Okay, I'm not a forum member but my husband is and he pointed out this thread to me. I just got out of the Army Medical Corps less than a month ago and I thought I could add my $0.02. So here goes.
First of all, the old addage that recruiters are liars is pretty much true. They won't give you complete misinformation, but their job is to make the Army look like Narnia no matter what "little" details they leave out. To get the most realistic viewpoint of the medic life would be to talk to a real medic. Find a reserve unit and talk to someone with that MOS and chances are that person has either transitioned from active duty to reserve status or has recently been activated.
Second, if you don't want to be stuck in a hospital in the ER or someplace all year round, go Special Forces. An SF medic is almost always guaranteed to be in the field for the majority of the year and they will get called up for deployments. If you are married or have a significant other you don't want to be away from for extended periods (ie, 6-18 months at a time), then SF is probably not for you. You can always volunteer for overseas assignments but the Army will place you "needs of the Army" which is wherever they see fit.
The army also doesn't have a separate field medic MOS anymore. That old 91B has been combined with the nursing MOS (91C) into one MOS, the 91W. They work anywhere in a hospital, either on wards, in the ER, or in the clinics. If you are assigned to a combat support hospital, you can and will be expected to do anything that needs to be done, not just your medical job. They are not treated any better in the field and don't get special favors. That's for the officers, LOL.
Army life has its rewards, don't get me wrong. I will more than likely transfer to the reserves here in the next few months because once you've been part of the military it doesn't ever seem to completely leave your system. You get 30 days of leave a year (which you have to get approved by a long line in a chain of command), little priviledges and discounts here and there at certain civilian businesses, and a sense of "hey, I was part of something that not everyone can be a part of". I've met some of my best friends through the army. I just don't like the idea that I have someone always over my shoulder and forever keeping tabs on every thing I do all of the time, which is why I'll never go back to active duty. Some people really like/need that structure and discipline, but I do not.
Once you're in the Army, you are a soldier 24/7 and they will use you for all they can. Don't ever get used to a Monday thru Friday schedule, 8-5, because it doesn't exist. Period. Especially in the medical field. You are also required, mainly in a hospital setting, to cover all the civilian absences since you don't get paid overtime. I was a lab tech and I was always on shifts and always working holidays and weekends.
I would suggest also speaking to a recruiter that deals specifically with the medical field, and you'll have to dig deep to get in contact with someone there. Don't let anyone rush you to "sign on the dotted line" - I left MEPS 3 different times because I wouldn't let them bully me. You CAN get a cash bonus, especially if you have a BA, and you don't have to take a 6 year contract, which is what my recruiter tried to tell me was standard with ALL medical MOSs. Negotiate, it's your life. Something else they may or may not have told you - make sure you can do the PT aspect of it, especially for basic training. I was never a runner, and my recruiter told me not to worry about it because they would teach me in basic. All I can say is that I should have better prepared myself before I left. They will chapter you out if you can't handle the PT portion from basic.
I hope this helps a little bit anyway, and I'm in no way trying to discourage anybody from joining the military. Just do your homework and talk to the people who know and who do that job. I think all recruiters have been whatever job you may be interested in at some time (said with a hint of sarcasm) and will tell you that it is a great field.