ASR Question and Answer Document
Q-1.) General questions about the program: What is the job description?
Army Student Recruiter (OER) Position Description: Responsible for recruiting and retention support of medical students at South Dakota School of Medicine. Coordinates with the state Officer Strength Manager for recruiting functions to include school presentations and luncheons. Serves as the National Guard liaison and establishes and maintains liaison with Centers of Influence. Maintains professional appearance, meets or exceeds Army APFT standards.
The following information may be found on the 2008 Student Recruiter Program (ASR) Memorandum: Responsible for bi-monthly reporting to the state/territory ASR manager of all leads and duties performed. Serves as a local ARNG recruiting liason and point of contact within their respective degree program under the direction of State RRC/OSM. Maintains Tri-fold brochure locations within the school. Participates in local student society organizations representing the ARNG and enhancing the knowledge of the ARNG programs. Availible to the State OSM to assist in School presentations. Attends all courses and training required to complete their specified degree. Participates in all ARNG unit level training and drill exercises IAW with the approved flexible training policy dated 1 September 2006. Attends annual ASR training. Additional recruiting duties as assigned.
Q-2.) Questions pertaining to drill: Where will I Drill? To whom will I report? May I have their contact information? What will my responsibilities be? I’ve spoken with a current guard doctor, and he said that it is important to determine the drill responsibilities; according to my source, drill can consist of studying. Is this the case? You will drill in Vermillion with the 730th ASMC. Maj Dave Fossum (dave.fossum@us.army.mil) is the current commander. The National Guard has a flexible training policy (please see summary below) that will allow you quite a bit of flexibility with drills (I currently spend the large majority of my drill-time studying). Bottom line, the National Guard has a vested interest in you completing medical school—they will accommodate you accordingly. When you are at school, you should wear a National Guard polo shirt and talk to the students about the program as much as possible. You will also be required to help set up presentations, however, you will not have to lead these presentations.
Q-3.) Questions pertaining to daily responsibilities: How will my performance be evaluated? You will keep notes throughout the year on important events and will put those accomplishments onto a support form. This form is what will be used to write an officer evaluation. Try your best to journal your accomplishments in as much detail as possible. It will help you come time for review.
Q-4.) Questions pertaining to Officer training school: When will this occur? How long will it last? Where will it be? What will it entail? Will my transportation expenses be covered? Carol mentioned something about writing new orders for this trip? How will this affect me? Officer Basic Leadership Course Reserve Component, OBLC-RC is approximately 25 days long and will be the last school you will need to attend for quite a while. OBC is basically a course that healthcare professionals attend to help incorporate them into the Army. It takes place at fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX. There, you will learn: How to wear your uniform, how to salute, who to salute, rank structure, military best practice, so on. You will also go to the field for 14 days to see how a field hospital is set up, and how the different components function together.
Q-5.) Questions pertaining to summer activities: Aside from officer candidate school, how will I be required to spend my summer? As a medical student, it is very important that I gain clinical experience and or study for medical exams during my first two summers. Basically, I would like the opportunity to compete for civilian summer programs during my first year, and study during my second year. Would this be acceptable? In your first year, you will only be responsible for Officer Candidate School and monthly drill. You will also be allowed to miss your 2 week annual training in the summer of your second year, provided you are studying for USMLE step 1. During the summer, when you are out of school, you will be required to stay within a 150 mile radius of Vermillion unless you receive a medically related job in another city. Your permanent address will remain Vermillion. You may put in more time at the guard barracks if you so choose. If you chose to go 150 miles outside of vermillion, you will need to use your vacation days.
Q-6.) Financial questions: Can you comment on finances? Pay grade (salary)? Other Allowances? If you have no prior military service, you will start out as a 2LT. 2LTs currently earn 2,745.60/month (rates will change January ’11; generally expected to increase by 3%). You may be eligible for promotion after 18 months. If you do get promoted, which is likely, assuming you fulfill your responsibilities, you will earn on average $500 more a month. Untaxed Basic Allowance (BAH) for housing? $223/mo Untaxed Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS)? Vermillion ~ $760 for a single person, you earn more if you are married or have dependants. For more information check out: http://militarypay.defense.gov/ What happens after 3 years, when I’m done with the ASR program. Do I still get paid? Yes, you’ll just need to sign up for the Strap Junior program: It currently pays $1,900/month. It’s a bit confusing, but trust me, this will not add any additional time to your original 8 year contract. Federal Student loan assistance? Yes, $4,500 per fiscal year (Education fiscal year starts January 1st). Special allotments? Yes, you will be given a $600 uniform allowance. Vacation pay? Concerning vacation pay, if I don’t use all of my days, will I be able to return them for cash? All ASR participants will earn 30 days of leave annually and are encouraged and expected to take leave. All ASR participants are required to take leave or submit a mileage pass when they travel greater than 150 miles away from their duty/school address. All ASR participants will take leave during extended holiday breaks in training; ASR managers are the authorized approving official for all leave for ASR participants. If you have vacation days remaining at the end of the military fiscal year (September 30th), you may roll them over to the next year. You may accumulate up to 75 days of vacation. If you have unspent vacation days upon the completion of your orders, you may cash them out. You cannot keep them until retirement. That said, please remember, you must be responsible and accurately document the vacation time you have used. The current South Dakota Active Duty Operational Support (ADOS) pamphlet 600-5-1 states that you may only cash out 60 days. Am I eligible for drill pay while participating in ASR? No, you are a salaried employee of the US army and are therefore not eligible for weekend drill pay. Am I eligible for g-rap? No, you do not receive a bonus for recruiting soldiers. That would be a conflict of interest. Am I eligible for the 50% tuition provided by the state? Yes, according to South Dakota Codified law, 33-6-5.1, Any member of the National Guard of the State of South Dakota who is enrolled in a program leading toward a graduate degree in any state educational institution under the control and management of the Board of Regents, including institutions or courses not subsidized by the general fund, is entitled to a benefit of fifty percent of the in-state resident graduate tuition to be paid to the institution by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The benefit provided by this act may not exceed thirty-two credit hours toward a graduate degree. For more information: http://legis.state.sd.us/statutes/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=33-6-5.1 Am I eligible for the GI Bill? Yes, you will be eligible for the Selected Reserve G.I. Bill upon completion of OBLC-RC (the leadership course you must take in the summer of your MSI year) as long as your institution has been approved by the VA administration. USD qualifies. Most Residency programs also qualify, and if they don’t, you can request to have them added to the VA’s list of qualifying programs. The MGIB-SR currently pays $329/month for up to 36 months. In order to be eligible, you must also agree to drill for six years starting the day you sign up for the MGIB-SR program. If you have more then 6 years on your current contract, which you should if you have no prior service, time will not be added to the end of your contract. Please see the following website for more information: http://www.gibill.va.gov/pamphlets/CH1606/CH1606_Pamphlet.pdf I was looking in the National Guard almanac and I noticed that the health professions loan repayment program is designed to repay loans that were used to finance education in a health profession determined to be critically needed in order to meet identified wartime medical skill shortages. What professions are determined to be critically needed? Please see the following website for more information: http://www.1800goguard.com/explore/medical/hplrp.php . No additional yearly commitment will be added for accepting this benefit, the 3 year ASR program and the 3 year loan repayment program both fall within your initial 8 year service obligation. The Army National Guard will currently pay off $50,000 in student loans. This number may rise in the following years. You will become eligible after the completion of medical school. Payments are as follows, $20,000 after your first year of residency, $20,000 after the second, and $10,000 after the third. Remember, you must have a good year to remain eligible for student loan repayment. See flexible training program, below, for more information. Am I eligible for a bonus after completion of medical school? No. You must first complete residency training, be a fully licensed doctor, and you must have training in a specialty found on the critical wartime shortage list. If the previous requirements are met, you will be eligible for a special pay bonus of $25,000/year for 3 years. Bonuses can be taken concurrently (one after the other) for as long as you wish to sign up for them. For every year of bonus you accept (25K), you will add 1 additional year to your service agreement. According to Carolyn Duncan, Incentives can be taken consecutively for 19 years. For more information: http://www.1800goguard.com/explore/medical/hpb.php How many years would I owe if I signed up for the ASR program, and then, after residency training signed up for the bonus? Assuming you become fully licensed in your 8th year (this assumes a 4 year residency, family practice residencies are only 3 years, other residencies are longer), your service agreement would be 11 years[i]. You could cut the strings after your eighth year and not take the bonus, but we hope, by the time this opportunity is afforded to you, you will have enjoyed your time in the National Guard so much that you’ll want to stay on until your 20 year mark (think retirement). Remember, the retention bonus can be taken concurrently. Also, be advised, you must accrue at least 50 drill points per year to be eligible for your bonus (see flexible training program, below).
Q-7.) Residency Questions: May I train for a residency in another state? Yes. May I transfer to a unit within that state? Yes. Am I guaranteed the ability to drill with a unit in the city in which I am undergoing my residency training? Not necessarily, but we should be able to find you a unit that is close. Am I deployable during medical school? No. Residency? You are not INVOLUNTARILY deployable while in residency. If you choose to deploy, you may do so after PGY1. Some soldiers volunteer to go after PGY1 because they want the training that the Army has to offer/ they want to serve their country in time of need/ they want a break from their residency/ they want the extra cash. If you’re lucky, your residency program will give you credit for the time served. This is triply advantageous because you will: one, nock time off of your residency period (note: you will only be deployable for 90 days, but can request an extension if you would like to deploy for a whole year), two, be paid very well (90,000+/year), three, become eligible for post 911/MGIB. Since you will become eligible for Post 911/MGIB, you can receive the basic allowance for housing at the pay grade of an E-5 plus $1000 for books while in your residency.
Q-8.) Flexible training program: Can you comment on using the flexible training schedule while in residency and during practice? There is a policy letter that allows medical commanders to establish a flexible training program, i.e. 1 drill weekend per quarter. This flexibility is based on the unit commander’s discretion; mostly it applies to interns and residents due to their busy schedule and call hours. Although this policy is very accommodating, there is one thing that you need to consider prior to utilizing it: you must have 50 points per year to have a good year, and you need a good year to remain eligible for your bonuses and student loan repayment. During the ASR program you will receive 1 point every day of the year, so fulfilling your point commitment will not be an issue. However, after your three years of ASR, you will need to watch your points. Points are allocated as follows: 1 drill weekend will get you 4 points, 1 point per 4 hour block of time. So, if you attend one drill per quarter, you will get 16 points per year. In addition, you will receive 15 points per year for just being in the guard, plus another 15 points for attending your 2 week annual training. This comes out to be a grand total of 46 points. Remember, you need 50 to maintain your bonuses and student loan repayment. The Vermillion Commander is very willing to work with students and residents: please see contact information above in Questions pertaining to drill.
Q-9.) Deployment: If I am deployed after residency, how long will it be? Doctors and dentists are restricted to a 90 day deployment. The actual period away from home is more like 120 days, the extra 30 days are needed for stateside training and reintroduction. If you want to stay longer you can, but you have to sign a waiver stating that you understand that you are staying beyond the current policy by choice. As a healthcare professional, being away for an extended period of time can be detrimental to your practice, especially if you are in private practice. Remember, you cannot be INVOLUNTARLILY deployed until after residency. If your eight year contract is finished before your residency ends, you may choose to cease your involvement with the guards prior to the possibility of deployment.
[i] This information came from 1Lt Chris Hansen a Regional AMEDD recruiter. The calculations are based on the assumption that a student signed up for the ASR program when first entering medical school.