Just wondering if anyone had any info about low undergrad GPAs (3.1) getting into the Navy HPSP. I also have a 3.6 in my post Bacc program and a 28 MCAT so hopefully that will make me more competitive. Opinions on my chances?
Navy HPSP Minimum GPA
- Thread starter dgrogers
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I don't believe they have a minimum GPA, because you have to have an acceptance to get the scholarship anyway. The only numbers I have heard are a 3.5 and 29 MCAT are guaranteed acceptances, barring extenuating circumstance (i.e., criminal misconduct, etc.).
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From what I have heard, you should be able to get a Navy scholorship with your stats as long as you can get an acceptance. However, you should browse the military forum of SDN to understand what the Navy's committment really entails. From what I have heard, Navy HPSPs do not really have much control over their post grad education.
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I Was told by a retired Navy doc who helps run the program that minimum GPA is 3.0 with a 3.5 being considered competitive. I don't think they turn away applicants with acceptances though. And hey, if the Navy rejects ya, there is always the Army.
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And in regards to what the above poster says, definitely do your homework. You could very well owe the Navy more than 4 years.
If you Have a 4 year scholarship you Will owe them those 4. Plus you will have to serve an intern year which doesn't fulfill any obligations. That's 5 total. THEN lets assume that you match in a Navy residency and they ask (I.e. require you) to take this. Lets say it's a 3 year residency. You will then owe them a year for every year they provide you training for. So that's 8 years total. From what I have read this is the norm. Civilian residencies are the exception.
It's certainly NOT the 4 years they make it look like in advertisements.
That said, if you want to serve... all of this is good news. Just don't do it for the money. Word is you won't survive if money is your primary motivation.
If you Have a 4 year scholarship you Will owe them those 4. Plus you will have to serve an intern year which doesn't fulfill any obligations. That's 5 total. THEN lets assume that you match in a Navy residency and they ask (I.e. require you) to take this. Lets say it's a 3 year residency. You will then owe them a year for every year they provide you training for. So that's 8 years total. From what I have read this is the norm. Civilian residencies are the exception.
It's certainly NOT the 4 years they make it look like in advertisements.
That said, if you want to serve... all of this is good news. Just don't do it for the money. Word is you won't survive if money is your primary motivation.
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This is the best advice possible for anyone considering the Military. It's a great option for those feeling a pull toward service apart from the funding benefits, but it can be terrible for those who wouldn't otherwise consider a commission.
I spent 2 months aboard a Navy Hospital Ship this past summer. Partly for the opportunity to see what life can be like for a Navy doctor. I had a great time, and most of the doc's seemed happy. But most of them really seemed to embrace the military lifestyle too. One DO I met who was an IM hospitalist with the AirForce wasn't happy, we were assigned to the same lifeboat for abandon ship drills so we got a lot of time to talk and she was extremely emphatic that I shouldn't join the military before med-school unless I would join the military even if I wasn't going at all.
The advantages as I see them (aside from the free education) are the potential to practice in some very remote and needy areas, all while seeing parts of the world that most people don't even know exist. It was quite an adventure really, and I liked it a lot.
The disadvantages, and they outweigh the advantages IMO, are the lack of control over your fate as a professional. When the service says you're going to pack up and move, or spend an extended period abroad, you don't get to negotiate when and where, you get to do what you're told without questioning it.
It's a great life for those who are suited to it, I just feel lucky that I got to try it on, so to speak, before committing.
SLC
Hi everyone,
I recently got accepted to several osteopathic medical schools and am currently in the process of submitting my HPSP application (Go Navy!). Anyhow, I just have a question on which GPA to use. According to my undergraduate GPA, I have a 3.035 (I was a terrible student in my first couple years). I also took some community college courses (got a 4.0 in those). However, according to AACOMAS (with their policy on repeated courses), I have a 3.24 GPA.
1. Which GPA do I use for the HPSP Application?
2. Am I considered competitive for the Navy HPSP Program (I have an MCAT score of 28R)
Thanks for your help
I recently got accepted to several osteopathic medical schools and am currently in the process of submitting my HPSP application (Go Navy!). Anyhow, I just have a question on which GPA to use. According to my undergraduate GPA, I have a 3.035 (I was a terrible student in my first couple years). I also took some community college courses (got a 4.0 in those). However, according to AACOMAS (with their policy on repeated courses), I have a 3.24 GPA.
1. Which GPA do I use for the HPSP Application?
2. Am I considered competitive for the Navy HPSP Program (I have an MCAT score of 28R)
Thanks for your help
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As a recipient of the Navy HPSP scholarship in 2004 I can only offer my anecdotal experience. I had a very high undergrad GPA and very average MCAT scores. What I feel made me most competitive for the scholarship was the fact that I got accepted to medical school very early. Why my medical school choose me is a whole different story... I cannot emphasize how having an early acceptance and my package completed shortly afterwards, was a big factor in getting the scholarship. This is purely my observation but I distinctly remember being one of the first kids on my campus with an acceptance and one of the first to submit my HPSP application. The scholarship was not automatic back then but I do not recall every being concerned that I would not get it based on the feedback of my preparedness from my recruiter.
I apologize for bumping an older thread but I didn't want to begin a new thread when this one is along the same lines as my question.
I graduated with a 3.23 in my undergraduate studies with a BS in Biology. I graduated from DC school with a 3.34.
I've been incredibly disappointed with career choice, but I'll save the sob story. Long story short, I want more out of being a doctor and I have been considering the HPSP as a means of funding DO school and I've always entertained the idea of serving the country so it would be a win-win.
I know that a 3.5 GPA and 27 MCAT are considered competitive. Would a 30 or better on the MCAT give me a realistic chance of obtaining a scholarship or should I look into grade replacement for some classes from my undergrad?
I appreciate any input from you guys. Thanks!
I graduated with a 3.23 in my undergraduate studies with a BS in Biology. I graduated from DC school with a 3.34.
I've been incredibly disappointed with career choice, but I'll save the sob story. Long story short, I want more out of being a doctor and I have been considering the HPSP as a means of funding DO school and I've always entertained the idea of serving the country so it would be a win-win.
I know that a 3.5 GPA and 27 MCAT are considered competitive. Would a 30 or better on the MCAT give me a realistic chance of obtaining a scholarship or should I look into grade replacement for some classes from my undergrad?
I appreciate any input from you guys. Thanks!
xxbcxx:
I spoke with a Navy officer recruiter on the CA central coast last year about the reqs for the program, and was sent a ppt that explained the minimum GPA req'd is 3.6 - this seems way off compared to other information I've gleaned from various sources. It may have been a mistake, or it may be the recruiter's way of cutting down the number of people that she would have to deal with. That number could be an accurate indicator of downsizing though; when I left a critically undermanned rating in the Navy in 2009, sailors were already being turned down for reenlistment...but then again, there is a push for a stronger presence in the Asian-Pacific.
All in all, I would say that if you have the chance and time to increase your MCAT score, or do anything to make yourself a better candidate, then do it. You really can't lose unless you are sacrificing something important, e.g. like time with kids or earning extra cash to pay off loans. If you really have a genuine interest in serving, and you understand that the military will use you how they see fit regardless of who you talked to when you signed the papers, then you will do well. HPSP is on the table for me, but I am willing and prepared to serve the crap posts that Navy docs despise (green side general medical officer; the type of doctor that I worked under when I was in).
Plenty of funding exists outside of the federal government, so explore options and weigh them wisely. Also know that you can always wait until after you are a doctor to join - back during OIF V the sign-on bonus for doctors was $100K+ Admittedly, times have changed, but know that is an attractive option for the Navy because the investment does not involve as much risk. Best of luck to you on your journey.
I spoke with a Navy officer recruiter on the CA central coast last year about the reqs for the program, and was sent a ppt that explained the minimum GPA req'd is 3.6 - this seems way off compared to other information I've gleaned from various sources. It may have been a mistake, or it may be the recruiter's way of cutting down the number of people that she would have to deal with. That number could be an accurate indicator of downsizing though; when I left a critically undermanned rating in the Navy in 2009, sailors were already being turned down for reenlistment...but then again, there is a push for a stronger presence in the Asian-Pacific.
All in all, I would say that if you have the chance and time to increase your MCAT score, or do anything to make yourself a better candidate, then do it. You really can't lose unless you are sacrificing something important, e.g. like time with kids or earning extra cash to pay off loans. If you really have a genuine interest in serving, and you understand that the military will use you how they see fit regardless of who you talked to when you signed the papers, then you will do well. HPSP is on the table for me, but I am willing and prepared to serve the crap posts that Navy docs despise (green side general medical officer; the type of doctor that I worked under when I was in).
Plenty of funding exists outside of the federal government, so explore options and weigh them wisely. Also know that you can always wait until after you are a doctor to join - back during OIF V the sign-on bonus for doctors was $100K+ Admittedly, times have changed, but know that is an attractive option for the Navy because the investment does not involve as much risk. Best of luck to you on your journey.
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