from CONUS and ends with the day of return. For members taking leave outside the continental U.S. (OCONUS), the area tour will commence upon termination of leave. Please check with your detailer and see specific service instruction for more information.

References:
DoD Instruction 1315.18, Procedures for Military Personnel Assignments
Joint Federal Travel Regulations
OPNAVINST 1300.15, Navy Military Personnel Assignment Policy

The answer is no.

10 USC 2121:

(c) Persons participating in the program shall be commissioned officers in reserve components of the armed forces...They shall be detailed as students at accredited civilian institutions, located in the United States or Puerto Rico, for the purpose of acquiring knowledge or training in a designated health profession...

The answer is no.

10 USC 2122:

(a) To be eligible for participation as a member of the program, a person must be a citizen of the United States...

Retirement can occur after 20 years of active duty service. Retirement pay is calculated based on time in service and rank only. The bonuses that active duty physicians receive are not included in retirement pay.

Service members can retire after 20 years of active service. Retirement automatically occurs after 30 years of service. The system is basically the same for all uniformed personnel. The base retirement pay is 50% the average of the highest 36 months of active duty base pay ("high-3") received. For each year past 20 years a service member receives an additional 2.5%. So for personnel who retire after 30 years of service they receive 75% of their "high-3".

There another option called "REDUX" where a service member receives a Career Status Bonus (CSB) bonus at 15 years (est. $30k) and then a reduced pension. It might be possible to make more money this way by investing the bonus.

The Office of the Secretary of Defense has useful calculators that can be used to look at the numbers:

http://www.defenselink.mil/militarypay/retirement/calc/index.html

Here is an example:
An O6 brings home about $8000 / month before taxes. This equates to an annual salary of $96k. A rough estimate for the monthly retirement pension would be $96k * 0.5 / 12 (Roughly $4k per month).

Special Pays “Gotcha” for Fellows: The spin-up to the GME Selection Board reminds us that each year we have a few GME trainees, usually fellows, who fall victim to a little-known clause in the Special Pays rules. To qualify for the Multi-Year Special Pay an officer must have served 8 years on active duty, so most of our residents in training are not eligible for the MSP. However fellows and physicians in 2nd residencies may have active MSP contracts at the time they start their training. In most cases trainees can serve existing MSP obligations and their GME training obligations concurrently. However, if your MSP expires, and you negotiate a new MSP bonus while you are still a fellow or resident, the new MSP obligation automatically becomes CONSECUTIVE to your training obligation. This happens without your knowledge and in the absence of notification. In many cases the first time you become aware of the added obligation is when you submit separation papers. Such obligations are statutory, and are not waiverable.

This “gotcha” is easy to avoid with advanced planning. If you are entering GME training and have an active MSP special pay contract, please insure your MSP is negotiated for a term that exceeds the time you will be in training.

Reference: Navy Chief of the Medical Corps Newsletter, October 2007

From VA Pamphlet 22-90-2 concerning the GI Bill:

"You may receive benefits for approved tests required for a license or certification. You can't receive benefits for other fees relating to a license or certification. (However, many courses leading to a license or certification are also approved for benefits.)"

"You may take as many tests as you need. You don't have to pass the test to receive benefits. You can receive benefits to retake a test you failed, and to renew or update your license or certificate."

"You can receive reimbursement for the cost of the test, up to $2,000 per test."

For reimbursement, send the VA a copy of your test results. Attached a note or VA Form 21-4138, Statement in Support of Claim requesting reimbursement. Include

- name of the test you took
- name and address of the organization issuing license or certificate (not necessarily the organization that administered the test)
- date you took the test
- cost of the test
- your signed statement "I authorize release of my test information to VA."

If you are at a service academy at graduation you will be commissioned in the reserves as an O1. As an academy graduate you will not be required to attend officer indoctrination training. You will be free and clear until you graduate internship. Your HPSP service obligation will be tacked on to your obligation incurred from attending a service academy. For example the service obligation for a service academy is 5 years plus an additional 4 years for HPSP resulting in a total of 9 years of obligated service.

I read a report than an individual accepted both HPSP and FAP scholarships. After graduating medical school he received a full deferment for urology (5 years). He then applied for FAP during residency. The report stated the payback was consecutive. It is possible he ended up owing 9 years of payback: 4 years for HPSP and 5 years for Urology residency.

Note: Please take this with a grain of salt as it needs to be validated.

Generally speaking you resign your commission and accept a new commission in the medical corps. During medical school you are an ENS/2LT (O1). Those with no time in service are promoted to LT/CPT (O3) upon graduation from medical school. You get half time in credit towards promotion. During your internship you would would be up for the selection board.

Revised on 6 July 07 with corrections. Thanks!

If you are on active duty, in one of the military academies, or the ROTC, and want apply for admission to USUHS a Letter of Approval (LOA) must be obtained from your branch of service. Unless otherwise specified in the LOA the applicant must enter the same component they currently serve in. For example, if you are in the Navy you won't be able to change to the Air Force when you are accepted to USUHS. For those in the reserves, a letter from your commanding officer (who has the authority to release you) will suffice for the LOA. Those in the IRR do not need the LOA.

To find out where you will be going after you complete a residency you must talk to your detailer. Generally your first tour is considered a "utilization tour". Perhaps this is a fair analogy: Since you are most junior you get the last pick from the apple bin as to what assignments are available.

Generally it is year for year payback. However there is an 8 year statutory service obligation in accordance with 10 USC 651. The difference is made up in reserve time. This means if one does 4 years active duty, he has to do 4 years reserve time. This can be either active (drilling) or inactive reserve time.

The biggest difference is payback. A USUHS graduate owes 7 years while a HPSP graduate owes 3 or 4 depending on the type of scholarship.

No. During internship, you must apply for a PGY2 position through the JSGMESB. Interns who are not selected for "straight through" training will go on to complete GMO tours.

No. You would be more likely to get your choice of training but you still have to apply for a PGY2 position through the JSGMESB.

The answer is no if you attend USUHS or a civilian medical school. The clock starts the day you graduate medical school. You come online as an O3 with 0 years active duty. This changed in 1980 with the Defense Officer Personnel Management Act (DOPMA).

Yes. The GI bill can be used to fund a civilian residency or fellowship after leaving the military. For information on how to cash in your GI bill benefit for graduate medical education please refer to the Military GME Survival Guide above.

No.

Yes. The military will reimburse you for taking your board certification exams one time. If you fail your exam, you will have to pay out of pocket for the second attempt. The reimbursement will include the costs of travel and the examination. For more information please refer to:

NMETC Boards and Non-Claimancy 18 CME Funding

There is an 8 year service obligation for every scholarship. The difference is made up in reserve time. For example, for a 4 year scholarship you would owe 4 years reserve time. This could be served on inactive reserves or as an active drilling reservist.

Maybe. You have to apply for the funding through your command. In the Navy if your command does not have the funding you can apply for reimbursement through NMETC at the above link.

The Marine Corps does not have its own Medical Corps. Physicians and other medical personnel are supplied by the Navy. Assignments with a Marine unit can be requested from the detailer.