Military medics, corpsmen could help fill shortage of primary care providers

It actually used to work...
When I ETS'd in 1970, California had a rule that said any 91B/C with 3 years experience could sit the LVN exam and be granted a LVN license on pass. It took about 6 months to completely process out, but very quickly I was night shift nurse in an ER.
Many of the "lifers" in the barracks had taken the test and routinely moon lighted in local hospitals to make some extra money.
Then the rules changed and now Combat Medics with 6 years in the field are only qualified to take the EMT-Basic exam without a boatload of more school.

Not until we find something that hydration, dry socks and Motrin actually cures.

I have great respect for medics and corpsmen, especially those who have gone into combat zones to care for our troops in harsh, austere, and dangerous conditions. Opportunities for these trained medical personnel after separation or retirement as primary care extenders should be expanded. As I see it, the nursing profession is trying to drive both practical nurses (LPN/LVN) and two-year degree (ADN) nurses out of the profession in favor of bachelor's degree nurses (BSN). They believe this will give them the professional aura they desire. One of our local hospitals only hires BSNs. I also see Physician's Assistants (PA) taking on increasing numbers of roles in private practices and in hospitals.

I believe the PA route would provide the best pathway for military medics and corpsmen to enter civilian employment in the medical system. According to the University of Missouri: "To be a practicing physician assistant, one must graduate from an accredited physician assistant school, pass the national certification exam and obtain a license in the state where they will practice.  When researching physicians assistant schools,  you will find that some schools requirements may include completed bachelor’s degree, science and other courses, minimum GPAs, healthcare experience or standardized exams.

Science and clinical preparation courses are required and may include some of the following: anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, biology, microbiology, bacteriology, chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, diagnosis, surgical technique, emergency medicine, physics, genetics, and ethics . Typically there are hands-on laboratory and clinical requirements. Additional courses can include psychology, sociology, humanities, college-level algebra, calculus, statistics, medical terminology, speech, English, composition, technical writing or literature.

The clinical experience requirements can include many hours of supervised clinical training in several areas. These may include: family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine, pediatrics, and geriatrics."

Some universities or community colleges may give credit for the medic's or corpsman's military training and experience in granting them a BS, AS, or certificate facilitating their taking of the PA certification test. Service Members should be able to use their VA education benefits to pursue the BS or AS.