How to Get 100% of Your Graduate School Tuition Paid in a Health Care Profession

Why are there so few 100% scholarships out there for grad school in health care, when everybody knows that we are facing a critical shortage of health care providers as the baby boomers reach retirement?

I wish I had the whole answer to that question, but I suspect that there are still many health care organizations that are in denial about the shortage hitting them. They insist on continuing to think they they will stay competitive and just keep hiring as they always have. Unfortunately the supply of qualified new health care professionals is not limitless, and most health care organizations are not willing to sheel out many thousands of dollars to put new employees through the many years of education that they require.

For some people the Army is not an option that they had ever considered when dreaming of attending medical school, dental school, optometry school, veterinary school, or a clinical psychology PsyD or PhD program. Why not?

It's definitely not for everybody - you do have to be in decent physical condition, have a bachelor's degree, be free of any significant run-ins with the law, and be a US citizen. You also have to be ready to serve your country and fellow soldiers (for several months if necessary) in some parts of the world that you might not see at the top of your travel agent's brochures. OK, so that's about it. If you are cool with those things and have put off going back for one of these advanced degrees, why haven't you considered the Army?

It's really a no-brainer when you consider that the scholarships (know as HPSP) pay 100% of tuition, books, fees, and instruments, plus a monthly stipend of over $1,600/month. The number of years covered and the variety of career opportunities vary according to specialty, but in all of these fields the Army health care professional practice their specialty without the overhead cost and admin time associated with civilian private practice. If treating patients is why you want to be in your career of choice, then the Army is the place to do more of that.

Ok, so I'm positively biased after 15 years of service, but my experiences are real, and so are the career opportunities. I have worked in the civilian sector as well, for many years, and there is nothing that compares to the internal intangible rewards of serving soldiers who really need you and rely on you to keep them healthy and strong.

I am always happy to chat with anyone who wants to get the full info on Army Health Care careers and how to apply for scholarships. You can reach me at michael.rakow@usarec.army.mil any time.

I have nothing to gain from "convincing" anyone that the Army is right for them - I only aim to be a source for reliable information to make informed career decisions. In fact, "convincing" someone who doesn't really feel that it's a good fit would be doing myself and the Army a disservice. Beware of anyone (civilian or military) who tries to make you come to their organization against your better judgement.