Four Indiana University School of Medicine students in the Class of 2025 recently learned where they would match in their residency placements—three months earlier than most students learn that news.
Why? These four are part of the U.S. Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP), which allows students to complete residency training at military medical centers. Through HPSP, students pay tuition and course materials and receive a monthly stipend in exchange for a service period after graduation.
We talked to three of them about their experience here and why they chose this path.
Ma Hnem, General Surgery, U.S. Air Force, UT Health San Antonio & Travis Air Force Base (Fairfield, Calif.)
Q: What inspired you to go for a path in the medical field and get involved with the armed forces?
A: I knew that I wanted to go into medicine to serve people and help others. Coming from a refugee family with very limited income and no one in my family to support me financially, I was very lost. The huge amount of commitment I would be signing up for [with] medical school frightened me, so when I heard of an opportunity with the military, it was perfect. Ever since I was in high school, I wanted to join the military. I am a very small woman, and my mother is very conservative, so she did not want me to join. With this opportunity, I had another conversation with her regarding my joining and how it would not only benefit me for medical school but also give me another purpose in serving the military at the same time.
Q: What lessons did you learn at IU School of Medicine, and how did you carry those lessons into your residency?
A: Different campuses give you different experiences. On my campus in Evansville, we were such a tight-knit group that we formed lifelong relationships. Without that experience, it would have been hard for me to imagine, as an introvert, connecting with people very easily. It was the perfect environment to build bonds easily. With Indy, especially the beginning of rotations, it prepared me well to be a good resident. I did not realize this until I did away rotations at a few different places. I felt very prepared with the training that I had. The doctors and the physicians I worked with trained me really well on what it looks like to be a good surgeon and gave me aspirations on what I could be in the future.
Q: What did you learn about yourself through HPSP that you would not have otherwise?
A: It reinforced my idea of "If there’s a will, there's a way." Sometimes, we don't always know what we sign up for. We have this goal or dream we are trying to achieve, and we often don't know how to get there. You just have to go for it and figure it out along the way. I believe in God, that God is guiding me on this journey, and that everything worked out fine in the end.
William Stanton, General Surgery, U.S. Army, Fort Liberty (North Carolina)
“In hindsight, I wouldn't have changed my story, but out of high school, I wish I had given more thought to joining the armed forces. When I learned about the HPSP scholarship, it was the perfect opportunity to wed a career in medicine and the military. For me, it was a no-brainer to apply for the scholarship.”
Q: Students in the past discussed that they participated in the HPSP program due to their familial background in the armed forces. Do you have a similar experience?
A: I do not have any background in the armed forces, nor does anyone in my immediate family. It was unfamiliar territory, joining the military. I did not commission until I started medical school for the scholarship, so it took some arm-twisting with some family members. I was willing to embrace the unfamiliarity of joining the armed forces.
Q: How does your experience with military training affect your relationships with medical professionals?
A: It certainly can be a point of immediate bonding when I meet with a medical professional. My army lanyard usually starts a conversation. From a relational standpoint, it is interesting to meet different people in the medical field who may have a similar experience. From a professional standpoint, it can change the way I learn. It can tailor my medical education in such a way that I might get to see otherwise others might not be as interested in or able to see.
Q: Did you ever doubt your abilities while in the program? How did you overcome that?
A: Having no prior military background, I certainly struggled to fit the mold for military physicians and did not know what the expectations were. The angst to mesh well was alleviated by going to these programs to interview. The military medical world is very advanced, so it was not different than I anticipated. I’m certainly excited about all of the military-specific parts of my residency I get. I am just excited that I will be able to train at a very reputable surgery program and become a competent surgeon. I feel reassured that I was able to find my lane with the program I am going to be starting in and what there is to expect there.
Will Hutwagner, General Surgery, U.S. Army, Tripler Army Medical Center (Hawaii)
“What I learned through HPSP is that working with people with like-minded career goals can be a lot of fun and that having a good attitude makes the difference."
Q: What inspires you to go for a path in the medical field and get involved with the armed forces?
A: I’ve always been interested in the armed forces. I grew up outside Fort Moore, Georgia. The people who taught me when I was a kid all wore green berets or were rangers because the ranger school goes through there. I’ve always been interested in service. I decided on medicine rather late. I got sick in my fourth year of undergrad and ended up having a sinusotomy. During that, I decided I wanted to do medicine instead of other avenues I had open. If I had to choose a population of people to work with, I would choose the military.
Q: Students in the past discussed that they participated in the HPSP program due to their familial background in the armed forces. Do you have a similar experience?
A: I would say no, but I’m a strange person in that category. A lot of my family members did serve. My dad, my uncles, both of my grandfathers, and my great-grandfathers served. A lot of them used it as a way to either pay for their education, get drafted or as a way to have a job. Just because they served doesn't necessarily mean that I wanted to serve. A lot of them told me not to because the whole reason why they had served. I wanted to serve because a lot of friends of mine who impacted my life ended up being in the armed forces.
Q: What lessons did you learn during IU School of Medicine, and how did you carry those lessons into your residency?
A: What I learned was that putting time and effort into medicine is the best way for me to learn and that I can rely on my close friends who were there with me through the work. I will carry this into residency by continuing to put in effort while relying on my fellow residents for support and education.
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