David Weldon: “I am a physician who participated in the health profession scholarship program. I worked my way through college, and I…”

“I am a physician who participated in the health profession scholarship program. I worked my way through college, and I did not want to borrow money to go to medical school, and I was very attracted to the scholarship program. I remember distinctly sitting down in my parents' dining room and figuring out what it would cost me to borrow my way through medical school versus going into the military. Now, I have to say the main reason I went into the military was that I really felt the Good Lord was leading me to go in and serve my country and put the uniform on. And it was the best experience, I think, in my life. But I do not know if I would have done it if I had had a 7-year obligation, because when a doctor finishes his training and goes out into practice, he can typically pay off his student loans in about 4 years, and this 7-year requirement... is going to make it very, very difficult for our armed services to recruit good quality physicians into the scholarship program.”