The United States Public Health Service has a paid externship program for nursing students graduating in 2021. The program is called the U.S. Public Health Service Senior Commissioned Officer Student Training and Extern Program (SRCOSTEP).
The SRCOSTEP is a great opportunity to receive compensation during your senior year of school in return for a commitment of 2 years of service in the U.S. Public Health Service. You are NOT required to work during your senior year, your job is to complete your degree. The compensation includes pay, housing and food allowance, health insurance and dental insurance. Along with these benefits, you will also earn 2.5 days of paid annual leave each month after your commission; so you will have earned vacation by the time you start your career after graduation. Your time in the SRCOSTEP also counts toward your retirement, which you are eligible for a pension after 20 years of service.
My name is Stephen Sizemore, I am a Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service and hold the rank of Lieutenant Commander. I am the Chair of the SRCOSTEP Recruitment Team for the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The BOP is a place where we work to ensure people make the best of their second chance after incarceration, by providing high quality health care. My contact emails are s2sizemore@bop.gov , for a better response time email stephensizemoreusphs@gmail.com as I will have access to this account if I am away from work, in training or on vacation. Please provide your name, discipline, location and graduation date. This program is highly competitive because of the pay and benefits, so please contact me with any questions to ensure you are prepared for the preliminary screening call.
How To Apply:
- Application process starts with an Open Application Open Period June 3 to July 3 2019.
- When the application period opens, please contact the Commissioned Corps Recruitment Call Center to complete the preliminary screening at 1-888-225-3302. The Corps Recruitment Call Center is open Monday through Friday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm EST, and closed on federal holidays. You will most likely be asked if you are mobile.
- If approved through the screening process you will be sent an application.
- Application deadline is August3, 2019.
The SRCOSTEP program serves several agencies, however the BOP invests more funding into the program than other agencies and typically will select more students for participation than other agencies.
If you are not interested in becoming active duty but are still interested in correction medicine, becoming a Federal Civil Service employee is a great career with great retirement and benefits. Please contact me if a career as a civil servant interests you, I will provide you with a recruiter in your area.
Find More Information at:
https://usphs.gov/student/srcostep.aspx
https://usphs.gov/apply/srcostep.aspx
https://www.bop.gov/locations/map.jsp BOP locations
Respectfully,
Stephen F. Sizemore, DNP, FNP-BC
This post was authored by Karen Mittelstadt on 05/16/2019.