All I Want for Christmas is an Army Career

What do you want for Christmas? How about an Army career? I already have one of those - got it back in '92, and have been getting the same thing every year since then. How's that for "re-gifting"... a lot better than a fruitcake!

It may be a little too late to hope to get an Army career handed to you on a Thanksgiving platter, but you may still be able to get one for Christmas or New Year's if you have a doctorate in a Health Care field, and you are really serious about getting all your letters to Santa (application documents) completed quickly.

What basic documents are required to be considered for an Army Health Care career opportunity?

• CV or Resume
• Professional License (if your field requires one)
• Birth Certificate
• Transcripts from all schools attended
• CME's (Continuing Medical Education) - if applicable
• Board Certification - if applicable
• Prior Military Service Records (DD 214 minimum)- if applicable

If you are currently practicing in your field, that's all Santa needs to determine what new career may be under your tree this Christmas. Some career opportunities also come with student loan repayment and/or signing bonuses, depending on your specialty. All doctorate-level health care providers who are hired by the Army will begin their career as an Army officer with rank determined based on experience and qualifications.

I know a lot of people who were employed in the subprime mortgage business, and most of them have been unemployed for at least part of the last year. I also know many struggling clinicians who aren't making the kind of money that their medical or dental programs boasted they would supposedly be making - some have even seen their businesses fail. That's why a career as an Army Health Care officer is ideal in our present economy. The job is secure, the pay is competitive, the prestige is twofold as an officer and a doctor, the leadership opportunities are unparalleled... and perhaps most importantly, you spend your time actually treating patients instead of losing hair trying deal with marketing, staffing, accounting codes, and payrolls!

For me, my Army career is the best gift I have ever gotten, and it has helped me to eliminate debt instead of multiplying dbt the way most gifts do.