- Joined
- Jun 19, 2016
- Messages
- 24
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- 5
Alright people. I am a current prospective medical student (currently in the midst of interviews) and I am intrigued by the idea of being able to serve the public health needs of my country in uniform. There's only one problem - I am having trouble finding information regarding how I can get involved and what exactly my career would be like. So here are my questions (some of which have been asked before on SDN, but have poor/uninformative answers):
(1) What are some examples of what medical officers do within the agencies of the USPHS? Can anyone shed light on how a medical officer jobs differ across the NIH, FDA, IHS, CDC, etc?
(2) How does the process of getting a job with the USPHS work? Do I apply for a job at one of the agencies included under the USPHS, or apply through the USPHS, or...?
(3) How early can I get involved in the USPHS? I have heard about JRCOSTEP and SRCOSTEP but was told by a representative at the USPHS call center that these programs are generally not for medical students. So...then how, if at all, can I get involved before residency? During residency?
(4) I was told that there are no loan repayment programs through the USPHS, and that you should seek loan repayment programs through one of the supported agencies under the USPHS. For example, I heard (through other threads on SDN and the USPHS site) that you can do the NHSC scholarship or the NHSC loan repayment program and simultaneously be a USPHS officer as you work? For instance, you can work at an NHSC approved site through IHS, ICE, or BOP and also begin fulfilling your duties as an officer. Can someone confirm/share more info on loan repayment and the USPHS?
(5) Do you choose where you work as a USPHS officer? Will they move you anywhere they see fit? Are most of the USPHS positions through the IHS, and in rural areas? Could I work in a city as a USPHS officer?
(6) How often are you "on-call" for emergency public health responses? How often do you actually get deployed?
(7) Physicians of the USPHS...Thank you for your service! How rewarding is your career (it seems awesome to me)? Why choose a career as a USPHS medical officer rather than another medical career? What have your deployment experiences been like? Do you view your medical officer career as a sacrifice in terms of freedom and pay...or as a privilege? Or both? **What are the positives and negatives of choosing to use my MD/residency to join the USPHS as a medical officer?**
My apologies for the many questions. If even one or two could be answered, I'd appreciate it. Thank you!
(1) What are some examples of what medical officers do within the agencies of the USPHS? Can anyone shed light on how a medical officer jobs differ across the NIH, FDA, IHS, CDC, etc?
(2) How does the process of getting a job with the USPHS work? Do I apply for a job at one of the agencies included under the USPHS, or apply through the USPHS, or...?
(3) How early can I get involved in the USPHS? I have heard about JRCOSTEP and SRCOSTEP but was told by a representative at the USPHS call center that these programs are generally not for medical students. So...then how, if at all, can I get involved before residency? During residency?
(4) I was told that there are no loan repayment programs through the USPHS, and that you should seek loan repayment programs through one of the supported agencies under the USPHS. For example, I heard (through other threads on SDN and the USPHS site) that you can do the NHSC scholarship or the NHSC loan repayment program and simultaneously be a USPHS officer as you work? For instance, you can work at an NHSC approved site through IHS, ICE, or BOP and also begin fulfilling your duties as an officer. Can someone confirm/share more info on loan repayment and the USPHS?
(5) Do you choose where you work as a USPHS officer? Will they move you anywhere they see fit? Are most of the USPHS positions through the IHS, and in rural areas? Could I work in a city as a USPHS officer?
(6) How often are you "on-call" for emergency public health responses? How often do you actually get deployed?
(7) Physicians of the USPHS...Thank you for your service! How rewarding is your career (it seems awesome to me)? Why choose a career as a USPHS medical officer rather than another medical career? What have your deployment experiences been like? Do you view your medical officer career as a sacrifice in terms of freedom and pay...or as a privilege? Or both? **What are the positives and negatives of choosing to use my MD/residency to join the USPHS as a medical officer?**
My apologies for the many questions. If even one or two could be answered, I'd appreciate it. Thank you!
