Army Clinical Psychology Scholarships: ‘Tis the Season at Thanksgiving – ‘Tis too Late by Christmas

I am often asked “When is the best time to apply for Army Doctoral Scholarships in Clinical Psychology?” The short answer is that your whole application packet must be completed and submitted by Thanksgiving. There is some small amount of flexibility in this deadline, but Christmas is certainly too late.

It is important to understand why this deadline is so crucial to the application process. The most noticeable reason is because there is only one chance per year for clinical psychology doctoral students to apply for the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP), as opposed to most other doctoral fields (dentistry, medicine, and veterinary medicine) for which the scholarship is available until the total annual pool is exhausted.

The HPSP application packet includes a considerable amount of documentation that will be reviewed by a selection board to determine who will be selected for that year’s scholarships. Although the Army Medical Department AMEDD has a greater number of available scholarships than the Navy or Air Force, the selection board is highly competitive, so the serious applicant would be wise to start working with a knowledgeable Army Healthcare Recruiter by August in their second year of graduate school. It takes time and expertise to collect the documents and information needed to apply for both a federal job and a 100% tuition scholarship at the same time, so it is essential to find the right person to guide you through the process, and you must get started early!

All I Want for Christmas is an Army Career

What do you want for Christmas? How about an Army career? I already have one of those - got it back in '92, and have been getting the same thing every year since then. How's that for "re-gifting"... a lot better than a fruitcake!

It may be a little too late to hope to get an Army career handed to you on a Thanksgiving platter, but you may still be able to get one for Christmas or New Year's if you have a doctorate in a Health Care field, and you are really serious about getting all your letters to Santa (application documents) completed quickly.

What basic documents are required to be considered for an Army Health Care career opportunity?

• CV or Resume
• Professional License (if your field requires one)
• Birth Certificate
• Transcripts from all schools attended
• CME's (Continuing Medical Education) - if applicable
• Board Certification - if applicable
• Prior Military Service Records (DD 214 minimum)- if applicable

If you are currently practicing in your field, that's all Santa needs to determine what new career may be under your tree this Christmas. Some career opportunities also come with student loan repayment and/or signing bonuses, depending on your specialty. All doctorate-level health care providers who are hired by the Army will begin their career as an Army officer with rank determined based on experience and qualifications.

I know a lot of people who were employed in the subprime mortgage business, and most of them have been unemployed for at least part of the last year. I also know many struggling clinicians who aren't making the kind of money that their medical or dental programs boasted they would supposedly be making - some have even seen their businesses fail. That's why a career as an Army Health Care officer is ideal in our present economy. The job is secure, the pay is competitive, the prestige is twofold as an officer and a doctor, the leadership opportunities are unparalleled... and perhaps most importantly, you spend your time actually treating patients instead of losing hair trying deal with marketing, staffing, accounting codes, and payrolls!

For me, my Army career is the best gift I have ever gotten, and it has helped me to eliminate debt instead of multiplying dbt the way most gifts do.

How to Get 100% of Your Graduate School Tuition Paid in a Health Care Profession

Why are there so few 100% scholarships out there for grad school in health care, when everybody knows that we are facing a critical shortage of health care providers as the baby boomers reach retirement?

I wish I had the whole answer to that question, but I suspect that there are still many health care organizations that are in denial about the shortage hitting them. They insist on continuing to think they they will stay competitive and just keep hiring as they always have. Unfortunately the supply of qualified new health care professionals is not limitless, and most health care organizations are not willing to sheel out many thousands of dollars to put new employees through the many years of education that they require.

For some people the Army is not an option that they had ever considered when dreaming of attending medical school, dental school, optometry school, veterinary school, or a clinical psychology PsyD or PhD program. Why not?

It's definitely not for everybody - you do have to be in decent physical condition, have a bachelor's degree, be free of any significant run-ins with the law, and be a US citizen. You also have to be ready to serve your country and fellow soldiers (for several months if necessary) in some parts of the world that you might not see at the top of your travel agent's brochures. OK, so that's about it. If you are cool with those things and have put off going back for one of these advanced degrees, why haven't you considered the Army?

It's really a no-brainer when you consider that the scholarships (know as HPSP) pay 100% of tuition, books, fees, and instruments, plus a monthly stipend of over $1,600/month. The number of years covered and the variety of career opportunities vary according to specialty, but in all of these fields the Army health care professional practice their specialty without the overhead cost and admin time associated with civilian private practice. If treating patients is why you want to be in your career of choice, then the Army is the place to do more of that.

Ok, so I'm positively biased after 15 years of service, but my experiences are real, and so are the career opportunities. I have worked in the civilian sector as well, for many years, and there is nothing that compares to the internal intangible rewards of serving soldiers who really need you and rely on you to keep them healthy and strong.

I am always happy to chat with anyone who wants to get the full info on Army Health Care careers and how to apply for scholarships. You can reach me at michael.rakow@usarec.army.mil any time.

I have nothing to gain from "convincing" anyone that the Army is right for them - I only aim to be a source for reliable information to make informed career decisions. In fact, "convincing" someone who doesn't really feel that it's a good fit would be doing myself and the Army a disservice. Beware of anyone (civilian or military) who tries to make you come to their organization against your better judgement.