Author: Joel Schofer, MD, MBA, CPE
The Most Controversial Post of All Time Resolved? HPSP and FAP Credit in the Reserves
The most controversial post of all time is this post about getting credit for HPSP time in the Reserves. It has over 100 comments, and no other post in 10 years is even close to that many. The issue may have led to an IG complaint and Congressional Inquiry, if not multiple of each!
Yesterday, a reader tipped me off that this may have been resolved. Here is the text from the Navy Personnel Command page:
Physicians, Dentists, Optometrists, Physician Assistants or Clinical Psychologists who participated in the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) and/or Financial Assistance Program (FAP) and drill in a Critical Wartime Specialty, can earn up to a maximum of 4 years towards retirement and a maximum of 50 points per year. DoDI 1215.07 page 14.
In response to SECNAV memo of 23 Jan 25 and ASSTSECNAV MRA WASHINGTON DC e-mail ltr of 28 Jan 25, member is eligible for issuance up to four years of qualifying service due to completion of the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) and validation of critical wartime specialty.
HPSP retirement example*: A CDR, who currently serves in a DoD Critical Wartime Specialty, participated in the HPSP program for 4 years and separated from active duty service with 12 years. Upon accession into the Navy Reserves, the CDR is immediately credited with 4 satisfactory years towards Reserve retirement plus 200 points (50 points per year while in HPSP program). The CDR would need to serve in the SELRES for just 4 more years to reach retirement eligibility.
(Note that they don’t tell you want the asterix means after the word “example” in the above paragraph)
Added 20 MAR 2025:
This file has the most recent publicly available list of critical wartime specialties. It is unclear if this is the list they will use for the above policy:
Navy Medicine During 250 Years of Naval Service
Below are links to the first “Special Edition” supplements that recognize some of the significant contributions Navy Medicine has made over the past 250 years of naval service. Every week throughout the year we will be posting a new supplement on the BUMED DVIDS site.
1) 250 Special Edition – American Revolution: Navy Medicine in the Age of Sail (https://www.dvidshub.net/publication/issues/72744)
2) 250 Special Edition – Six Frigates: Navy Medicine in the Age of Sail (https://www.dvidshub.net/publication/issues/72766)
3) 250 Special Edition – Health & Medicine at Sea: Navy Medicine in the Age of Sail (https://www.dvidshub.net/publication/issues/72832)
Finance Friday Articles
- How to Make it a Healthy Correction
- How to Think About Credit Card and Travel Hacking
- I Hadn’t Shopped for Insurance in Decades — Could I Have Been Saving Thousands Every Year?
- Is International Diversification Finally Working?
- Not all market volatility is created equal
- Retirement Income Strategies — And Here’s Our Plan for When We FIRE
- Should You Do a Roth Contribution or Conversion?
- What Happens in a Recession?
- What the Rule of 55 Means for Your Retirement Distributions
Joel Schofer's Career Planning Blog 