Army HPSP

HPSP is a unique scholarship with unique requirements. Sometimes it can be challenging to meet these requirements while managing a busy medical school schedule. Below are some FAQs answered by HPSP students at HMS.

FAQs

How do I do my ADT when we don’t have much time off from school for the first two years?

Talk to your HPSP liaison. You can complete your ADT requirement at school if you do not have time off, and this is completely acceptable. When it comes time to submit an application to complete your ADT, you will need to get a letter from the Dean’s Office explaining that you have mandatory class during the allotted ADT time. Your HPSP liaison will direct you further, but this letter will verify that your ADT must be completed at school.

Do I have to do the Basic Officer Leader Course while in medical school?

No, but if you do not, you will have to delay your internship in order to complete BOLC. While you technically don’t have to, it is highly advisable to finish BOLC before you graduate from HMS. To best do this, look at your curriculum and ask your HPSP liaison about the dates when BOLC is offered. Do this early in your time at HMS so you can plan your schedule around those BOLC dates.

Stethoscopes, otoscopes, and all of the other equipment we have to buy for POM is expensive! Will I be reimbursed for this?

Yes, you will be. HPSP covers certain objects only up to a certain amount. If you want a better idea for how much you’ll have to pay, look up the CDW sheet on MODS (or contact your HPSP liaison for it if you cannot access the MODS website). This will provide you with the maximum amounts that the HPSP scholarship will cover for each object you have to buy (stethoscope, otoscope, reflex hammer, etc.). This will give you a better idea about whether or not you will have to pay a little out of pocket!

Is the general public in Boston military-friendly? 

Yes! Bostonians are very supportive of the military, and there are also many ways for military members of the community to connect. For example, the organization Team RWB has a large and active chapter in Boston (https://www.teamrwb.org/chapter/team-rwb-boston-ma/). If you are unfamiliar with Team RWB, the mission of the organization is "to enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity." The Boston chapter hosts multiple events each week. 

If you are an HPSP student and have a question not answered by this page, please contact the Civ-Mil Collaborative leadership to connect you with an HPSP student who may be able to help.

If you are an HPSP student and have advice for your fellow students, please submit it to the Civ-Mil Collaborative leadership and it will be added to the page. 

Contact

Harvard Medical School
25 Shattuck St
Gordon Hall
Boston, MA 02115

mbingaman@hms.harvard.edu
matthew_bryan@hms.harvard.edu
wharris@hms.harvard.edu