First off, I'd glad you love America. I too, love America and am a currently on the Army HPSP life plan. As for your questions, I can answer them from the Army perspective: 1. the truth is that you have less choice where you can go geographically. For the Army (the branch I comissioned into) basically has 5 teaching hospitals, so I'm fairly confident that I'll end up in either Seattle, San Antonio, Augusta (GA), Honolulu, or Washington D.C. The military offers many of the same specialties, but you have less options as far as programs to go to. 2. Sometime during school, typically during the summer between first and second year, you have to go to your officer training course. It's 6 weeks, the training (by Army standards) is very easy and you get to hang out in San Antonio and get drinks on the Riverwalk for 6 weeks. Needless to say I had fun. Other than that, you can do 2 away rotations at Army hospitals during your 3rd and 4th years, there is no required obligations during the school year. 3. This is tricky. Short answer: no, the Army will place you where you're needed. Longer-more ambiguous answer: maybe. If you are able to befriend your career manager (basically a HR guy who decides what officers/docs get sent where) and are proactive, you might be able to volunteer for openings. Bottom line though, you'll be stateside till after residency and then after that there's no guarantees. 4. might have better luck with concrete evidence asking this question over on r/medicine, but I can tell you that I know of 3 military trained ortho guys that work in our department as attendings and they are all awesome surgeons. My advice to you is that if this is something you really want to do, and you really want to be an officer in the military and provide are to our servicemen and women, then go for it. Its a huge honor and will be a fun ride no matter what you do. If you interest in HPSP hinges solely on going to Korea, I'd be cautious because there's no guarantees and you will have to make some sacrifices (i.e. location options for residency, lower pay after residency, wearing a uniform/being an officer). Best of luck my friend