Military externships: recruitment friend or foe?

The purpose of the study was to determine if optometry students who completed an externship at a military facility were influenced for or against future enlistment considerations. The responses of 62 students were evaluated over a period of 3 years using an original self-completion questionnaire. The results suggest that while the majority of students left their externship with a positive attitude toward the military practice of optometry, factors such as low salaries and lagging promotional considerations influenced most to overlook the military as a practice option. The important ramifications of the study, as well as potential threats to its validity, are discussed.