Don't know, don't care: medical students' knowledge of and attitudes toward military medical career opportunities and medical educational cost reimbursement.

We assessed indebtedness of graduating physicians and dentists in the class of 1996, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and found the percentage of students with debt to average 80% (range, 77-84%) among the five schools of the university. Mean indebtedness was $73,000 per student. We then surveyed the graduates of one of the four medical schools in the university (New Jersey Medical School) regarding attitudes toward established programs for financial assistance to medical students and physicians and alleviation of educational indebtedness in return for military service. More than half (57%) of the students were unaware of any program that would repay part of their educational loans in return for military service. Of those who professed such knowledge, few could name the programs. A similar number of students (55% of the graduates) said that they would not consider serving in the military under any circumstances. Despite considerable indebtedness among today's medical students, most do not know about career opportunities offering financial assistance with tuition or educational loans in return for military service. Worse yet, they do not care.