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. 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 November 2011, Vice Admiral Matthew L. Nathan is the 37th Surgeon General of the United States Navy and is the head of the Medical Corps.

Qualifications and designations

USNS Mercy, a U.S. Navy hospital ship

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

• Flight Surgeon Insignia (USA, USN, USAF)
• Surface Warfare Medical Corps Insignia
• Submarine Medical Insignia
• Diving (Medical) Insignia
• Fleet Marine Force Insignia

Ships named after Physicians

Reference: Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

USS Begor (DE-711) USS Boone (FFG-28) USS Bronstein (DE-189) USS Bronstein (DE-1037) USS Gendreau (DE-639) USS Grayson (DD-435) USS Heermann (DD-532) USS J. Douglas Blackwood (DE-219) USS Kane (DD-235) USS Kane (AGS-27)

USS Longshaw (DD-559) USS Pinkney (APH-2) USS Pratt (DE-363) USS Rall (DE-304) USS Ringness (DE-590) USS Rixey (APH-3) USS Samuel S. Miles (DE-183) USS Tryon (APH-1) USS William M. Wood (DD-715) USS Wood (DD-317) USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE-10)

See also

USNS Comfort, a U.S. Navy hospital ship

• Hospital Corpsman
• Naval Center for Combat and Operational Stress Control
• Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory
• Navy Dental Corps
• Navy Medical Service Corps
• Navy Nurse Corps
• U.S. Air Force Medical Corps
• U.S. Army Medical Corps
• U.S. Navy Hospital Ships

External links

• National Naval Medical Center Bethesda official webpage (on USN official website). Retrieved 2009-12-05.
• Naval Medical Center Portsmouth official webpage (on USN official website). Retrieved 2009-12-05.
• Naval Medical Center San Diego official webpage (on USN official website). Retrieved 2009-12-05.
• Medical Corps. Navy.com (Health Care Opportunities). Retrieved 2009-12-05.
• Virtual Naval Hospital - a digital library of military medicine and humanitarian medicine. Retrieved 2010-09-22.
• Per NAVEDTRA 12966 Commander Naval Medical Education and Training Command. Retrieved 2011-01-08.