Fast Facts 2010 October
October 2010 Fast Facts
Fall Edition
1. Has your contact information changed? The best way to ensure you are not missing important e-mail information is to keep us up-to-date on your current e-mail address, home address, and phone number(s). E-mail us your updated information at OH@med.navy.mil.
2. Did you get married, divorced, or have a child? Please notify Systems Section and provide them with the required documentation (Marriage Certificate, Birth Certificate, etc). Failure to notify the Systems Section of dependency changes may impact allowances while on AT (Annual Training). Name change request instructions and templates are located at http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/navmedmpte/accessions/Pages/Forms.aspx.
Please note that the process takes about 4-6 weeks.
3. Tax Season Preparation: Tax season will soon be here and it is imperative that the HPSP Systems Section has a current mailing address on file for you. W2's will be sent by mail to you by the Defense Finance and Accounting System (DFAS), the pay system, at the address we have on file. If your address is incorrect, you will not receive your W2. A general rule of thumb is if you are not receiving your Leave and Earning Statement LES (pay stub) in the postal mail, at least twice a month, then you will not receive your W2 in January. Requests for reissued W2's take several weeks to process and may delay the processing of your tax return. Please email OH@med.navy.mil immediately and provide us with your correct mailing address if you are not receiving your Leave and Earning Statements in the mail.
4. ID Card: As a reserve military officer, you are entitled to and should carry a reserve military ID card. A reserve ID card allows you to use any military commissary, exchange or recreation facility as many times as you want during the year. Please visit the following link for information:
http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/navmedmpte/accessions/Pages/IDCards.aspx.
To obtain an Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) ID card, take your Oath of Office document and two forms of photo identification to a Personnel Support Detachment that issues ID cards. If you do not have a copy, please let us know by e-mailing OH@med.navy.mil with a subject heading of "ID card - Need Oath of Office ICO ENS (your name)." Please call the ID making site prior to traveling to the facility, to be sure they can issue your ID, and to verify operating hours/schedule for an appointment. If unable to find a facility near you by using the RAPIDS website linked on the page above, please contact OH@med.navy.mil . Your family members are also entitled to ID cards. Note: Children under the age of 10 will not be issued an ID card.
5. Tuition Payment: The Navy contracts directly with your school for your tuition payment. In order to have a contract with your school, we must have a current Academic Year Statement (AYS) on file for you. Once a contract is in place, the school must invoice the Navy for your term. Tuition (standard tuition, building use fees, laboratory fees, health service fees) is paid directly to the school upon receipt of a valid invoice. Health insurance premiums may be invoiced with tuition, but ONLY when this insurance is required by the school, and only at the single policy rate (single-rate with no dependents). Health insurance, malpractice insurance, disability insurance and vision coverage are allowed reimbursable items (at the minimum insured level) if they are REQUIRED of all students attending your school. If required by the school but not invoiced with tuition, you should pay for the item and submit a claim for reimbursement using the standard form (SF) 1164 "Claim for Reimbursement for Expenditures on Official Business," located at http://navmedmpte.med.navy.mil/accessions/forms/DD1164.pdf
If you paid for the term, you must wait for the Navy to pay your school, and then seek reimbursement directly from your school for the credit in your tuition account. If any problems occur related to tuition payment, please contact Accessions Department Tuition Section immediately at OH@med.navy.mil. Under no circumstances should you pay your tuition personally if you are a student in good standing in the HPSP program. If you have recently entered the program, please note there is a 1-2 month processing period before the tuition payment is received by your school.
Travel
1. Annual Training: To request annual training (School Orders, Clerkships, or Officer Development School (ODS), please follow the instructions found on our website under the section "HPSP and FAP Annual Training,” located at http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/navmedmpte/accessions/Pages/HPSPandFAPAnnualTraining.aspx . This page has the links to the Annual Training Request Form and instructions on how to fill it out. Once you have filled it in, please scan and send it to OH@med.navy.mil.
Note: The address you enter on the annual training request form is the address that will be used as your travel start location and where you will end your travel at the completion of your AT. Please enter the address where you need to leave from and return to (as opposed to your permanent address if it is different from your current location). You may only request one address location and cannot change that location after the start date of the orders. Last minute changes to orders for flights due to an incorrect address on the request form will cause unnecessary delay, expense, and work. The airport you request to use on the AT request form must be in the vicinity of the address you have entered. Please remember to verify the lodging reservation(s) on your itinerary. You should contact the BOQ or assigned lodging facility prior to departing for training to ensure the reservation has not been lost. You may end up at the location with no place to stay if you do not verify your reservations.
2. BAH: Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is a non-taxable entitlement that is paid to you while on Annual Training (AT). Upon commencement of AT orders for FY-2011, you will receive BAH type I. For members that completed orders in September, some of you will receive a BAH adjustment approximately 3 to 4 weeks after completion of your AT. You will be paid the larger BAH type 1 if you are on school or clerkship/research orders. If an adjustment is required, a debt may be reflected in the remarks section of your LES, which will be suspended for 90 days. You have two options:
a. Send in a check for the total amount of the debt. Contact the Systems Section at OH@med.navy.mil if you desire this option in order to obtain the procedures and address to mail the check to.
b. Allow the 90 days to expire. The debt will automatically be withdrawn from
your paycheck at a rate of two thirds of your pay for each pay period until the debt is paid.
While on travel, save your receipts, and make sure they state that you have paid the charges ($0 balance). Failure to obtain clear and accurate receipts will cost YOU money and delay the processing of your travel claim. Gas for rental cars is reimbursed, but must be consistent with the miles traveled for official duty only. This means that you may turn in receipts for gas used for driving between your lodging and your training site, but you cannot not turn in gas receipts used for personal reasons (like going out to see a new location you have never been to). By all means enjoy the training and the area, but do not charge the Navy the cost of seeing the town. Dry cleaning is authorized at the training site only ($2 per day after the first 7 days).
3. After Completion of Travel: You must complete a travel claim within five working days after return from official travel. Why? Because your orders have accounting obligations assigned to them that must be balanced by the accounting staff that support HPSP. This year we are going to be counting our pennies and will need to reassign any unused monies. If you need assistance, please visit:
http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/navmedmpte/accessions/Pages/HowtoSubmitaTravelClaim.aspx .
Chief’s Corner: Military Etiquette
From the desk of Senior Chief Lacson, a Senior Enlisted Leader, who has been in the Navy for 19 years, and wants to assist you in your successful journey as a Naval Officer in the U.S. Navy.
Military Bearing and Appearance:
1. The fingernails for females may not exceed what length?
ANS: ¼ inch past the fingertip.
2. The fingernails for males may not exceed what length?
ANS: May not extend past the fingertip.
Reminders
1. Recruiter Assistant Program (RAP) ended 30 September: The RAP program, which paid students for referrals for the HPSP/FAP and NCP programs ended on 30 September. For those of you who participated, thank you!
2. AMSUS: The Association of Military Surgeons of the United States, the professional society of military medicine, is offering a free year of membership followed by a special student membership rate of $27.00 for succeeding years to federally sponsored health professions students. The student membership application can be found at www.amsus.org on the web. Clicks on the “Join AMSUS” button and select the “Free Student Membership Application” option.
3. Academic Requirements: Per the HPSP contract, all participants are required to pass their professional boards before coming on active duty. All participants are required to provide scores for USMLE/COMLEX I and II, NDBE I and II, NBEO I, II, and III, and PANCE per the dates specified in the HSPS contract. Failure to pass must be reported immediately to the Student Programs Section at OH@med.navy.mil. An opportunity to retake the failed exam will be allowed. NCP students please submit your official transcripts at the end of each quarter/semester.
4. Record Maintenance: You will be asked many times in your career for official documentation. For example, when applying to programs such as residencies or fellowships, you will be asked to provide copies of Board Scores. To save yourself money and inconvenience, save all official documents in a safe, accessible place with your other important papers.
5. Email Etiquette: Please limit your emails to a maximum of 5 MB of attachments total per e-mail. Please use the lowest resolution for any attached scans and use several e-mails with appropriately sized attachments to send your larger submissions. OH@med.navy.mil is the best way to send documents or ask questions. Please limit yourself to one question area per e-mail. Multiple questions about multiple areas cannot be copied and sent to knowledgeable individuals in the e-mail system we use.
Information and Points of Contact
1. Correspondence: Please do not “reply” to emails directly sent from the Response Manager system. Use OH@med.navy.mil or the email provided in the signature block. All Accession Department staff emails are in the following format: First.Last@med.navy.mil Any email that deviates from this exact email address format will not reach us.
2. Student Handbook: It is VERY important that you read it. The handbook is the official policy guide for students and we update it every year. The student handbook may be found at: http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/navmedmpte/accessions/Documents/NAVMEDMPTEINST%201520.1D%20STUDENT%20PROGRAMS%20HANDBOOK%201520.1D.pdf
3. Website: Please familiarize yourself with the website, as it contains all the forms, directions and information you need while in the program. Information on the website is updated frequently. Our website address is: http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/navmedmpte/accessions/Pages/default.aspx
4. How to reach us: While we prefer the use of OH@med.navy.mil, you may certainly call directly. 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@med.navy.mil with “Escalate” in the subject.
Points of Contact for MDAD
Program Manager Dr. Yerkes 301-295-9950
Student Affairs LCDR Sanchez 301-295-1217
Bursar Senior Chief Lacson 301-295-1820
Registrar Mrs. Smith 301-319-4526
Systems Mr. Hughes
YN2 Moore
YNSN Ransom
301-319-4529
301-295-3042
301-319-4534
Tuition Mr. Woodard
HM2 Pak
YN3 Small 301-295-9977
301-319-4539
301-295-3936
Travel
Mr. Green
Ms. Elliott
Ms. Mathis
301-319-4538
301-319-4540
301-319-4542
Books and Equipment Reimbursements HM2 Torres
301-319- 4527
Travel/Reimbursement Fax 301-295-1811
Professional Affairs Mr. Pelot
(Medical Students)
Mrs. Sampson
(Dental, MSC Students)
301-319-4517
301-295-1594
Medical Records
HM2 Hulsey
301-319-4541
