Medical Corps (United States Navy)

Medical Corps (United States Navy)

The Medical Corps of the United States Navy is a staff corps consisting of military physicians in a variety of specialties. It is the senior corps among all staff corps, second in precedence only to line officers. The corps of commissioned officers was founded on March 3, 1871.

Prior to the formal establishment of the corps, ships’ surgeons served without commissions, unless given one by the commanding officer. Those commissions would be for the duration of a specific cruise.

However, facing a shortage of trained physicians to serve the needs of the Navy and Marine Corps, the Uniformed Services Health Professions Revitalization Act of 1972 was passed. This was a two-pronged act in which the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and the Health Professions Scholarship Program were created.[1] In both programs, civilians are given a direct commission to the rank of Ensign (O-1) in the United States Navy Reserve which they hold throughout the four years of their medical education. During this time they receive financial assistance on the condition that they meet reservist requirements, maintain military standards, and agree to serve on active duty as physicians. The commitment required is at least 4 years for HPSP and 7 years of service for USUHS students.

Upon graduation, the new physicians are promoted to the rank of Lieutenant (O-3) and enter active duty as medical interns (PGY-1) at a Naval Hospital.

Upon completion of an internship year, a Navy physician usually is deployed to the fleet as a General Medical Officer, though opportunities also exist to complete full-residency training in the specialty of their choice or undergo 6 months of training to become a Flight Surgeon or Undersea Medical Officer.

As of 2004, the Navy Medical Corps has over 20,000 active duty and reserve commissioned officers holding more than 47 specialties and almost 200 sub-specialties.

As of 2007, Vice Admiral Adam M. Robinson, Jr. is the Surgeon General of the United States Navy and is the head of the Medical Corps.

Contents

Qualifications and designations

Members of the Medical Corps are eligible to pursue qualification programs that lead to breast insignia such as:

Ships named after Physicians

Reference: Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

See also

USNS Comfort, a U.S. Navy hospital ship

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Medical Corps (United States Army) — United States Army Medical Corps The U.S. Army Medical Corps Branch Plaque. Active 1908 – present day Country …   Wikipedia

  • United States Navy Hospital Corpsman — Hospital Corpsman Rating insignia Issued by: United States Navy Type Enlisted rating Abbreviation HM …   Wikipedia

  • United States Navy Nurse Corps — Group photograph of the first twenty Navy Nurses, appointed in 1908. The United States Navy Nurse Corps was officially established by Congress in 1908; however, unofficially, women had been working as nurses aboard Navy ships and in Navy… …   Wikipedia

  • United States Navy officer rank insignia — Contents 1 Rank categories 2 Rank and promotion system 3 Commissioned Officer Ranks …   Wikipedia

  • United States Navy Experimental Diving Unit — Navy Experimental Diving Unit Active 1927 Country …   Wikipedia

  • United States Navy Reserve — Emblem Logo …   Wikipedia

  • United States Navy Memorial — IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape) …   Wikipedia

  • United States Navy Regulations — is the principal regulatory document of the Department of the Navy, endowed with the sanction of law, as to duty, responsibility, authority, distinctions and relationships of various commands, officials and individuals. Other directives issued… …   Wikipedia

  • United States Navy EOD — Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) US Navy Master EOD Insignia Active June 1941–present Country …   Wikipedia

  • United States Navy — USN redirects here. For other uses, see USN (disambiguation). United States Navy Un …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”