This site has numerous topics posted regarding employment in the medical field. Many are related to paying for education. Many are related to entering the field you trained in after school while recruiters are holding out at present for experienced workers. That is not going to end anytime soon given the economy.

JOIN OUR MILITARY! If you have a high school diploma or GED and no criminal record, for the most part you should consider joining the US Army, US Navy or the US Air Force. Join the US Marines only if you want to fight and possibly be a patient. Join the others for great medical training over a patient instead of being one.

Before the snivelers start I was a US Marine! And damned proud of it but I know of what I speak on that subject!

Back to medicine. Join the military WITH A CONTRACT GUARANTEEING YOUR MOS IS MEDICAL!!!!!!!!

I have worked in 2 major US Army medical centers with numerous military trained medical personnel. Their 91C is equal to, or actually better than, any LPN/LVN program. And there is no waiting to get into limited programs. And you may write the LPN/LVN boards on exiting the military and you WILL pass!

In the Marines our corpsmen were "Doc" to us. I kid you not. Want to get your ass kicked and kicked hard? Mess with "Doc". You'll get a squad of grunts on you like ducks after a june bug. He was our lifesaver and we accorded him such respect. We went to Doc with problems before we would ever go to the "real" doctor.

I was a preceptor (as a long time civilian and long time RN) for a corpsman who went to nursing school in Washington state. That cat had it going. He did not know everything. But he knew what he knew and knew what he didn't. He was in a constant learning mode. Patients trusted him because of his demeanor and his confidence. His military training was a lot of it and we both knew it.

And to temporarily end my rant (I'll be back like the taste of a bad onion I bet) so many here say "God Bless America" and "Don't forget 9/11" and "I am proud of our troops".

Well fine and dandy and I'm glad you feel that way. Now some of you get off your duffs and actually be patriots. Put your butt out there instead of just mouthing little sayings.

PLUS GET THE BEST EXPERIENCE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD! You BSN folks - you go in as an officer!

You get your federal student loans forgiven or paid off.

You can go to CRNA training - the very best at that - FOR FREE! And while you go it is taking time off your commission! Ask Sevo!

The US has its own advanced military medical training institutions. At the AMCs I worked at there were people that had gotten their Masters degree courtesy of Uncle Sugar. Some were working on their PhD. Any of that is so expensive and so competitive in the civilian world.

As an officer you get quarters allowance (housing subsidy), they move your whole household FOR FREE, you get free medical for your whole family, shopping at the PX/Commissary in any one on any base anywhere in the world rerardless of your assigned duty station and so does your family even if you are out-of-country.

Think about it.

To be honest I hated every minute i spent in the military.