SEATTLE — The U.S. Army is searching for healthcare professionals to join its ranks, and they’ve got a pretty good pitch they’d like you to hear:
- Pay you to get an advanced medical degree, or pay off existing medical school loans
- No boot camp
There’s more to it, but those are the big selling points. Maj. Richard Smith is an Army nurse, and he’s out to spread the word.
“A lot of people are not aware of the financial benefits of joining the Army,” he said. “First of all, our sign-up bonuses start out at $40,000 and they go up to over $500,000 by the time you add all the special incentives.”
These bonuses are in addition to tuition incentives and regular pay, plus healthcare for you and your family.
“Free health insurance, free prescriptions,” Smith said. “The benefits are second to none. You can't beat free. It's an opportunity to have autonomy and administration of your career, an opportunity not to have to worry about malpractice, or insurance, and building and all these different things like that.”
- Medical and Doctor of Osteopathy Physicians
- Specialty Physicians and Surgeons to include Oral Maxillofacial Surgeons
- Physical therapists
- Occupational therapists
- Psychologists
- Psychiatrists
- Nurses
- Nurse practitioners
- Dentists
- Optometrists
- Veterinarians
Full-time and part-time options are available right now for trained, licensed, and board-certified professionals.
If you still have student loans, the Army will pay up to $250,000 for a qualifying degree. If you’re looking to get your degree, or a more advanced one, the Army will pay for it – tuition, books and fees, plus about $2,300 a month for you to make school the only thing you need to worry about.
You’ll end up with a degree and no debt, and in exchange, you’ll need to serve in the Army for at least as long as you were in school. For example, a four-year degree that the Army paid for would mean a four-year service commitment.
Whichever path you take, you’ll be commissioned as at least a captain, possibly higher depending on your experience and training, and attend the Basic Officer Leadership Course.
“They teach you everything that you need to know about being a soldier, being a leader in the Army,” Smith said. “It's not the same thing that you see on TV, you know, crawling under barb-wire fences and different things like that, drill sergeant yelling in your face. You're going to a training course that teaches you the common courtesies of the military and that's what it's designed to do.”
Smith emphasized that it’s not automatic that you will be deployed to a combat zone. He’s been an Army nurse for 13 years and has yet to set foot in battle.
“If you came in as a medical professional, your job is to be a medical professional,” he said. “Your job is not to be in a line of fire, to be on the battlefield. Your job is to heal, to restore, and to make better those who have been injured on the battlefield.”
Smith was 35, married and with a family when he decided to join up.
“I was a nurse already,” he said. “I had what you call civilian-acquired skills and training, (but) I felt like there was nothing else really to challenge me. “And so yes, even though I was married I had a family, that commercial “Be All You Can Be,” it resonated within me. I wanted to come in and help make a difference and it was the best decision ever.”
For more information, visit the U.S. Army’s website
Seattle Medical Recruiting Company is recruiting for both full-time and part-time positions for Healthcare Providers within over 1million square miles beyond Washington State and the Pacific Northwest region into the areas of Alaska, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Iowa, Nevada, and California. There's a high demand for practicing Physicians and Surgeons. To find the closest Army Medical Recruiter and find out what sign-on bonus incentives you may qualify for, use the links below:
Phone numbers to call for more information:
- 702-743-6163
- 253-838-9889
- 253-838-1687
Sponsored by U.S. Army. Segment Producer Suzie Wiley. Watch New Day Northwest 11 AM weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.