East Valley medical training center helping veterans
Oct 21, 2013, 5:00 AM | Updated: 5:00 am
MESA, Ariz. — A medical training facility in the East Valley will soon offer 12 veterans scholarships to begin new careers.
Arizona Medical Training Institute President Jim Dillard said veteran unemployment is epidemic and he wants to help do something about it.
“When you transition skill sets from the military into the medical environment that requires multitasking and that level of focus, veterans are ideally suited,” he said. “They have a concentration that very few have that’s ideal for healthcare.”
Beth Calhoun was in the Air Force for 10 years, and was stationed for a time with the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale. She said she completely understands what challenges veterans are facing.
“It took me about six months to figure out that my skills didn’t transfer to the outside,” she said. “You don’t know what to do. But I found myself wanting to be in the medical field. I started out in the military as a supply person in logistics, went into military law enforcement. I was also in aircraft supply, which is even more specialized because you don’t have weapons systems on private aircraft.”
Calhoun became a medical lab assistant after completing courses at AZMTI.
AZMTI is offering the scholarships through Nov. 15.
For more information about AZMTI and its programs to help returning veterans, click here
