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.