Don't know, don't care III

The knowledge of and interest in Department of Defense programs to help med ical students with their educational expenses in exchange for military serv ice as a physician was studied at three medical schools representing the ea stern (University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/New Jersey Medica l School [UMDNJ/NJMS]), midwestern (University of Missouri at Kansas City), and western (University of Utah) United States. Despite staggering indebte dness (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), surprisin gly few students were aware of programs such as the Health Professions Scho larship Program, the Health Professionals Loan Repayment Program, and the S pecialized Training Assistance Program. Even fewer were interested when mad e aware of such financial assistance. Hostility to military service as a ph ysician was common. "Patriotism" was seemingly anathema. Dwindling recruitm ent and retention of medical corps officers in the reserve components of ou r 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 i maginative, certainly more financially appealing.