HPSP and FAP Annual Training

​Updated: JAN 2019

Clerkships cannot start on Federal Holidays.  If you intend to take a clerkship in the first week of September 2019, it cannot start on Labor Day, 2 September, because it is a Federal holiday.  Please schedule your September clerkship to start on or after 3 September.  Because the military's Fiscal Year (FY-2020) begins on Sunday, 1 October 2019, funding at the start of a fiscal year is not always available, and Columbus Day falls on Monday, 14 October, NO CLINICAL CLERKSHIP ORDERS WILL BE AUTHORIZED TO COMMENCE PRIOR TO 7 OCTOBER 2019.  DO NOT SCHEDULE ANY FY2020 CLERKSHIP ROTATIONS TO BEGIN PRIOR TO 07 OCTOBER 2019. OCTOBER 2019 CLERKSHIPS MUST ALL START ON OR AFTER 07 OCTOBER 2019.
 
An HPSP participant is eligible for 45 days of Annual Training (AT) for every year in the program. A FAP participant is eligible for 14 days of AT for every year in the program. Only one AT per 12 month period (calculated from 1 October to 30 September i.e. the Department of Defense’s Fiscal Year) can be taken. During an AT period, stipend payments stop and the participant receives active duty pay and entitlements at the appropriate rank level. NM Accessions Staff generate all orders for students using input sent to them via the Annual Training Order Request Form. Instructions for using this form can be found here.

I. Types of Annual Training

HPSP Participants can request the following types of annual training:

1. Officer Development School (ODS): If a participant has prior Navy commissioned service, attended the Naval Academy or participated in Navy ROTC, attending ODS is not required. All other participants, including those with Navy enlisted service or other commissioned service, must attend Navy ODS. Ideally, your first annual training should be to this five week school in Newport, Rhode Island. ODS provides basic military instruction, how to wear uniforms, and military courtesies. This is usually taken prior to starting professional school. However, it can be taken at any time, and must be completed prior to starting active duty. To get more information regarding ODS, please click here to go to the ODS website. For available class dates and scheduling information, click here. For assistance in scheduling your school orders, click here. If you will be attending ODS AFTER graduation, your detailer will schedule ODS as part of your orders to active duty. Please contact your detailer for more information.

2. School orders: It is not always feasible or possible to spend a month away from school during the first several years of instruction. Instead of leaving the school environment, the HPSP/FAP participant can apply for “School Orders.” While on “School Orders,” the student remains at school and continues his/her normal routine and receives full active duty pay and benefits at the appropriate rank. You CANNOT go overseas or on vacation while on school orders. You can still go on weekend excursions in your local area, but you must stay within 300 miles of your school. There is no need to wear a uniform or check into a military facility while on School Orders. For assistance in applying for School Orders, click here.

3. Clinical Clerkships: Clinical clerkships are rotations in a Navy Hospital or clinic, during which the trainee participates in educational and patient care activities under the supervision of a credentialed Navy provider. Clinical clerkships are generally 2 - 4 weeks in length and provide the trainee with the opportunity to learn about the Navy's medical system, meet program directors and department heads, and interview for future internships. The Accessions AT staff round out the remaining 45 day requirement with School Orders, which means students return to school and continue their normal routine while continuing to draw active duty pay and benefits. Clerkships are generally taken at the end of the junior year and beginning of the senior year of education. To schedule a medical clerkship or dental clerkship at the Navy Medical Facility, click here​.

4. Research and Operational Medicine clerkships are other ways to participate in annual training (AT) when ODS is not a possibility, or for those that are Naval Academy grads, former naval officers, or have NROTC, and have an extra AT to use.  Click here​ (updated 27 Mar 2017) for a list of medical research and operational opportunities.  Annual Training that is used for training that requires travel to a site, are scheduled for a maximum of 4 weeks.  The remaining 17 days of AT will be designated as school orders, where you are authorized your active duty pays and benefits while attending your normal school routine.   

II. Annual Verification

Before being approved for any of the above Annual Training requests, a student must have a current annual verification form and a current HIV test on file (an HIV test is good for 2 years, then must be repeated and results sent to the Accessions Office). Contact the HPSP Medical Readiness Section to verify your medical status prior to submission of your annual training request form. E-mail USN.NCR.BUMEDFCHVA.LIST.OH-STUDENT@HEALTH.MIL with a subject line of "Subj: Medical Review for Annual Training ICO YOUR NAME." If you know your verification form or HIV is out of date, please send in an updated annual verification form. Click here for an Annual Verification Form. If you are not located close to a military treatment facility (MTF), you may have your HIV test performed at your university health center. Inform the facility that you need the results of the HIV test forwarded via EMAIL to USN.NCR.BUMEDFCHVA.LIST.OH-STUDENT@HEALTH.MIL "Subj: Medical Readiness ICO YOUR NAME," or via Secure medical fax to (301) - 295-5954. HIV testing is a reimbursable expense which can be claimed using the Reimbursement Request process.

III. Requesting Annual Training Orders
 

Because student’s all have different academic school calendars, students must apply for Active Duty Training (ADT) orders.  To Apply for School, ODS, Clerkship, or Research Orders, click here​.  Note: Because the military's Fiscal Year (FY) begins on Tuesday, 1 October 2019 funding at the start of a fiscal year is not always available.  NO CLINICAL CLERKSHIP ORDERS WILL BE AUTHORIZED TO COMMENCE TRAVEL PRIOR TO 7 OCTOBER 2019.  DO NOT SCHEDULE FY2020 CLERKSHIP ROTATIONS TO BEGIN PRIOR TO 07 OCTOBER 2019.  If your ADT request is not approved you will receive an email stating the specific reasons why the request was not approved.  Please make the necessary corrections and resubmit the corrected ADT Order Request Form.
 

The Accessions AT Staff will take the information on your Annual Training Orders Request Form and generate your orders.  If you have moved after submitting the AT request form you will need to contact the AT Section to ensure your orders reflect the current address you will be leaving and returning to.  Failure to keep the AT Section informed of changes in your request will delay your orders and could cause pay issues, should orders need to be modified.  Once orders have started the address cannot be changed.  You can only fly from the airport that is closest to the address listed on your AT Orders Request Form. If your orders require travel, the Accessions AT Staff will request a travel itinerary and plane tickets for you. DO NOT PURCHASE YOUR OWN TRAVEL TICKETS. YOU WILL NOT BE REIMBURSED. The Navy contracts with a travel agency for all travel tickets.

IV. Orders and Itinerary

 
Please check with the Accessions AT Section 6 weeks prior to travel for ODS Orders and Clerkship/Research Orders, and 2 weeks prior to the start of School Orders to ensure all necessary paperwork has been completed and that an accurate e-mail address is on file for you.

Once your orders have been processed and an itinerary (only for travel orders) has been generated, Accessions AT Staff will e-mail you a .PDF copy or each. Normally this occurs 10 days prior to your actual travel date. If you do not have your orders and itinerary (only for travel orders) 10 days prior to your travel date, contact the Accessions AT Section immediately at USN.NCR.BUMEDFCHVA.LIST.OH-STUDENT@HEALTH.MIL

Travel arrangements to your clerkship/research facility are documented in your travel itinerary. All personnel traveling via air are issued e-tickets. E-tickets are available no earlier than 3 days PRIOR to the actual day of travel. Accessions AT Staff include your e-mail address when requesting your orders and airline tickets. This e-mail is used by SATO (the Navy's travel agency) to send your e-ticket to you.
 
· If you do not receive your e-ticket 3 days prior to your day of travel, contact Accessions AT Staff immediately.
· If flying on a Sunday and you do not have your e-ticket by Friday morning at 9:00 am (Eastern), contact Accessions AT Section IMMEDIATELY.
· If you do not use the first part of a round trip airplane ticket to get to your clerkship, the return flight will be automatically cancelled. You must notify USN.NCR.BUMEDFCHVA.LIST.OH-STUDENT@HEALTH.MIL
· If you fail to follow your scheduled air travel, contact that Accessions AT Section IMMEDIATELY.
· If you do not have a ticket issued by the Navy, and you purchase your own, you will not be reimbursed for the cost of the ticket.
· The travel office (SATO) responsible for arranging your transportation will not reissue flights without an order modification.
 
Save all receipts for tolls and taxi's or other means of travel to the airport. You will need these items to be reimbursed appropriately when you submit your travel claim. Always read your orders and be sure you understand what you are required to do. If you have questions, contact the Accessions AT Section at USN.NCR.BUMEDFCHVA.LIST.OH-STUDENT@HEALTH.MIL.

V. Travel while on Annual Training Orders

While in a travel status on Annual Training you may encounter a number of difficult situations. You will need to contact the SATO after hours 1-800-539-9999 should you have a problem while in a travel status. SATO will document any changes that will be required in your itinerary so when you file a travel claim there is documentation of the reason for your delay in reporting. Click here to review what to do while in a travel status.
 
Clinical clerkships are generally 2 – 4 weeks in length, with the remainder of the 45 day annual training period consisting of school orders. Although the school orders portion says to "report by letter" to the Reserve Unit assigned, you do not have to report to anyone. You are required only to be in the area of your school. You CAN NOT go overseas or on vacation while on school orders. You are not required to obtain an annual periodic health assessment (PHA) or an annual dental exam. You are not required to have a physical. Your Annual Verification or entry physical meets this requirement.  
Save all receipts for travel and lodging costs (taxis, subways, gas, etc ) . In most cases, these costs will be reimbursed to you as part of your travel claim, but only with a receipt showing you paid for it. ONCE YOU ARRIVE AT YOUR ASSIGNED LOCATION, HAVE YOUR ORDERS STAMPED WITH THE DATE AND TIME YOU ARRIVED, AND WHEN YOU LEAVE, THE DATE AND TIME YOU ACTUALLY LEFT THE AREA AND RETURNED HOME (AS INDICATED ON YOUR ORDERS). YOU WILL NOT BE REIMBURSED FOR YOUR TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR THE DAY OF ARRIVAL OR DEPARTURE WITHOUT A CORRESPONDING CHECK-IN AND CHECK-OUT DATE-TIME STAMP ON YOUR ORDERS. YOUR TRAVEL CLAIM WILL NOT BE PROCESSED IF THERE ARE NO DATE-TIME STAMPS ON YOUR ORDERS. There is no need to save receipts for meals. Your orders will specify a per diem rate for your area of travel, which is intended to cover your meals and incidentals while on travel.

VI. Reimbursement for Travel Expenses

Following completion of Annual Training for ODS and Clerkships, you must submit a completed Travel claim within 5 days of return. Click here for assistance with your travel claim. School Orders do not require submission of a travel claim. The PSD which processes your claim will not process incorrectly filled out travel claims. You MUST follow the go-by precisely if you want to be reimbursed for your travel.
 
Your travel claim documents the costs you encountered in getting to and from the training site as well as the costs incurred while there. In order to receive reimbursement for your costs (i.e. lodging, taxis, shuttles, mileage, parking, etc. to get to the airport and the base) you must have receipts for the costs. Your travel claim payment for these costs are grouped as “Per Diem” and Other Expenses. “Per Diem” is a term used to describe money that is given to you to support the costs of being away from your home. A per diem rate includes the following: maximum lodging rate, local meals and an incidental cost rate for a duty area (Per Diem Rate = Max Lodging + Meals (Local Meals, Proportional, or Government) + Incidental rate). The Per Diem rate for specific area are available on the Defense Travel Management Office website. Click here for the Defense Travel Management Office Website. Per Diem is paid as part of your lump sum Travel Claim payment. It includes two specific categories: Meals and Incidentals (MI&E) and Lodging. (NOTE: IF YOU ARE GOING TO OFFICER DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL (ODS), GOVERNMENT MEALS AND LODGING ARE AVAILABLE AND YOU ARE NOT PAID PER DIEM.)   1. Payment for Meals and Incidentals (MI&E): Included in your AT orders is a paragraph which states the Meals and Incidentals (MI&E) rate at which you will be reimbursed for food and incidentals. This rate is based on the area to which you are assigned. (You have to know the county, city and state to check on the rates if you go to the Per Diem Calculator available, see link below.) Usually it is around paragraph 11 for the MI&E rate. Depending on where you stay, you may not get a commercial meal rate if government messing is directed on your orders. There is no need to itemize each day's food purchase. This is a flat rate based on availability or non-availability of government messing (i.e. military cafeteria where you can get your meals).   2. Payment for Lodging: Around paragraph 10 of your orders, there is a paragraph which discusses lodging. The listed lodging rate is a maximum which is determined by the area to which you are assigned in the orders. To obtain the per diem rates and lodging rated go to: http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/perdiemCalc.cfm . In order to claim lodging costs on your travel claim, you MUST have a day for day receipt showing the cost of your lodging. You will NOT be reimbursed lodging if you do not keep receipts. The government will pay state and city taxes for lodging separate from the room rate. Parking costs will be reimbursed separately from the room rate. NOTE: You must use government lodging (Navy Lodge, Bachelor Quarters, etc.) if it is available. When you report to your assignment, you must check into the Navy Lodge system. If there are no rooms available, they will stamp your orders with or give you a Certificate of Non-Availability (CNA) letter. With the CNA letter or stamp on your orders, you are allowed to stay at a civilian lodging facility of your choice but you will not be reimbursed over the maximum rate that is outlined in your orders.   Rental Cars: You will be reimbursed for gas, if you are on a clerkship rotation AND are authorized a rental car. Gas will be reimbursed ONLY for travel to and from lodging and the clerkship site. If you are authorized travel by your own vehicle, you are reimbursed for the miles you drive from your school to the clerkship site and back, not the gas you use or the commuting miles while at the clerkship. Auto insurance is included in the contract with the rental car agency and is included in the government rental car rate. If you purchase additional insurance, you will not be reimbursed. Your driving records may be checked at the discretion of the rental car company.