How I went from ROTC CADET to HPSP MEDICAL STUDENT!! | HPSP Military Medical School Scholarship

[@sarahhayden5231]

This is the single most helpful video I have ever watched. Seriously, thank you SO much. I'm a premed freshman starting AFROTC next semester and I'm both terrified and excited for the journey ahead. Your video really helped me with the stress ive been feeling now that I know what my timeline for undergrad needs to look like. Thanks for paving the way!

[@racheldoesbalance]

That’s great to hear. You’re welcome & good luck! ❤️

[@catherine9847]

Thanks so much for your videos about ROTC and HPSP!! I'm a junior in high school and one of my teachers recently introduced me to this potential pathway. It's been so eye-opening to learn more about joining the military and has helped me try to plan for the future more. This video is just amazing and helps me get a clear picture of what life would be like if I chose to pursure ROTC and HPSP. I will definetly talk to my college counselor about this!!

[@racheldoesbalance]

Aw thank you so much for your comment, i appreciate it 🥰that’s great that you’re learning your interests early on so you can join rotc when you start school & get used to it early, because it is a lot with pre med, but definitely doable. Let me know if you have any questions!

[@lanesager4978]

Thank you for your service 🇺🇸 god bless

[@racheldoesbalance]

❤️❤️

[@susannahgillespie2083]

Thank you for making these! My daughter is a HS freshman and wants to be a military doctor and is exploring the different pathways. 😊

[@racheldoesbalance]

You’re welcome! That’s great 😃😃

[@physiciansmind]

Thank you for this video, very helpful information!

[@racheldoesbalance]

You’re welcome! Are you an ROTC cadet on the premed track?

[@physiciansmind]

@@racheldoesbalance Yes. Army ROTC with hopes to go to medical school

[@racheldoesbalance]

@@physiciansmind that’s great! I know sometimes the road less traveled (being premed in ROTC) can be kind of lonely and intimidating, especially when everyone wants to go infantry/be a pilot/go right into active duty. But if it’s what you truly want, then stick with it. & let me know if you have any specific questions! I’d love to see another cadet successfully make it through on their first try

[@Beetalfly]

Great video! Thank you

[@melaniesmellanie]

Hi Rachel!! Thank you so much for this information!!! I'm coming off 6 1/2 years of Active Duty (AF) and just learned about the ROTC to HPSP route! My goal is dental school and I'm technically going into ROTC as a Sophomore, this is by far the most helpful information I have found on how exactly you go into the pre-health program, my ROTC commander is new and wasn't able to give me this info so thank you!!! Was there ever a point when you were signing all that paperwork to commission, that you were nervous to commit to being an officer in the case that you didn't make it into med school? Does AFROTC "force" you to accept a position in another officer AFSC?

[@ashtonfordham7448]

I’m currently a junior in high school, and I’ve been set on wanting to become a dentist in the military for a few months now. However, I’ve just actually started researching about it for the past couple of weeks, and it definitely opened up my eyes to just how complex it actually is than just saying “I want to be a dentist in the military” haha 😂. I’ve recently been looking into doing ROTC in college to accomplish this goal, and I can honestly say that this was one of the most informative videos out there about the pre-health program in ROTC! Thank you for that! I’ve been set on accomplishing this with the Army, but after doing some research and contemplating, I heard that the Air Force would be an all around better position for joining the military as a doctor or dentist. I still have much to think about, and it could change at the drop of a hat 😂. I had a question though. Would you recommend trying to get an AFROTC scholarship when applying to college or wait and do a year of AFROTC to see if it is a path you even want to do? Thank you so much for the helpful video!!

[@racheldoesbalance]

thank you so much! I'm so glad you found this video before entering college so you really have an idea of what the process is like and how to navigate it because i felt like i had to figure out a lot of things on my own. i would definitely try to get the ROTC scholarship during high school and before starting college. If you are a junior now, start talking with an afrotc recruiter about the scholarship NOW, because the application is due by december of your senior year. when you're in rotc in college without initially having a scholarship, it can be very hard and competitive to get a scholarship - sometimes they only give out 2 in college scholarships per year, and this especially depends on the budget and if it has been cut/they've made changes, etc. Apply before going to school so you have the chance to get it then, and then if you don't get it, do everything you can to be a competitive cadet with a high GPA and ROTC involvement to be competitive for an incollege scholarship!

[@ashtonfordham7448]

Awesome! Thank you for the amazing advice!🙏 I definitely have a lot to think over. I’m planning on shadowing my Dentist over the summer for a day or two just to see if I even want to become a dentist. I also need to think about whether I really actually want to be in the military. Looking at the rigorous requirements for medical school and the time crunch with AFROTC, I can definitely see how much commitment and dedication you have to have to succeed! Congratulations on your accomplishments!!

[@racheldoesbalance]

@@ashtonfordham7448 thank you so much for your kind words! you definitely have a lot to think about, but you also have a lot of time to do so! Keep up the great work of planning your future and making things happen for yourself!

[@ericashelton3808]

Thank you from a current AS 100!

[@racheldoesbalance]

You’re welcome! :)

[@leonardoflores8046]

I’m doing a similar route just with dental. I’m enlisting in the reserves as a dental assistant and taking ROTC in college next year. Any tips on feeling overwhelmed, time management, and overall getting a good GPA?

[@leonardoflores8046]

Also this is just the video I was looking for (Rotc to HPSP student), thank you for making this video, it was very helpful!

[@racheldoesbalance]

thats great, good for you!! some of my best advice is to find mentors and older people that have accomplished what you want to do, can give you specific insight on your journey, and be there for you when you're going through challenges. rely on your family and friends for support, and seek support from a therapist if you are able to/comfortable. keep track of your classes and keep your eye on the prize, but also enjoy your time and invest in good friendships and relationships. do extracurriculars that youre actually interested in, try your best to keep up with your hobbies, know that its okay to go out and have fun with your friends, and its okay to take the night off and watch netflix and relax every once and a while. hit the gym and keep up with your fitness and nutrition and look to exercise as a healthy outlet. for a good GPA: make a document with all of your semester assignments/projects, study for tests in advance instead of cramming the night before, go to office hours with your professor/TA and they will give you so much insight/probably give you answers to labs and homework, and reach out for help from a tutor or upperclassmen if you need it - and do this early on. use youtube and khan academy to understand concepts in concise videos if thats your learning style. with rotc, dont feel weird that you may be older than the cadets. they will likely look up to you a lot. be confident and trust in yourself and your abilities. good luck with your journey, you'll do great!

[@racheldoesbalance]

@@leonardoflores8046 so glad you found it helpful :) its my pleasure!

[@shaniyajacobs-lanier587]

Thank you for your video! I'm about to enter my junior year on my Type 1 scholarship in Air Force ROTC, and you answered so many questions I had as the only pre-dental student at my detachment. However, I may have missed this, but how does the timeline add up in the end? Would HPSP add 4 years to my time in my contract, or would it cover some of my time? I also saw another video from someone who didn't do ROTC, and she said residency counts towards retirement. I'm just a little confused about what my timeline looks like beyond now.

[@joedalibi785]

Thank you so much for your best ROTC and HPSP!! video and I really understood many good blessings you had mention,and I complete my high school and currently working with National St John Emergency Ambulance for almost 5 year now and I am just the Ambulance Officer workiong as a Emergncy Medical Call Taker and also am doing my BYU Pathway Online Degree .if you can help me more for gething there first steping stone to Applied to Provo Utah in Nursing Clollege, and how to further going forward to ROTC Nurse Cropes.

[@racheldoesbalance]

that's really great, congratulations on your progress and for all the hard work throughout your journey! i would say you should finish your online degree and do your best to get good grades and make connections with your professors if possible, so you are competitive for the nursing college. continue to show leadership so you can get the ROTC nurse corps and make sure there is an ROTC program near that nursing school

[@elisajensen6164]

Thank you so much for this video!! You’re super impressive 😊 You said that you graduated with two degrees in science?? What are your recommendations for managing a hard degree while in ROTC and going premed? I’m having some trouble deciding what to major in…

[@racheldoesbalance]

Thank you so much 😊🥰i did, biology and neuroscience. My recs are to be extremely organized - know exactly what your degree requirements are, premed requirements, & ROTC requirements & make a master plan with how you’re going to take each class & meet all reqs, from now until graduation. Know what all your assignments are each semester - make a google doc with dates & assignments & arrange it by date so you never miss one. Remember you can do any major with premed, you just have to also complete the premed reqs so don’t feel pressured to choose something really hard like engineering, unless you know you will have a great GPA with it & you’re truly interested in that. Most importantly, take time to rest, relax, & have fun! That’s what will keep you going.

[@andrewfeist2982]

Thank you for making these very informative videos! I am currently a junior in high school. I’ve known I’ve wanted to serve in the military as a physician since about seventh grade. I’ve considered ROTC for undergrad and have seen mixed reviews. As juggling ROTC and pre med (shadowing, internships, research) is tough, would you consider ROTC to have strengthened your resume for med school? Also, how likely is a pre med student to receive the HPSP scholarship (in general) given they are competitive enough for admission to med school? Thanks!

[@racheldoesbalance]

You're welcome, so glad you found them! I won't lie - it is not easy to juggle ROTC and premed courses/extracurriculars, and it is even harder to be doing well in your classes, volunteering for things and taking on leadership roles in ROTC, and still having time to get clinical experience/do leadership on campus outside of ROTC. But it can definitely be done and I am a testament to that, along with the ~24 other ROTC cadets that went directly from ROTC/undergrad into medical school with HPSP. You have to know what you want, know what you have to do (I had to figure this out so thats why Im trying to put this info out so people dont have to figure out the timeline on their own - so that part is mostly done for you!), and you have to stick with it, as long as this is truly the path for you. I do think that ROTC strengthened my application greatly because of the incredible leadership opportunities I had the chance to partake in - there are just so many, and i highlighted this and focused on this in my app. Also, the way in which ROTC molded me into a different leader/person/mentor, and the mentoring that I received is irreplaceable, and I cant imagine who I would be without these experiences (partly because it took up a lot of my time too lol). I will say that it was frustrating having extra commitments like waking up early at 6am for PT twice a week, and doing extra ROTC stuff, when I know my premed peers had this time to study and do clinical/premed stuff, but it all worked out in the end for me and i would not change it because i am where im meant to be. yes, i think most, people admitted to medical school are competitive for HPSP, because it is so hard to even get a med school acceptance. i think the thing that sets HPSP applicants apart is demonstration of strong leadership potential and having a true, genuine desire to serve in the military. and also making sure you start your HPSP app early on to increase your chances of there being scholarships is the #2 most important thing in my opinion. let me know if you have any other questions!

[@darrenchung4299]

Hi, Rachel! I am a high school student who wants to be a dentist in the Army. And, I have some questions for you:) 1. Being in the ROTC can potentially enhance my acceptance into the HPSP? 2. Will I have enough time to engage in shadowing or volunteer activities while being part of the ROTC? Will the ROTC schedule be really busy? (Some people told me that taking ROTC is a bad plan because it would disrupt your focus on GPA and other activities in college. But, I want to hear your thoughts about this since you were the one who experienced this pathway.) 3. Can I receive assistance from the military in finding volunteering or shadowing opportunities to prepare for dental school instead of finding them outside?

[@racheldoesbalance]

1. it could, cause it shows commitment to the military and you gain a service obligation with it ,so they know you will be in for a while 2. it does make it harder. ROTC takes up A LOT of time, especially when you're already a busy premed. i do think i would have had a higher gpa honestly if i didnt do rotc (it was still good and good enough to get me into med school tho a 3.73) but it did make it harder to focus on classes sometimes. i was just so busy in general because of it. it takes SERIOUS time management, organizational, + multitasking. at the same time, the letter of rec i got from my rotc commander was amazing im pretty sure, i had incredible leadership opportunities from it that i wouldnt have had, and i met so many amazing ppl and mentors out of it + got to travel more in undergrad bc of it. 3. no they will not help with that unfortunately, its all your own networking and what you plan for yourself

[@ericashelton3808]

Is there a different kind of EA that we compete for? I did a bit of research and saw something about a non-line EA, and being designated as a premed student, but my Cadre never said anything about it.

[@racheldoesbalance]

yes, i started with a line EA / nonrated EA, then when i was accepted to the pre health board and got the scholarship, i became a pre-health EA. it existed in 2019 when i did it. check with your cadre though and make sure they look into it for you!

[@jessicacerrato6066]

Hey, thank you for making this video! I am currently in Army ROTC but don't think I am going to be able to juggle my science classes/extra curriculars needed to get into medical school. What do you recommend? I know ROTC as you get older in college in harder and more time commited to it.

[@racheldoesbalance]

hi, I'm so glad you found this video! I won't lie, it definitely was difficult and there were so many times when I felt like quitting and that I wasn't going to make it, that I wasn't good enough, that I wasn't going to get in and it would all be for nothing. by the time i was applying in my junior year i was so burnt out but i pushed through anyway and i ended up getting 5 interviews! from there, i just decided i was qualified and i was going to act that way, and i started feeling more confident and qualified. decide if this is what you want, and if it is, then push past the negative thoughts and the self doubt. i understand how you feel bc i think i felt that almost everyday, but you need to be the first person to believe in yourself. if this is what you want then you can make it happen! it won't be easy but it will be worth it in the end. if your mental/physical health is at risk bc the stress is too much, then you can always graduate, commission, and start your service, then after youve served for 2 years you can reapply to school and get an educational delay and do it a little farther down the road. never compromise your mental or physical health, that is more important than getting in right out of undergrad! i actually know an army rotc cadet that applied to med school to go directly after undergrad, didnt get in the first try, worked in the reserves for the gap year, and then reapplied again and she was able to go after only one year out of undergrad. if its AF you have to wait 2 years, but with army, you may be able to swing it with only one year. i know that was a lot lol but let me know if you have any other questions!

[@jessicacerrato6066]

@@racheldoesbalance thank you so much for this! I am planning on taking a gap year since I won't be able to take biochemistry till senior year. I think you hit spot on how I feel. I am only a freshman and I feel totally overwhelmed with no responsibility in the program yet. Most cadets are criminal justice majors and I am biochemistry (only one other cadet is). I know what needs to happen but I am not ready to let go of the relationship with peers. I don't know what to do. Thoughts? I know I need to put my needs first. Not to mention that I probably won't medically qualify.

[@racheldoesbalance]

@@jessicacerrato6066 yes, being a more difficult major in ROTC is definitely challenging, bc you want to be a competitive cadet but you also have to study more and have extra labs compared to other cadets. sometimes pushing yourself into a leadership position is the key to unlocking your growth in the program - in my spring semester of freshmen year, there were not enough upperclassmen cadets to fill the leadership positions needed, and they asked me to do it. i was so nervous to mess up everyday, but i know that experience pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me confidence. that was my experience tho! what do you mean by " i know what needs to happen"? definitely put your needs first, but know that you are 100% capable of doing ROTC and following a premed path. like i said, it isn't easy, but you're already in ROTC and have gotten used to the ROTC/regular student life, so that is definitely something to be proud of. what do you mean you won't medically qualify? you dont have to go into that if you dont want to, especially anything very personal of course,, but if youve already passed your DODMERB then you should be fine, as long as you keep up your fitness!

[@mariejohnson1933]

What was your Undergrad ?

[@darrionmcnulty6885]

Do you know that if I do Air Force ROTC that I can apply for Navy HPSP as a flight surgeon before I become a radiologist? Also by doing HPSP, from undergrad to having my own practice, how many years would that take in total?

[@racheldoesbalance]

if you do air force rotc, then i believe you have to do air force HPSP because you need to stay within the same branch. undergrad will be 4 years, med school 4, residency ~4, payback time 4, then you could open your own practice so in 16 years from when you start undergrad i think

[@brigettebelenky9996]

Can you do HPSP with a BS/MD?

[@racheldoesbalance]

just to make sure i know exactly what you're talking about - are you asking if you can get the scholarship while enrolled in a BS/MD program? Im honestly not 100% sure bc Ive never heard of anyone doing it, that doesn't mean it isn't possible though. I would say yes but the only thing I can think of that could get in the way is the fact that you need to take the MCAT and get a 500 overall and 124+ in each category to get an interview and be selected for it, im not sure if they would waive that for you tho bc you already have admission into a medical program. they may also tell you to take the MCAT to qualify for the program but im not sure. i suggest reaching out to a recruiter in your region and asking them, i think that they would probably have a better answer to the question than i can give you. let me know if you have any other questions!

[@brigettebelenky9996]

@@racheldoesbalance well I’m talking about the possibility of being able to do a combined medical program while still being in the army. Do u know anything about that?

[@racheldoesbalance]

@@brigettebelenky9996 oh okay! are you active duty or in the reserves right now? it wouldn't be possible if you were active duty right now just due to the workload/time commitment of medical school and having to be there/study all the time it may be possible if you were in the reserves because thats only one weekend a month but that one weekend would definitely add some stress to your schedule and impact how you study for exams/how you plan things out does that answer your question?

[@brigettebelenky9996]

@@racheldoesbalance I’m in high school right now. Trying to figure out a path 😁

[@racheldoesbalance]

@@brigettebelenky9996 oh okay, well that’s great that you’re planning out things early! Let me know if you have any other questions :)

[@tbuxt3992]

A few questions. What MCAT study prep did you find most helpful and coincided "best" with AFROTC? Did you plan on allowing yourself to take the MCAT twice? What should we do for extracurriculars if we can't find time outside of classes and ROTC? I am currently an AS200, majoring in History, minoring in Spanish and Med-Sci, and just received an EA. Any other advice you'd wish you'd been told earlier would be greatly appreciated.

[@racheldoesbalance]

Hi! Congrats on getting your EA :) you’re asking some great questions! As you can tell from my score, my MCAT prep/that part of my application definitely wasn’t my strongest as i got a 500/50th percentile. But the Kaplan books are a great place to start, the AAMC practice questions and the 3 practice tests - take them very close to the test bc they are the best representation, & just having a very light load during the spring semester of junior year so you can really really focus on content review and practice questions for the mcat are my best advice. You really have to be focused and disciplined. I didn’t plan on giving myself time to take the MCAT twice, i really only had one shot to get that score before i needed to send it to the prehealth board. That would’ve been good to do but it’s also not really feasible if you need the score by June of junior year & bc it’s already such a time crunch to study and take it & have the score ready by that time - unless you are really prepared for it and can do that! If you can’t find time outside of classes and rotc then just do as much as you can in rotc for leadership positions and extracurriculars & also so you can get a great LOR from your commander/OFC. I also suggest getting a job over the summer as an EMT or scribe or medical assistant so you can make money but also take advantage of the time off to get valuable clinical experience. Let me know if you have any other questions!!

[@tbuxt3992]

​@@racheldoesbalance long overdue update. Currently an AS 400 POC. I took your advice to heart and got a 90th percentile MCAT! My conditional release has been approved by AFPC and I hope to either attend USUHS or a civilian med school through HPSP (MD or DO). At this time secondaries are the name of the game. Thanks again for the insight and advice!

[@dynamite4u923]

So do you need to be in ROTC to apply to HPSP?

[@racheldoesbalance]

no, you do not need to be in rotc or have completed it to apply to hpsp!

[@DoubleTimeFitness]

💯

[@catherinepray1526]

Thank you for This rate inside the details you provided our standing

[@amandeepbaghiana4510]

After completing ROTC and HPSP, is your service requirement the combination of both those programs to around 7-8 years?

[@racheldoesbalance]

That’s correct, 8 years after i finish residency

[@ErwinDulmin-tw5th]

MY WIFE.... RACHEL PAY... MISS YOU... MAHATMA GANDHII.............

[@andrewcarley7352]

Did you have an ROTC scholarship during premed/undergrad? Is it possible to earn both an ROTC scholarship and HPSP?

[@racheldoesbalance]

I did, i had a 3.5 yr AFROTC scholarship & have a 4 yr HPSP scholarship! You can earn the HPSP one your senior year of college if you go thru the AFROTC pre health board

[@andrewcarley7352]

@@racheldoesbalance You're an inspiration. Thank you maam!

[@racheldoesbalance]

@@andrewcarley7352 Aw thank you!! Let me know if you have any other questions. I especially love helping ROTC cadets!

[@ErwinDulmin-tw5th]

MY WIFE...... MAMI.... SAYANG KU AKU MENCINTAIMU..... MAMI.... RACHEL PAY.... MAHATMA GANDHI.... MAHATMA ERWIN DULMIN GANDHIJI........

[@ErwinDulmin-tw5th]

MY WIFE...... MAMI.... SAYANG KU AKU MENCINTAIMU..... MAMI.... RACHEL PAY.... MAHATMA GANDHI.... MAHATMA ERWIN DULMIN GANDHIJI.......