The F. Edward Hébert Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program[1] (HPSP) offers prospective military physicians (M.D.

), dentists, nurses, optometrists, psychologists, pharmacists, and veterinarians a paid professional education in exchange for service as a commissioned non-line or special branch officer.

Created under the authority of the Uniformed Services Health Professions Revitalization Act of 1972,[2] the HPSP is the primary source of trained healthcare professionals entering the United States Armed Forces.

[3] It is named after Felix Edward Hébert, the longest serving US representative from Louisiana and founder of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

As inactive reserve officers, the students are required to serve 45 days of active duty for training (ADT) each fiscal year.

Years spent in residency count towards the 20-year active duty retirement requirement, and incur a one-for-one service commitment.

This means a recipient owes extra time if their postgraduate program is longer than the length of their initial professional education, e.g., a four-year medical student recipient in a seven-year neurosurgery residency would owe three extra years beyond their four-year medical school obligation, as the obligations for both medical school and residency are concurrently paid back after completion of residency.

[citation needed] HPSP scholarships are not offered by the United States Marine Corps since it receives medical services from the Navy.

The United States Coast Guard currently receives its medical services from the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, though plans exist to train its own physicians and enlisted medical staff starting in the 2023 academic year.