FAQs

• • Yes and no.

  • No: if you're a DO student you only need to take the COMLEX for military programs. Military PDs don't care that you've taken the USMLE in addition to the COMLEX.

  • Yes: The flip side is that you'll also be applying for the civilian match through ERAS. If you don't get an active duty residency slot you'll be passed off to the civilian match. To be more competitive for some programs on the civilian side, then yes you'll need to take the USMLE in addition to the COMLEX.

It would be ideal to take your second round of boards before going on ADTs since you'll be busy during these rotations.

• • Think of an ADT rotation as a military sub-I, or an away rotation at a military treatment facility (MTF). These are 4 weeks long. 

  • They have to be done continuously and cannot be split in half or completed in multiple parts. 

  • Your active duty time is 45 days in length. Approximately 30 of those days will be done at a military residency site and the rest of the 15 days will be completed as a campus tour either at the beginning or end of your active duty dates.

• • These are usually scheduled about 6 months in advance. Figure out which locations may be your top two, and contact those programs to set up an ADT around December/January of your 3rd year. Spots begin to fill around March and onwards, so you may not be able to rotate at your top choices.

• • Yes. Most students have 2 ADT slots available in their 4th year for military rotations. You should figure out which of the 6 programs may be your top 2 and schedule your ADTs at those bases.

• • If you're on the 4 year HPSP scholarship, you can complete up to 2 ADTs during your 4th year. Importantly, 1 must be done before the end of the fiscal year (30SEP2023 this year).

  • If you have yet to complete your training (ODS/OCS/BOLC) prior to starting your 4th year, an ADT will be used for this during your fourth year, which means your only ADT rotation has to occur before the new fiscal year begins. 

  • If you're on the 3 year HPSP scholarship, most likely you'll only do 1 ADT during your 4th year

• • You'll be expected to see patients, come up with an assessment and plan, present your patients, and chart on them. You'll also be included on various procedures.

  • Most ADTs will have in-patient, OB, and a mixture of out-patient experiences (including specialty clinics). Typically about a week is done on in-patient, at least one or a few days on L&D, and the rest of your days spent between different outpatient settings (regular clinic, sports med clinic, fracture clinic, gyn clinic, derm clinic, etc). 

  • Check the different program pages to see specifically what to expect as each base handles ADT rotations a little differently.

• • You will be paid the active duty base pay for an O-1 with <2 years time in service + BAH + BAS + Per Diem. In addition, your hotel and car rental fee will be paid out of pocket and reimbursed afterwards.

  • You can use this calculator to help estimate the rough amount you'll earn. Note, this calculator estimates pay for the yearly and monthly rate. You'll be paid for 45 days of active duty (1.5 months). This calculator also does not include Per Diem.

• • You can contact the student coordinator for the family residency program and ask to do a full length non-ADT (unfunded) , or a mini-rotation (a few days to a couple weeks long).

• • Non-ADTs are mostly the same as ADTs with the exception that you will be back on Inactive Ready Reserve status (no longer considered Active Duty status), you will be back to regular stipend pay, and you won't be reimbursed for your hotel or car rental (unfunded). 

  • Non-ADTs are 4 weeks long, just like ADT rotations. The benefit is being able to interact with more programs and get in the full experience to determine whether or not the program aligns with your interests.

  • It is important to contact the residency as early as possible to let them know you want to do a non-ADT rotation, because the program has to draft/coordinate/get signed a memo of understanding between their program and your medical school, before you rotate there. This can take a few months sometimes, so the earlier you get them started on this, the better.

• • As many as your school allows and as many as the family medicine residency program has spots for. Some students don't complete a Non-ADT either because they cannot afford the expenses, or the time possible to complete one.

  • The residency programs traditionally try to limit the number of non-ADTs due to a limited number of slots for students to perform their ADTs. Keep this in mind when scheduling your ADTs.

• • Yes, students in the past have been able to set up experiences ranging anywhere from 3 days to a couple weeks. This is a good way to be able to visit multiple bases to see what the program offers.

• • Yes, aside from location there are big differences between all 6 programs the Air Force offers. 

  • In a very brief nutshell, Travis is the most in-patient focused, Nellis is outdoorsy, Offut and Scott are similar in culture and are both civilian-military combined, Fort Belvoir is the only Tri-service location, and Eglin is on the beach. 

  • Browse through this page to learn more about the different programs or ask upperclassmen for more info. There's also plenty of information on the Air Force HPSP group on facebook. 

  • If you're not on facebook, you can also check out previous teleconferences for Family Medicine.

• • ALL medical students on the HPSP scholarship are eligible for a CAC regardless of whether or not you are on orders/active duty status. 

    • In the past only students on active duty orders could obtain a CAC. It was also true that back then medical students could only obtain a green reservist card when not on orders. These are no longer the case. 

    • Any HPSP student at any time (once in DEERS) can obtain a CAC.

  • A CAC is necessary to get on base, access the computers for charting, and use base facilities/resources. 

  • To make it easier for yourself, get a CAC made prior to arriving for your rotation. To find the nearest location to you where CAC's are made you'll need to search for a RAPIDs locator.  Bring 3 forms of ID with you (driver's license, birth certificate, passport, etc).

• • Can take as quickly as two weeks, or as long as six months. Plan accordingly because ADTs can be expensive and can cost you $5000-10,000 for each ADT out of pocket.

• • Per Diem is a set rate that varies based on location. Use this website to estimate the per diem rate for where you'll be rotating.

  • Whatever the total is calculated out to be for your rotation, that number is what will be paid out to you when you receive your reimbursement for your ADT. In other words, you get your full Per Diem at the same time when you receive your ADT reimbursement (two weeks to six months from the date of the travel voucher submission).

  • The Per Diem is paid out to you in full regardless of how much you spent on the hotel or how much you spent on food. You do not need to keep track of how much you spent on food or keep the receipts. 

• • You don't have to do anything to receive the full Per Diem aside from completing the travel voucher at the end of your ADT. You'll get your Per Diem when you get your reimbursement (two weeks to six months).

• • Yes. Most students will only rotate at 2 places in person. You can set-up and travel to the other sites you did not rotate at for an interview in person. Contact the student coordinator for the program you're interested in interviewing with for dates available.

• • Yes, if you don't have the time to visit a location in person for an interview a phone interview is acceptable at most (not all) locations. You will have to contact the program you're interested in interviewing with to find out if this is possible.