What are the pros and cons? Do you have to have a certain weight requirement? Do you have to move when they say move?

All Commissioned Corps officers must meet several basic qualifications: you must be a U.S. citizen, be less than 44 years of age, and pass a physical examination. To be a nurse officer, you also need a:

• Bachelor's degree or a master's degree (with no qualifying baccalaureate degree) from a nursing program that is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
  
• Current, unrestricted, and valid nursing license from one of the 50 States; Washington, DC; the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; the U.S. Virgin Islands; or Guam
  
• Passing score on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).
  

If you just graduated from nursing school and do not yet have a license, you may still apply to the Commissioned Corps. Your call to active duty will occur after you have provided documentation of a current, unrestricted, and valid nursing license.

If you are a nursing student or nurse interested in the Commissioned Corps, take the next step! E-mail us your questions, call us at 800-279-1605, or apply online now.

I have worked in a Federal Indian Hospital with the Commissioned Corps nurses , P.A.s,N.P.s and doctors, pharmacists etc. They are excellent healthcare workers......If I would have heard of them years ago, before reaching their age limit. I would have become one or joined their Federally funded group. They wear the neatest uniforms, they have all advanced in their educational degrees anywhere from a LPN to PH.D in nursing.....of course all paid for by the Federal government. And the retirement /healthcare benefits and pay scale is excellent. They are all happy campers! A great bunch to work for and with.

I don't think most of them are mandated to go overseas....they can or they can hire in the states, wherever there is an opening and stay there or transfer anywhere in the world that there is a Federal Hospital.

I wish I would have known about them, before I did, two years ago....I would have enlisted in a jiffy and went from a LPN/Associate degree to a Physicians Assistant.

I can't say enough good things about them......go for it! State of the art facilities and healthcare system. Advancement in pay guaranteed and a safe and assured pension.

My friend works for the Corps but not as a nurse (she has her PhD) but she also has nothing but good things to say about them. I'm not sure how things work with the nurses portion of the Corps, but her and her husband both have to travel at times and right now her hubby is out of the country for 5 weeks.

She is trying to get me to join when I am done and I have been thinking about it as well, however I will only have an Associate's degree. She says there is a program called COSTEP, in which I could join, but I really don't understand much about it, and since I just started my program I have plenty of time to figure it out.

Anyway, good luck with your decision! If I remember correctly, part of the benefits is monthly housing allowance in addition to your salary!

Yes, I saw the age requirement. Whew! I'm still under the age requirement. I am curious about the program.

Thank you for responding too!

Do they hire new grads?

jnm02, I think so.. b/c I saw something on their website about students. I guess they do.. They say to email them with questions.

http://www.usphs.gov/student/jrcostep.aspx

http://www.usphs.gov/student/jrcostep_faq.aspx

yeah, the uniforms are spiffy.