Making Your Military Medical Training Pay
Online schools help servicemembers transition
into lucrative civilian health care careers.
by Kelly Fodel, MAE Correspondent
Fiona Strasserking was a hospital corpsman in the Navy, stationed overseas in Guam. Trained by the military as a cardiovascular technician, Strasserking hoped to transition from active duty to a civilian health care career upon retirement from the military. She enjoyed her job as a cardio tech, but Strasserking knew that an undergraduate degree from a university could help her get maximum credit for her clinical training and prior education in the military.
“I wanted to be doing health care, because that is my passion, so I looked for a program I could do conveniently while working in the Navy overseas. It was not a difficult decision for me; it was a logical choice to make,” said Strasserking.
Her search led her to George Washington University, where she studied clinical management and leadership in a distance learning program. Strasserking completed all assignments online, and found that getting her degree was not difficult, even though she was thousands of miles away from her school in Washington, D.C. Each class “session” was one week long, so she could log on to classes, download course materials, and complete assignments anytime during that seven day period. The flexible schedule made learning virtually stress-free for Strasserking.
“For me it was very easy. I had no difficulties at all… it was very convenient,” Strasserking said.
Ever-increasing numbers of military personnel are turning to distance learning to earn certification, bachelor’s degrees, and even master’s degrees while still on active duty. These soldiers can find a host of colleges providing online education programs, many of them in the health care field.
Health care institutions are trying to avoid a major shortage of workers in the coming years. They are currently seeking to increase the available labor pool of health care employees. To attract new employees to the health care industry, employers are focusing on recruitment from non-traditional labor pools, including the military. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, health care jobs are expected to account for 3.6 million new jobs to be added by 2014. That is a projected growth of 27 percent in the health care field, compared with 14 percent projected growth for all other industries combined. For example, by 2014, the employment of home health aides is expected to increase by 56 percent, physician assistants by 50 percent, and medical assistants by 52 percent.
Many health care jobs require less than four years of college education, but most technical jobs require at least a two-year (associates) degree. Military students preparing for a civilian health care career will find many online programs that offer everything from certification to graduate-level studies. Military Advanced Education is providing a glimpse at a sampling of schools offering distance learning programs that are convenient to active duty military personnel.
COLORADO TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
Six thousand military students are currently getting their education at Colorado Technical University Online. They comprise 35 percent of CTU’s student body. “Online learning is really an education solution for them,” said James Hendrickson, vice president of military education for CTU online. The Health Sciences track is popular with the military student population.
“There are so many opportunities in a number of different areas in health care, not just nursing. It is the people who are doing support functions, like coding and billing, for example,” said Michele Crissman, program chair for health sciences for CTU Online. The majority of CTU health sciences students (77 percent) are pursuing an Associate of Science degree in medical billing and coding. On average, this is a 15-month program. However, students can accelerate their studies and finish the courses earlier, an attractive option for a student needing to finish his or her degree quickly.
CTU offers an online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree program, with a concentration in health care management. A Master’s degree program in the same area of study is also offered. The BSBA provides an overview of the health care industry, with a focus on skills specific to managing the health care environment, including human resources and financial management.
“We are also looking at further developing our program options in bachelor’s degrees,” said Crissman. Those possibilities include radiology management and an RN to BSN (registered nurse to Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing) program for nurses with an associate’s degree, who want to achieve a four-year degree in nursing. The RN to BSN program broadens the career choices for registered nurses, giving them the opportunity to pursue leadership, teaching and research positions.
CTU, like many other online schools, also archives all classes so the military student can benefit from asynchronous learning. This is especially beneficial when the student is not able to log on at the same time due to military duties, time zone issues, or internet connectivity problems.
KAPLAN UNIVERSITY
Kaplan is the school of choice for approximately 2,500 military students. Kaplan offers a variety of health sciences degrees, including Bachelor’s degrees in nutritional science, health and wellness, and health sciences. There are also Associate’s degrees in medical assisting, medical transcription, medical office management, and home health care.
“The Department of Labor says there are approximately three million jobs to be created by 2015 in health care. Many people want to go into health care, but not necessarily as a nurse or a doctor. Military personnel have a wonderful opportunity in health sciences,” said Brian Sayler, director of marketing for Kaplan’s military and strategic initiatives. “[For example] in home health care, which is becoming huge as the population ages.”
Kaplan also features an RN to BSN program. “The opportunities in nursing are huge…we are expecting a 30% increase in the number of nurses in the next six years,” Sayler said.
Those seeking a nursing career should also consider becoming a manager of a nursing department, or becoming a nurse instructor. To that end, Kaplan has developed two Master’s degrees: nurse administration and nurse education. The nurse administration degree focuses upon the managerial skills necessary to run a team of nurses, while the nurse education degree would allow a nurse to pursue teaching opportunities in an academic setting, as well as staff development in a hospital setting. Nurse education will be a highly valuable and lucrative career in the coming years, as schools try to teach new nursing students to meet rising demand. “If there are not enough educators to train nurses, how will we meet the demand?” Sayler asked.
UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX
The University of Phoenix provides a wide array of online degrees for the military student. These include Associate’s degrees in Health Care Administration, with an optional focus on medical records or pharmacy practice.
Students may also pursue one of four Bachelor’s degrees; in health administration, administration/health information systems, administration/long term care, and RN to Bachelor of Science in nursing.
For those students looking for a graduate degree, there are ten programs focusing on a variety of nursing and health administration disciplines. Phoenix even offers a Doctorate in Health Administration.
Dr. Pam Fuller is the dean of Phoenix’s College of Nursing. She says there is a huge need and opportunity for military students in the field of nursing. “Some statistics say we’ll be short 500,000 nurses by the year 2025. Most of the allied health areas have a big shortage as well,” Fuller said. “The demand for RN’s is growing by 2 to 3 percent every year. Nursing schools are trying to pump out more nurses. But if you double your enrollment, you have to double your faculty.” To that end, she points out the Master of Science in Nursing/Health Care Education as a lucrative and important program for students to consider.
NATIONAL AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
“A large part of our student body is currently serving in the military,” according to Weston Neiffer, military admissions coordinator at National American University.
NAU offers an Associate’s degree in its Medical Staff Service Management program. Graduates would be prepared to work in a health care facility as a credentialing expert. Driven primarily by the increase in malpractice lawsuits and legislation, the importance of proper staff credentialing and peer review has grown in recent years. “We’re one of only several schools offering this program,” Neiffer said. “It is an area that is definitely in demand.”
The Bachelor of Science in health care management prepares students for careers in the fast-growing area of facility and office management. NAU also has an RN to BSN program to allow registered nurses to further their education and improve their career opportunities.
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ONLINE
George Washington University provides an array of health care degree programs, but Dr. Jean Johnson, senior associate dean for health sciences at GWU, starts by focusing on one program in particular. The Bachelor’s in clinical management and leadership is tailored to give military students the credentials they need to pursue a successful career. This program combines the student’s clinical skills with leadership training, to educate the student for a mid-level manager’s job in a health care institution.
“Getting that Bachelor’s degree is key to moving into a professional career,” Johnson said.
Johnson also notes the Bachelor’s degree in clinical research administration, which prepares students to manage clinical drug trials. “It is a huge, multi-billion dollar industry. People who have the skills to manage clinical trials are paid extremely well,” said Johnson. The Clinical Health Sciences Program is ideal for Independent Duty Corpsmen. The program allows them to enhance their skills, obtain the credentials to pursue advanced study, and be eligible for promotion in the Navy. IDC’s who complete the course work for the degree will be prepared to continue their education in graduate or professional programs in such fields as physician assistant, public health and health services administration.
The Clinical Laboratory Science program is another course of study that is popular with GWU’s online military students. Graduates are equipped to become certified as clinical laboratory scientists or medical technologists.
Many military students worry about a few key points when getting an education and pursuing a civilian health care career: how to get credit for their military experience and training, and how to pay for their education.
The good news is that many institutions offer credit for your military education, by taking advantage of American Council on Education (ACE) credit assessment services. ACE continuously evaluates military schools, correspondence courses and occupations to determine the amount and level of academic credit each should be awarded. Through ACE credits, you can take academic credit for most of the training you have received, including basic training, and you can reduce the time required and cost for your studies.
Military students should take advantage of tuition assistance (TA) funding. Armed forces TA funds are available to eligible members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard. Students may also be qualified for G.I. Bill funding to cover tuition costs not already covered by TA.
The colleges interviewed by Military Advanced Education feature special tuition rates for military students. Be sure to ask an admissions counselor about financial aid and take advantage of the benefits you have earned!
Fiona Strasserking is now a veteran of the U.S. Navy, and found the transition to a civilian career to be quite easy, thanks to her education. She is now employed as a cardiac sonographer at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, Texas, where she also serves as a manager. Strasserking says that her career would not be possible without her degree, and she advises other soldiers to plan ahead while they are still in active duty.
“Anybody who wants to consider a civilian career should definitely have a plan as to what they want to do when they get out. Coming to the civilian market can be very challenging… almost every civilian job requires an education and credentialing,” she said.
She encourages military personnel to consider distance learning as a viable option to get the education they need to pursue a successful future in health care.
“I would definitely recommend it. It is very convenient and accessible, no matter what time zone you are in,” Strasserking said. ♦