Reserves without incentive + HPLRP

[T687]

I'm prior service Army enlisted, headed into MS3, and have been exploring the idea of joining the Army Reserves with no incentive. After spending the last week trying unsuccessfully to get a response/contact with an AMEDD recruiter, I was finally able to talk to a civilian at one of the stations who told me that it's not possible to join the Reserves without taking a stipend. Tbh, I don't believe that this is correct (especially since I know that you can do it in the guard) and think it's more likely that they just have never dealt with that, but I'm making this post to see if anyone has any personal experience with being in the reserves in the 00E67 AOC without taking a stipend.

I don't feel like I really need the stipend and I've always advised people joining the military to take the shortest possible contract to see how they feel about it and I'm not going to ignore my own advice by locking myself into a 10-20 year contract. With that said, I do want to participate in the military again and don't want to miss out on a potential 8 years of reserve time by joining as an attending (I'm mid-30's already). I'm not just trying to take some 1380 money and run. I would consider the guard but I'm primarily interested in a specialty that is only in the reserves and don't want to join the guard, actively drill every month, and then have to transfer to the reserves after 2 years. Also, I'm in Texas and would prefer not to get bogged down in political shenanigans.

Sorry for the book but wanted to get all of the pertinent info out there.

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[armytrainingsir]

Here is what the Army offers.

You may be able to pick and choose à la carte, but don’t plan on it.

Physicians

You do need to talk to military recruiter. Look on Facebook, most of the AMEDD recruiting offices have a page

 

[DMBandFan86]

If you did mdssp for 2 years you would owe 4 years payback after residency. If you do a three year residency then that puts you at 9 total years and potentially 7 deployable.

If join without incentives then you have 6-8 years drilling and all potentially deployable. Could delay your graduation or residency training. The lost opportunity cost could be very high. You would likely have to go to OCS I would think and be a regular officer unless you join after residency.

STRAP only for a 3 year residency would be 9 total years and only 6 deployable.

If you already have time in service how much time do you need to reach retirement? What specialty are you considering?

If you do mdssp or strap you literally do almost nothing and get drill pay plus stipend. Depending on your residency length. If it is a short residency Why wouldn’t you just take the free money for relatively the same commitment and time in service with the added protection from deployment when you are in school. If you want to do 5+ year residency and fellowship then the mdssp or strap create huge payback burdens that arnt worth it so I’d understand.

 

[MusicDOc124]

If you join now via medical route, you'd need to take MDSSP, and thus you MUST take STRAP as a resident for the duration - MDSSP and STRAP are both 2:1 payback, but if taking both, the MDSSP payback is concurrent with strap, so effectively a 1:1 payback for a portion of the time. Overall, you'd owe like 3-5 years after residency if you start now. If you wait for residency, and join via medical, you still must take STRAP, but can take it for as little as 1 year (which would also count for 1 year of the minimum 3 required), thus you'd have 2 years left upon graduation from residency.

If you're talking about joining the reserves non-medically, or (basically anything non-medical student/resident/physician), then you will be deployable, and will have less flexibility with many things. If deployed, you'd be pulled from residency. Also, you would not get the benefits of being a physician (constructive credit for rank, etc). Either you'd come back enlisted like you once were, or you'd join as a line officer as a 2nd Lt. The training would cause a delay in residency or whatever part of training/education you'd be in at that time.

I'm not a recruiter, but have talked to numerous recruiters recently and have multiple close friends in both the Army NG and Reserve (via MDSSP+STRAP, and just STRAP). Some info may be a little off, but this is the general bit.

 

[T687]

If you already have time in service how much time do you need to reach retirement? What specialty are you considering?

If you do mdssp or strap you literally do almost nothing and get drill pay plus stipend. Depending on your residency length. If it is a short residency Why wouldn’t you just take the free money for relatively the same commitment and time in service with the added protection from deployment when you are in school. If you want to do 5+ year residency and fellowship then the mdssp or strap create huge payback burdens that arnt worth it so I’d understand.

I have 5 years AD, currently leaning towards a longer specialty, which is why it is a little more of an issue. If I were thinking something like EM I would agree completely about just pulling the trigger. The main motivation for joining now would be an easier time fitting in DCC/BOLC, not missing out on years of service, and avoiding problems getting in later (such as lack of slots for the AOC). And of course I would actually like to be in to serve, which is the biggest motivator, but those reasons are for timing.

If you join now via medical route, you'd need to take MDSSP, and thus you MUST take STRAP as a resident for the duration - MDSSP and STRAP are both 2:1 payback, but if taking both, the MDSSP payback is concurrent with strap, so effectively a 1:1 payback for a portion of the time. Overall, you'd owe like 3-5 years after residency if you start now. If you wait for residency, and join via medical, you still must take STRAP, but can take it for as little as 1 year (which would also count for 1 year of the minimum 3 required), thus you'd have 2 years left upon graduation from residency.

I'm not a recruiter, but have talked to numerous recruiters recently and have multiple close friends in both the Army NG and Reserve (via MDSSP+STRAP, and just STRAP). Some info may be a little off, but this is the general bit.

I don't believe that this is correct. The regulations/policies explicitly talk about doing MDSSP without STRAP and I believe that you have to be in a critical war time specialty to take STRAP, and someone doing MDSSP would have no idea what specialty they'll end up in ultimately. Unfortunately, I've talked to a few recruiters since I made this post and they've definitely given me incorrect information.

I do believe now that it's not possible to join the reserves without MDSSP in med school, which...fair enough. I get wanting to ensure a payback.

 

[MusicDOc124]

I have 5 years AD, currently leaning towards a longer specialty, which is why it is a little more of an issue. If I were thinking something like EM I would agree completely about just pulling the trigger. The main motivation for joining now would be an easier time fitting in DCC/BOLC, not missing out on years of service, and avoiding problems getting in later (such as lack of slots for the AOC). And of course I would actually like to be in to serve, which is the biggest motivator, but those reasons are for timing.

I don't believe that this is correct. The regulations/policies explicitly talk about doing MDSSP without STRAP and I believe that you have to be in a critical war time specialty to take STRAP, and someone doing MDSSP would have no idea what specialty they'll end up in ultimately. Unfortunately, I've talked to a few recruiters since I made this post and they've definitely given me incorrect information.

I do believe now that it's not possible to join the reserves without MDSSP in med school, which...fair enough. I get wanting to ensure a payback.

Good to know!

 

[DMBandFan86]

I don’t advise taking STRAP with a long residency and possible fellowship. The payback can be insane and you loose out on incentives until you have paid back your obligation. I seen people take MDSSP and STRAP through NSGY and their payback was insane.

Anyways if you don’t need the stipend or 1380 drill money then sign after residency if you still want to join.

I am not up to date on current MDSSP rules, but I was enlisted and did MDSSP only without STRAP. I didn’t want STRAP, but also wasn’t critical. But back then payback started during residency, now after. Ultimately, I don’t know if I would have done MDSSP with that commitment after residency.

For me personally, the reserves is a pain as an attending and was too much travel and time commitment for very little pay. I already work 2 weekends per month and reserves adds a 3rd. That gives me about 2-4 days off a month. I like being a soldier and the people, but the overalll incompetence and extra hours wanted me to get out as soon as my contract was over.

 

[el mero mero]

As an MS3, you're a student not a doc and I think that's where the hang-up is... Army is willing to treat you as a physician if in an incentive program. This late in, MDSSP doesn't make sense. As a resident, you could sign up for STRAP + HPLR.
Other option would be finish intern year, get a license and come in as a field surgeon. I don't have the latest SRIP available but that should make you eligible for HPLR. You would have to drill though. The biggest benefit of STRAP is the ability to complete drill by doing didactics and submitting DA1380s to APMC.

 

[Lankers]

Make sure you can do HPLR during residency if you don’t take STRAP. I think there is specific verbiage mentioning HPLR during residency is only possible with STRAP. When I joined (Guard) I signed an MDSSP incentive and was told I don’t have to take MDSSP but if I don’t take it I can’t do STRAP later. Not sure if that is correct.