Air Force Scholarship Provides Opportunities to Aspiring Med Students

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Photo by Susan Pruitt

Residency Programs  - Air Force Staff Sgt. Kenny Pierceall explains how students coming out of college and into the academy obtain the rank of Second Lieutenant. Pierceall spoke with aspiring medical school students in the Science Center Auditorium Oct. 15.

   Air Force Staff Sgt. Kenny Pierceall met with aspiring medical students in the Science Center Auditorium Oct. 15 to discuss the Air Force Scholarship for Medical Students, eligibility, student obligations and residencies. According to Airforce.com, medical careers in the Air Force include physicians, nurses, dentists, careers in Allied Health and Health Services Administration. 

   Pierceall said the Air Force offers a three and four-year medical scholarship to qualified candidates. He said when the Air Force selects a candidate, the Air Force helps pay the bills while students attend medical school.

   The scholarship pays for the following, which includes: full tuition, reimbursement for textbooks, small equipment items and supplies needed for study, a $1,992 monthly stipend for living expenses, which is 23, 904 yearly, a $20,000 bonus and life insurance.

   Pierceall said the application process consists of completing an application workbook and providing transcripts. After submitting the application booklet, applicants must submit to a physical in Little Rock. If an applicant makes a 28 or higher on the MCAT and maintains a 3.75 GPA, the applicant is automatically selected.

   Pierceall said the selection process for the Air Force Scholarship for Medical Students is very competitive. He said as a minimum, the student must be a U.S. citizen and be enrolled or accepted to an approved school of Medicine. He also said certain medical conditions, such as asthma and diabetes, cause students to be disqualified.

   “I can understand the reasoning behind (disqualification) because let’s say you are in a location and you’re behind enemy lines and need your medicine. It’s putting your life at risk and those trying to get you the medicine lives at risk,” Pierceall said.

   Pierceall said while on scholarship, students must spend 45 days during the summer on active duty in the Air Force. He said students must serve three or four years on active duty for a three or four year scholarship. Pay back on the active duty obligation begins after the completion of internship and residency training.

   Shyann Scott, a Biology major, asked if a medical student must receive military training. Pierceall said before the student’s first year in medical school, students must attend Commisioned Officer’s Training for thirty days. COT consists of mainly learning military courtesies and history.

   Pierceall said the Air Force maintains several residency programs in Texas, California, and Ohio. He said when students come out of college and into the academy they obtain the rank of Second Lieutenant and doctors obtain the rank of Captain.

“A pediatrician could make $132,000 in the program and make $125,000 at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences,” Pierceall said.

   Pierceall said the major question he gets is “If I am a doctor in the Air Force, can I be deployed to Iraq?” He said the answer is yes. The deployments are from four to six months long and once every 18 months, but the length of deployment usually depends on the location one gets stationed in.

   “If you are an Emergency Medicine doctor in San Antonio, you will probably deploy every 18 months, but if you are an Emergency Medicine doctor in North Dakota, you will probably not deploy that often,” Pierceall said.

   Pierceall handed out fact sheets, questionnaires and his business card. Air Force opportunities were listed on the back of his business card.

    Opportunities include:

• Competitive pay with regular raises

• Tax-free housing and food allowances

• Thirty days vacation with pay each year

• Recreational and hobby facilities

• Membership on a world-class team

• Medical and dental care

• Professional growth through leadership experience

• Unmatched on-and-off duty education and training

• Excellent retirement package

  
   For more information on the Air Force Scholarship for Medical Students, please contact Kenny Pierceall by e-mail at  kenneth.pierceall@us.af.mil  or by phone at 618-624-3795.

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