New health care degree is just for vets - GI Bill, Tuition Assistance, Veterans Education Benefits, Military College Credit, Military to Civilian Transitions - Navy Times

New health care degree is just for vets

The University of North Carolina School of Medicine has announced plans to create a degree that will build on the medical knowledge service members gain in the military.

The physician assistant master’s degree will be a two-year program, with its inaugural class planned for 2015.

Dr. Bruce Cairns, a professor of surgery and director of the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center, said the program is intended not only to help veterans convert their skills into good careers, but also to address a dire shortage of health care professionals.

“We have this incredible pool of talent and experience,” Cairns said. “We need to optimize the best way to work with them and to develop their careers.”

The school has consulted with the Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., on the training that special forces medical personnel receive in the military.

The UNC program plans to start where the military training leaves off.

Brad Wilson, president and chief executive officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina, emphasized that the program will be open to veterans with medical experience from any branch of the military, not just the Army. Wilson’s company will fund the program’s first four years with a $1.2 million grant, he said, describing the program as a “win-win-win-win.”