Fast Facts 2009 September
September 2009 Fast Facts
Welcome to a new school year!
What's New?
A new way to view our Fast Facts: Due to constructive feedback on the various student group sites, we are putting the Fast Facts on our website and only sending out a link. This will allow us to archive each issue of Fast Facts.
A new fiscal year: October 1st starts our new fiscal year. All your receipts for the 2008-2009 school year should already have been submitted. Receipts for the next fiscal year can be submitted after October 1st, 2009. We will still accept requests for reimbursements from this year, but payment will not be until later in October. Please don’t “save up” requests, submit as often as needed.
New Requirements: Recruiting Command has come up with a way to better serve you. Expect your recruiter to call you and have contact with you monthly by email or phone, as well as quarterly in person. This should not interfere with your studies or cause you undue stress. Recruit Command has assured us that this will be convenient (meeting for coffee at your school for example). This change was made because of students’ requests to have more contact with the Navy and maintain a strong relationship between the recruiter and the student.
What is new on the website: LT Lacey’s Student Guide for Medical Students. This is a guide written by a former HPSP student for HPSP students.
http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/navmedmpte/accessions/Pages/CurrentStudents.aspx
Late Graduations: Please note that graduating late may impact your ability to start your internship on time. If you have not passed your boards by the time you graduate, your commissioning documents will be held and you will not be able to start your internship or active duty assignment until you have your passing score. You will not receive money or support from the Navy until you check into your first duty station. Please plan ahead.
Travel:
By now most of you are aware that access to NROWS is no longer available to HPSP students. You must now fill out the Annual Training Request Form and return it to us at OH@med.navy.mil. Annual Training Request Forms can be found on our website: http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/navmedmpte/accessions/Pages/HPSPandFAPAnnualTraining.aspx
Note: You must have travel orders in hand BEFORE you leave for your destination. If you do not have your travel orders one week before your travel date, please contact OH@med.navy.mil. One week prior to departure is a good practice in case any modifications are required. Please be aware that no one is in the office on the weekends so please plan accordingly.
Reminders
Planning for Travel: Plan ahead for your Travel Annual Training by having enough money or credit to cover your expenses. Although you will be reimbursed, it will not be immediately, and you will need to pay up front for items such as your rental car, food and housing. You can request an advance of pay on your annual training orders. Please contact the Travel Section at least 4 weeks prior to your travel if you would like to request the advance.
After Completion of Travel: You must complete a travel claim within five working days after return from official travel. If you need assistance, please visit: http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/navmedmpte/accessions/Pages/HowtoSubmitaTravelClaim.aspx
Maintain Open Communications: Please notify us immediately of any changes to your health or academic status. Waiting to inform us will only delay our ability to provide guidance, information and assistance.
Changing Your State of Residence: Many of you would like to change your state of residence, which impacts the amount of state taxes you pay. Please note that this is different from changing your mailing address, since changing your address with us DOES NOT automatically change state of record for tax purposes. In order to do this you must complete Standard Form DD 2058, which can be found on our website: http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/navmedmpte/accessions/Pages/Forms.aspx. Please ensure that you meet all the qualifications for state residence. We do not verify this. We only process your request. The Accessions Department takes no responsibility should there be any tax difficulties incurred as a result of changing your state of residence.
Email Etiquette: The e-mail system used by the Accessions Department is limited to a maximum of 5 MB of attachments per e-mail. Larger cumulative attachment totals may crash the system and will likely be deleted. Please use the lowest resolution for e-mail scans and use several e-mails with appropriate sized attachments to send your larger submissions. When scanning the document, set your scanner to "black and white"
instead of color, and set the resolution (usually measured in dots per inch) to 400DPI. Sometimes your scanner will have presets for scanning different types of materials, if so, choose one like "letter" as opposed to "photo." Lastly, set the file output type as a “.pdf" or "Acrobat" file, as opposed to a ".jpg" file. By following these steps, you can insure that even a large, multi-page scan will result in a file that is well under 5 MB that will email quickly and reliably.
Tax Season: Are you getting your LES statements? Are they going to the right address? Please make any necessary corrections to your mailing address now, as your W2 will be sent out in January to the same address that the Defense Finance and Accounting System (DFAS) sends your LES statements to.
Prior Service: If you have prior service, please send us a copy of your DD-214. If you have more than 4 years and 1 day of prior service or your pay grade was over O1, you may qualify for "Save Pay" while on AT. Please email systems staff at Oh@med.navy.mil if you have any questions. You may also fax your DD-214 to 301-295-6865.
Military Etiquette
Proper addresses: The Navy is filled with tradition and appropriate social expectations. Your understanding or misunderstanding will impact your interactions. When addressing people in an email or in person please do not use first names unless you are asked to do so. Please avoid Mrs. unless this is how you are asked to address a female. An email signature block may give you some guidance, for example:
Mary Smith
LCDR MC USN
• The LCDR is a rank of Lieutenant Commander
• MC means the corps/community that a person belongs to, in this case the Medical Corps (a physician)
• USN means United States Navy.
Your signature block would have USNR (United States Navy Reserves). A proper e-mail address in this example would be "Dear LCDR Smith" or "Dear Dr. Smith," not "Dear Mary or Ms. or Mrs. Smith." You may also use the Contacts list (see below) provided in every "Fast Facts" to assist you with proper titles. Everyone has worked hard for their titles just as you are working hard for yours. Please honor the Navy tradition by addressing people appropriately.
Correspondence: Emails are easily forwarded, usually interpreted more harshly than intended and can impact your future. Please be respectful and appropriate in all your correspondence. You never know where it may end up.
Are You Transitioning?
Update your information: The best way to ensure you are not missing important e-mail information is to keep us up-to-date on your e-mail address, home address changes, and phone numbers. You won't get your Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) if you change your address and don't tell us about it. If your e-mail changes, let us know at OH@med.navy.mil.
Check your "spam boxes." Our emails may be filtered and not reach you. Also, please empty your mail box periodically to ensure that you continue to receive new e-mails.
Remember e-mail communication is the life line we use to inform you of changes, requirements and important information about your future careers. Don’t be the only one who is not informed.
Questions?
Correspondence: OH@med.navy.mil is the best way to send documents or ask questions.
Student Handbook: It is VERY important that you read it thoroughly. The handbook is the official policy guide for students and we update it every year. The current handbook may be found at: http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/navmedmpte/accessions/Documents/NAVMEDMPTEINST%201520%201C%20STUDENT%20PROGRAM%20HANDBOOK.pdf
If you find any directions in the handbook incomplete or confusing, let us know. We can make changes for the next version.
Website: Please familiarize yourself with the website it contains all the forms, directions and information you will need while in the HPSP program. Information on the website is updated more frequently than the handbook, so check for your answers there first. The website address is: http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/navmedmpte/accessions/Pages/default.aspx
We are always considering ways to improve it and welcome your suggestions.
How to reach us: Included in every Fast Facts is an updated list of individual points of contact with e-mail and phone numbers. While we prefer the use of OH@med.navy.mil because it is independent of any one person being in the office, you may certainly call directly, and we will do our best to return your call within 2 working days. If you leave a voicemail and do not receive a call back within 2 working days, send an e-mail to OH with “Escalate” in the subject. Your questions will be addressed from there.
Points of Contact for MDAD
Program Manager Dr. Yerkes 301-295-9950 Sandra.Yerkes@med.navy.mil
Student Affairs LCDR Sanchez 301-295-1217 Marlene.Sanchez@med.navy.mil
Bursar LT Adams 301-319-4531 Yolanda.Adams@med.navy.mil
Registrar Ms. Smith 301-319-4526 Frances.R.Smith@med.navy.mil
Systems Mr. Hughes
HM3 Copeland 301-319-4529
301-319-4534 Sean.Hughes@med.navy.mil
Crystal.Copeland@med.navy.mil
Tuition Mr. Woodard
HM1 Castillo
HM1 Gilland
HM2 Cuenca 301-295-9977
301-319-4539
301-295-2065
301-295-5315 Dion.Woodard@med.navy.mil
Katherine.Castillo@med.navy.mil
Kathleen.Gilland@med.navy.mil
Nancy.Cuenca@med.navy.mil
Travel
Mr. Green
Ms. Elliott
Ms. Mathis 301-319-4538
301-319-4540
301-319-4542 Jon.Green@med.navy.mil
Garcia.Elliot@med.navy.mil
Cassandra.Mathis@med.navy.mil
Books and Equipment Reimbursements Ms. Fundersburg 301-295-9978 Benita.Fundersburg@med.navy.mil
Travel/Reimbursement Fax 301-295-1811 OH@med.navy.mil
Professional Affairs Mr. Pelot
(Medical Students)
Ms. Sampson
(Dental Students)
MSC Students
301-319-4517
301-295-1594
Joseph.Pelot@med.navy.mil
Lydia.Sampson@med.navy.mil
Medical Records
Medical Records Fax HM2 Mignerey 301-295-3772
301-295-5954 (fax) Heather.Mignerey@med.navy.mil
OH@med.navy.mil
Research Opportunity: The Val G. Hemming Award, sponsored by the Department of Pediatrics, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, is a pediatric research competition for the best paper on a pediatric related topic in clinical or basic science research (excluding case reports). The Award is a $200 stipend, a plaque, and a travel grant to participate in the Uniformed Services Pediatric Seminar Annual Meeting in March 2010 in San Diego, California. Abstracts must be received no later than 26 October 2009 to the Scientific Awards Coordinator: Tracey Coletta - Scientific Awards Coordinator American Academy of Pediatrics, 141 Northwest Point Blvd., Elk Grove Village, IL 60007-1098; Phone: (800) 433-9016 ext 4926; E-mail: tcoletta@aap.org
The Site for the Hemming award will open in late summer 2009: http://www.aap.org/sections/uniformedservices/uspsrules.htm
