Commisioned Corps of the US Public Health Service in 2023

[razzledazzle2428, BSN, RN]

In a school orientation today, the USPHS (United States Public Health Service Commissioned corps) was mentioned as a possibility when they were reviewing different career options, as well as something that could help us pay off our loans if we were interested in it after graduation.  It piqued my interest and I am trying to learn more about them.  I have been to the USPHS website, and while it explains overall what they do, it doesn't have a ton of detail.  I searched here on allnurses to see if anyone here had worked for USPHS to get an idea of what the job is like and if they recommend it.  I only found a few forums talking specifically about USPHS, and all of them were >10 years old.  

Is there anyone on here who has worked for USPHS within the last 2-3 years who could tell me about their job? And if you would recommend it to other nurses? Pros and cons?

 

[jobellestarr]

I was a civilian nurse that has now retired from Department of Health and Human Services/IHS. I worked with many CC staff and I wish I had known about this as a new nurse. Great way to make a living, great benefits, great way to work in underserved areas and feel like you're making a difference. And great retirement. Is there a particular area of service or area that you're interested in serving? In the past couple years, I worked with CC as they coordinated the pandemic response for IHS. They did a great job! Also, I was an infection control officer for IHS and worked with them in that area as well as staff nurses.