Don't know, don't care. III.

The knowledge of and interest in Department of Defense programs to help medical students with their educational expenses in exchange for military service as a physician was studied at three medical schools representing the eastern (University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/New Jersey Medical School [UMDNJ/NJMS]), midwestern (University of Missouri at Kansas City), and western (University of Utah) United States. Despite staggering indebtedness (40% of the class of 1998 at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey were in debt in excess of $100,000 at graduation), surprisingly few students were aware of programs such as the Health Professions Scholarship Program, the Health Professionals Loan Repayment Program, and the Specialized Training Assistance Program. Even fewer were interested when made aware of such financial assistance. Hostility to military service as a physician was common. "Patriotism" was seemingly anathema. Dwindling recruitment and retention of medical corps officers in the reserve components of our nation's armed forces is of grave concern to national security and flies in the face of medical students', hence young physicians', indebtedness for their education. Clearly Department of Defense programs must become more imaginative, certainly more financially appealing.

Don't know, don't care: medical students' knowledge of and attitudes toward military medical career opportunities and medical educational cost reimbursement.

We assessed indebtedness of graduating physicians and dentists in the class of 1996, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and found the percentage of students with debt to average 80% (range, 77-84%) among the five schools of the university. Mean indebtedness was $73,000 per student. We then surveyed the graduates of one of the four medical schools in the university (New Jersey Medical School) regarding attitudes toward established programs for financial assistance to medical students and physicians and alleviation of educational indebtedness in return for military service. More than half (57%) of the students were unaware of any program that would repay part of their educational loans in return for military service. Of those who professed such knowledge, few could name the programs. A similar number of students (55% of the graduates) said that they would not consider serving in the military under any circumstances. Despite considerable indebtedness among today's medical students, most do not know about career opportunities offering financial assistance with tuition or educational loans in return for military service. Worse yet, they do not care.