The medical field is already a lucrative option for a student looking for a well-paying career, and it's only going to get more so as time goes on. For a veteran or service member looking for a medical school, there are often military-friendly programs to consider at each one. Below are five medical schools across the country that offer military or veterans' programs, so that a vet or service member can take advantage of all available perks while working toward their degree.
School Comparison
| School Name | Institution Type | Location | In-State Tuition (2016-2017)* | Tuition Assistance/Military Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | 4-year, public | Ann Arbor, MI | $14,402 | Veterans and Military Services Program, PAVE program, various veteran and dependent scholarships |
| Duke University | 4-year, private | Durham, NC | $51,265 | Duke Student Veterans |
| Cornell University | 4-year, private | Ithaca, NY | $50,953 | Veterans Colleague Network Group, various scholarships and veteran tuition awards |
| University of California - Los Angeles | 4-year, public | Los Angeles, CA | $12,920 | NCTSN Military Families Program, Nathanson Family Resilience Center, California Veteran Fee Waiver program |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 4-year, public | Chapel Hill, NC | $8,834 | CORE certificate program, reduced tuition rate for military |
Source: *National Center for Education Statistics
Military-Friendly Medical Schools
There are a lot of options to consider when choosing a medical school, and that goes double for a veteran or service member also looking for military-friendly schools. There are a range of medical schools, both private and public, across the country. There a curious reader should be able to see how the schools' medical and military programs stack up, and find a perfect fit for them.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
The University of Michigan - Ann Arbor (UM) is a well-regarded 4-year public university with a strong medical program and many services for military students. UM offers Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs, with 14 different options for PhD degrees in disciplines such as pharmacology and cancer biology. For military, UW has a Veterans and Military Services program, which offers resources and support to veteran and active-duty students. The school also offers its Peer Advisors for Veteran Education (PAVE) program, which pairs up incoming veteran students with trained veteran upperclassmen, to help ease a veterans' transition from a military life to a college one.
Duke University
Though it's best-known for its nursing program, Duke University also has a robust medical school on its campus. Duke offers several Health Education programs, with degrees in physical therapy, biostatistics, and more. The university also has PhD programs in medical physics or pharmacology. For veteran students, Duke offers the Duke Student Veterans association for student vets, as well as their families, faculty, and staff. There, the members form a community and assistance group to provide a sense of togetherness on campus and beyond.
Cornell University
Like Duke, Cornell is another 4-year not-for-profit private university with a well-regarded medical program. Cornell's medical school, called Weill Cornell, has dozens of different departments so that a student can specialize in their area of study. A Weill Cornell student can work toward a degree in subjects as varied as child development, radiology, or Alzheimer's disease and memory disorders. Cornell offers aid to its military students through its Veterans Colleague Network Group (VCNG) program. At the VCNG, vets can connect with the 400 other veterans and service members on Cornell's campus, participate in VCNG events, and more.
University of California - Los Angeles
For a vet or service member on the west coast, or just one looking to get a little more sun while they study, the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) has military assistance programs, as well as a medical school worth considering. UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine offers MD and PhD degrees as well as training and funding for postdoctoral students ready to take their first steps into a career in medicine. The school also provides many unique programs for its active-duty and veteran students to help make their time at the school comfortable and successful. UCLA has partnered with Duke University to found the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), a program that provides education and training to deal with various military behavioral health issues, as well as the Nathanson Family Resilience Center to help military families transition and flourish in civilian life.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) offers a medical school with unique military benefits at an affordable cost. UNC offers both MD and PhD degrees, as well as combined programs for students to get a diverse medical education, which will be very attractive to future employers. UNC also provides military assistance programs to help veterans service members succeed in an educational environment. The university's CORE certificate program is designed especially for active-duty or veteran students and offers accelerated coursework in general education classes so that a CORE student can complete these classes and continue to their degree of choice.
