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If you’ve considered joining the military to reduce the financial burden of medical school, you’re in the right place.
The average medical student graduates with just over $200,000 in debt. On a typical repayment plan, the total cost can exceed $400,000. But the military can help reduce your burden.
Will the military pay for medical school? The military will cover the cost of medical school for students attending The Uniformed Services University School of Medicine (USU) or those accepted into the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP).
The military will also provide some assistance in the form of stipends and part-time pay for medical students in Reserve or Guard programs.
Dr. Robert Liotta and Dr. Laura Tilley from the Uniformed Services University (USU) are our guests for this article, and they are here to give great advice to anyone interested in a career in military medicine. Let’s take a look at how a military medical career may work for you. You can also listen to the full webinar below
3 Ways to Serve
There are generally three ways to combine a career in medicine with one in the military. The first two scenarios require you to serve on active duty and complete military training in addition to your medical training.
- Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USU) (full military medical school program)
- Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) (scholarship program for those who agree to work later as military doctors)
- Part-time military medical service (partial scholarship program for those who serve in the Guard or Reserve)
The primary differences between the paths are the length of your military commitment, the depth of your training, and the amount of tuition coverage you’re eligible to receive.
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1. Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USU or USUHS)
This path is best suited for students who plan on having a long-term military career and want to be an active-duty officer during medical school.
This Department of Defense institution in Bethesda, Maryland, is commonly referred to as “America’s Medical School.” Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (called USU or USUHS) offers an excellent medical education program with unique military medical training.
“You can literally ride your bike 10 miles [from USU] to the Washington Monument,” Dr. Liotta says.
Medical students attending USU do not pay tuition. They are considered active-duty commissioned officers and receive a salary, housing allowance, and various benefits while in school. In exchange, USU students commit to seven years of active duty service after their residencies.
At USU, your education includes learning how to handle situations most civilian doctors won’t have to encounter. These include training for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear emergencies. Students also learn how to fire and load weapons, put on and take off protective gear, and triage extensive trauma.
Dr. Liotta touts, “What I can definitively say is that we have the highest-paid medical students in the world.”
MedSchoolCoach has a team of Physician Advisors that can help you stand out among military medical school applicants.
2. Health Professions Scholarship Program HPSP
This path is right for students who plan to complete a shorter-term military career (usually, fewer than 5 years) and want to attend a medical school other than USUHS.
The Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) is offered by the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Public Health Services Corps. This scholarship program covers full tuition, fees, and textbooks, plus a monthly stipend for living expenses at any accredited US medical school.
Dr. Tilley attended George Washington University tuition-free through the HPSP. “It was great,” she describes. “The Army paid my entire tuition.”
As part of the program, students receive an officer’s commission as a second lieutenant in the Army or Air Force or an ensign in the Navy, which includes attending officer training before, during, or after their school years.
In exchange, students make a service commitment to their sponsoring military branch. This commitment amounts to a year of active duty military service for each year of participation in the HPSP scholarship (minimum of two years of service).
The application process to be an HPSP student assesses candidates based on GPA, MCAT scores, personal interviews, and physical fitness. If your scores are competitive, you may be eligible for automatic acceptance for the scholarship — pending an acceptance letter from an accredited medical school.
LISTEN: Everything You Need to Know About Military Medicine
3. Part-Time Military Medical Service
This path is best for students who aren’t interested in serving full-time in the military but want to participate in the Guard or Reserve.
Part-time military medical service is an option where a med student can balance a civilian career with a commitment to serving in a military reserve program. Tuition assistance is typically partial, not total.
Most reserve program options require one year of service obligation for every 6 months of assistance. For example, 4 years of receiving assistance through a reserve program would equate to 8 years of service obligation as a reservist starting after completing residency.
Medical students and residents are not required to participate in any “drilling” which would pull them away from their education or training.
Several programs offer stipends in exchange for service commitments, including:
- Medical and Dental Student Stipend Program (MDSSP)
- Specialized Training Assistance Program (STRAP)
- Training in Medical Specialties (TMS)
- Air Force Reserve Stipend Program
Benefits of a Military Medical Career
There are tons of benefits to a military medical career, such as:
- Attending medical school tuition-free or tuition-reduced, reducing financial stress
- Experiencing a cutting-edge curriculum in an impactful military environment
- Enjoying unparalleled access to military research and networking opportunities
- Serving your country while shaping your medical career
- Receiving a healthy salary while in school
As Dr. Liotta put it, it’s not merely about graduating without debt; it’s also about being “paid as a second lieutenant while you’re in medical school.”
How Military Medicine Is Different from Traditional Medicine
You can expect military medicine training and traditional medical schools to share the same basic curricula. In each, you’ll take basic sciences, such as anatomy, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, and pharmacology, followed by clinical clerkships.
What is the difference between military medical school and civilian medical school? Below are some key differences between military and civilian med school:
- Going to medical school via the military is generally covered by scholarships, either partially or in full. USUHS students also receive full salary and benefits while in school.
- Additional training beyond medical school is needed to be a commissioned officer in military medicine.
- There is a separate military medical matching process from traditional med schools for military members applying to residency.
- Military members (USU or HPSP graduates) will incur further service commitments if they go into fellowships.
- Military physicians are often tasked with addressing the health needs of a broader population, including service members, their families, veterans, and people in crisis areas around the world.
Something that can be the same: After completing medical school and residency, both military and civilian physicians have the opportunity to extend their training through a fellowship or begin their careers as attending physicians.
Can you become a medical doctor in the military? You can become a medical doctor concurrent with military service, either by going to the USU or applying for the HPSP. Like all prospective doctors, you’ll still need to qualify for, apply to, and be accepted into medical school.
Dr. Tilley described her experience serving as a physician in Afghanistan, where the mission-driven nature of her work provided a sense of fulfillment unique to medical military service. She uses her skills to “get people home to their families,” which is uniquely rewarding.
Career Paths to Consider
A military medical career offers multiple paths for progression, each with a unique focus. There are four primary paths in military medicine:
- Command: Command roles require strong leadership skills and a comprehensive understanding of military operations and healthcare administration for those interested in leadership roles within the military medical infrastructure.
- Academic: For those with a passion for teaching and research, the academic path may start as an assistant professor at a military medical school, like USU or in residency programs.
- Operations: Medical officers who wish to stay close to the operational side of the military may serve in roles that support the health of active-duty military personnel. They might serve as battalion surgeons in combat units or flight surgeons supporting aviation units.
- Research: Depending on your specialty, there are specific careers for military physicians to pursue unique research opportunities within the military.
Each of these career paths offers a different way to serve your country while pursuing personal and professional growth. The pathway a physician chooses depends on their individual interests, skills, and career goals.
Dr. Tilley describes a surprising part of her medical career. When working as a physician, she contributed to shaping policy! During the opioid epidemic, she helped get a law passed that required the Defense Dep’t to share data on veterans receiving controlled substances.
How to Apply
Remember, you are joining the military for medical school, so you have to both apply to medical school and go through the recruitment process. Unlike civilian med school, you must pass a physical and a security investigation prior to being accepted into military medical school.
Do I have to attend a military academy to go to military medical school? No, you don’t have to attend military academy to go to military med school or be accepted to HPSP. However, to enroll in any military branch as a commissioned officer, you have to have a degree from an accredited four-year college.
Applying to Military Medical School or HPSP
Whether you choose to go to USU for medical school or take advantage of the HPSP scholarship, you’ll need to fill out a primary application for medical school (AMCAS for MD schools, including USU, AACOMAS for DO schools, or TMDSAS for most TX medical programs).
If you’re interested in HPSP, we recommend contacting a recruiter via the website of the branch you’re interested in prior to starting the application process. The Army, Air Force, and Navy each have separate HPSP webpages, so be sure you have the right branch.
Applying for HPSP
Work with your recruiter to complete the HPSP application. Typically, HPSP applications are submitted in the summer or fall of your med school application year, as you are completing secondaries or conducting interviews.
You can complete an HPSP application later than this (in the winter or spring), but just keep in mind that there’s a limited number of HPSP scholarships available (usually between 600 and 900 each year). If you start the application too late, the program might fill up, which means you’ll have to wait another year and apply during your first year of medical school.
Once you have been accepted into HPSP and accepted to a med school (any accredited MD or DO program in the US, including Puerto Rico), send your med school acceptance letter to your recruiter. Now that you’ve proven that you’ve been accepted to medical school, you’ll be formally offered the scholarship.
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What happens if I am accepted into HPSP but don’t receive acceptance to medical school? With med school admissions being so competitive, this is actually a fairly common situation. Talk with your recruiter about the next steps. Typically, they will hold your place in the HPSP program, allowing you to try again in the next application cycle. Consider 1-on-1 application advising to ensure you get in the second time around.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: Military Medicine With Dr. David Flick
Applying to USU
Much like a traditional medical school application, prospective military medical students must complete a pre-med undergraduate program, take the MCAT, apply through AMCAS, and fill out supplemental essays (AKA secondaries).
“Apply to USU just like any other medical school on the AMCAS,” Dr. Liotta says.
Only about 600 applicants are invited for interviews, and under 200 are accepted. Minimum requirements include a 3.0 GPA and a 496 on your MCAT, but the average matriculant’s GPA and MCAT score is significantly higher.
What’s the difference? USU is its own medical school whereas HPSP is a scholarship that allows you to go to any accredited US med school.
Learn how we can help you stand out in your medical school application.
How Competitive Are Military Medical Programs?
Military medical programs are competitive in an already-competitive process.
HPSP is competitive, but the acceptance rate varies by branch. The Army generally offers the most scholarships, usually 300-350. The Navy and Air Force are more competitive, offering fewer scholarships — as low as 200 per year.
USU is highly competitive, with an acceptance rate of 7%-10%. With a class size of under 200, they typically receive over 2,000 applications every year.
Is military medical school hard to get into? The minimum GPA to apply is 3.0, but the average USU matriculant has a 3.7 GPA. The minimum MCAT score is 496, but the average matriculant MCAT score for USU is 511.
Learn More: Your Chances of Getting Into Medical School – A Comprehensive Guide
FAQs
Military medical students still apply for residency through ERAS, but they will complete a rank order list through MODS (Military Operational Data System). The civilian Match process happens in February/March, but the Military Match is in mid-December of your fourth year in med school.
Yes, USUHS students can apply for civilian residencies, according to Dr. Liotta, in most cases. They would also have access to military residency programs, which are more common to apply to for military medical students.
Residency medical training in military medicine adheres to the same basic tenets practiced in civilian programs, but it prepares physicians for a broad range of situations they might encounter while serving in the armed forces, including field hospitals and arms training.
To apply for both USUHS and HPSP, you must be a US citizen. Dr. Liotta clarified that this is due to the requirement that students must be eligible for a commission in the U.S. armed forces.
Living abroad as a US citizen does not reduce your eligibility or likelihood of acceptance.
Yes, age limits and service time restrictions may apply, but waivers can sometimes be granted on a case-by-case basis, says Dr. Liotta. The age limit for USU typically aligns with the age limit for commissioning into the U.S. military, which varies by branch.
The military generally needs certain medical specialties more than others, according to Dr. Liotta. You can specialize in a field that takes longer than 4 years to complete, but this may affect the length of your service commitment.
Is Military Medicine Right for You?
Going to medical school through the military isn’t right for everyone, but it can be a very noble and rewarding path. You’ll need to consider your career goals, commitment to service, and personal circumstances.
Dr. Liotta encourages you to be open to adventure and uncertainty. He believes that if you’re thrilled by adventure and unknown opportunities and are willing to serve your country, a military medical career awaits.
Whether you choose to attend USU, apply for the HPSP scholarship, or follow another path, each option offers rewarding and challenging opportunities in the healthcare profession. And, of course, you will get the distinct privilege to serve your country.
If you are interested in serving in the military, contact a recruiter in the branch where you are interested.
Our team of expert physicians can help you build a med school application that stands out. Book a consultation to learn more about 1-on-1 admissions advising from MedSchoolCoach.
David Flick MD
Dr. Flick graduated Magna Cum Laude from Loyola Marymount University and attended medical school at UC Irvine after receiving the Army health professions scholarship. In addition to serving as an admissions committee member at the UC Irvine School of Medicine, he was also a flight surgeon for the Army.
