It serves all four branches of the military and Public Health Service. Uniformed students receive their usual pay and benefits. Medical students have a seven year obligation to serve after graduation. Only military nurses are accepted in the post-graduate nursing programs for Master’s degree or PhD completion. Some civilians who are employed by the federal government may be eligible for admission and receive their full salary while attending.

The university specializes in the extraordinary requirements of deployed troops. For that reason the school is year-round and the medical education contains an added 7700 hours of military needs training. Other programs are available with an emphasis on research into uniquely military clinical findings (post-traumatic stress, etc.). In 2006 a new program was initiated studying radiation biology.

For information about the opportunities, see them on-line

Want to go to the medical or graduate school of your choice? If it is in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, clinical psychology or nurse anesthesia there’s a scholarship waiting for you.

The most extensive scholarship plan is the F. Edward Hebert Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program. Not only is this a free ride for tuition, but also comes with a monthly stipend, books, non-expendable equipment, and promotions. To qualify, students must have already be enrolled or received a letter of acceptance from a program in the United States or Puerto Rico, qualify for commissioned officer status in the Army Reserve, be a United States citizen, and maintain full-time student. What you owe them is full-time status and dedicated effort to get good grades, 45 days active duty for training, commission as a second lieutenant and its obligations post-graduation. Your first year of training after school is performed on active duty at an Army medical center.

To start the application procedure you will need the following:

• Letter of Acceptance to a Professional School (Four year scholarships only)
• Dean’s Letter stating that you are currently enrolled in the Medical School and are in good standing with a projected graduation date (For 2nd, 3rd & 4th year medical students).
• 3 to 6 Letters of Recommendation (You must provide your Army Counselor/Recruiter with the names, address and telephone number of these individuals). Committee Letter can count as all three (3) for 4 year scholarships only
• Copy of MCAT / DAT / VCAT / OAT / GRE results (which ever applies)
• Proof of Birth / Citizenship: Copy of Birth Certificate / Passport / Naturalization Cert.
• Official Transcripts from ALL Undergraduate and Graduate Schools attending or have attended.

A physical examination is also required. Your free physical exam will be provided.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: To get started now contact your Army Health Care Recruiter

You’re thinking about becoming a doctor but are put off by the many years of education and the likelihood of emerging in debt; the increasingly high cost of insurance; demanding hours. Maybe you should consider a medical career as a nurse practitioner.

The demand for nurse practitioners is enormous. Nursing in general is one of the ten fastest-growing fields in the U.S, spurred by the increased emphasis on public health, the ageing of the baby boomers and the retirement of existing nurses. Most health care institutions and other settings can’t fill their slots fast enough.

If you think a nurse practitioner is a glorified doctor’s assistant, think again. Today’s nurse practitioners, known as NPs, give complete physical examinations; care for people of all ages; manage chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes; order and interpret X-rays and other lab tests, give immunizations and provide essential patient education. Nurse practitioners can prescribe medication in all states; in 25 states, they are no longer required to practice under the supervision of a doctor.

As a nurse practitioner, you have a wide choice of work settings including hospitals, doctors’ offices, rural and inner city clinics and schools. Some NPs opt for private practice. You can specialize in pediatrics, family health, acute care, women’s health, anesthesiology, midwifery or occupational health. Some NPs are researchers, teachers or involve themselves in legislative work to improve the quality of health care. An NP is often is a patient’s primary health care provider. Many patients feel that nurse practitioners spend more time with them than doctors do.

To become a nurse practitioner, you attend an undergraduate school of nursing, get a B.A. and become a licensed registered nurse. Afterwards, you might work before beginning a one or two year NP program which leads to a Master’s degree. There are programs for college graduates who are not registered nurses, although these take longer than the standard Master’s program. The average annual salary for NPs is $75,000, depending on the part of the country and the ratio of NPs to available positions for them.
If becoming an NP is appealing, investigate it during high school. Besides math, take science courses including biology and chemistry. Volunteer at a hospital and tell the Human Resources staff that you are considering a nursing career. Or, volunteer at a doctor’s office or local free clinic. In any of these settings, you’ll find out quickly if you are stimulated or bothered by the atmosphere.

Take stock of yourself mentally and physically. The combination of demanding courses, on-site training and homework requires stamina. Watch science programs on television. ER and House don’t portray nursing entirely realistically but, if these programs are a turn-off, being an NP may not be for you.

Go online to several nursing schools and check out their requirements so you can be as prepared as possible. Read about nursing. Try to find a nurse in your community willing to mentor you and describe his or her experiences in the field.