Uniformed Services University Programs: Shaping the Future of Military Medicine

The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) stands as the nation's only federal health sciences university, dedicated to training medical professionals for service in the uniformed services and advancing military medicine. Located in Bethesda, Maryland, on the Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB), sharing NSAB with the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and located along Maryland Route 355, across from the National Institutes of Health, USU is akin to a federal service academy, yet uniquely focused on graduate-level health education.

A Multifaceted Institution

USU encompasses several distinct colleges and schools, each playing a vital role in shaping the future of military healthcare:

F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine: The medical school, named after Louisiana Congressman F. Edward Hébert, is the cornerstone of USU. It includes a full health sciences graduate education program.
Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing: This school focuses on advanced practice nursing, offering Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees.
Postgraduate Dental College (PDC): The PDC provides advanced dental education to active-duty personnel enrolled in branch-specific dental programs.
College of Allied Health Sciences (CAHS): Established in 2017, CAHS addresses undergraduate and other medical education and training programs, ensuring a "Ready Medical Force" for the Department of Defense (DoD) community.

The F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine: Training Military Physicians

The F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine is central to USU's mission, with an average enrollment of approximately 170 students per class. The student body typically comprises students from the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Public Health Service. The curriculum is designed to integrate basic and clinical sciences with military leadership and training.

Curriculum Structure: From Molecules to Military Medicine

The School of Medicine curriculum begins with 1.5 years of basic sciences organized into organ-system-based modules called "Molecules to Military Medicine." Additional courses include Parasitology, Combat Medical Skills, Military Medical History, Officer Professional Development, Military Applied Physiology, and Epidemiology. The clerkship year begins in January of the second year, followed by the USMLE Step 1. After Step 1, students participate in an integrated advanced didactic module, "Bench to Bedside and Beyond," and then begin fourth-year clerkships/subinternships.

Unique Aspects of Medical Student Life at USU

Students at the School of Medicine are active-duty uniformed officers during their schooling, receiving pay and benefits at the grade of O-1 (second lieutenant for the Army and Air Force and ensign for the Navy and Public Health Service). They receive free tuition, salaries, and benefits as junior officers. Upon graduation, medical students are promoted to the grade of O-3, (captain for the Army and Air Force, lieutenant for the Navy and Public Health Service), and are expected to serve at least seven years after residency on active duty and six years in the inactive ready reserve.

A unique aspect of the School of Medicine is that students are barred from promotion while enrolled. Additionally, prior-service commissioned officers must accept a demotion to O-1 to matriculate. Upon graduation, when these officers are promoted to O-3, half of the time spent in prior active duty service is then added to their time-in-service (TIS)/time-in-grade (TIG) and used toward promotion to the rank of major or lieutenant commander (O-4).

MD/PhD Programs

Students can indicate their intent to apply for the MD/PhD program on the USU secondary application and complete the graduate school application. Applicants not selected for the graduate school are still eligible for acceptance into the medical school. The combined MD/PhD program requires the same military commitment as the school of medicine. Three MD/PhD degrees are currently offered: neuroscience (NES), molecular and cell biology (MCB), and emerging infectious diseases (EID). Students remain civilian until graduate school requirements are completed.

Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program (EMDP2)

The Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program (EMDP2) is a two-year, full-time education program for enlisted members of the military to prepare for medical school applications. It is intended for motivated service members who show academic promise and whose experiences and goals align with the mission of their military services and the F. EMDP2 includes premedical coursework, Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) preparation, clinical experience, mentoring, and pre-health career advising. EMDP2's current civilian partner institution, George Mason University (GMU), provides the coursework, MCAT preparation courses, and pre-health advising on a contract basis. These services are currently provided at GMU's Science and Technology Campus (Manassas, VA) in an exclusive cohort structure. The EMDP2's first year is designed to prepare students from any academic and career background to take the MCAT exam. The curriculum starts with fundamental coursework and expands into a full pre-medical curriculum. Students typically take the MCAT and begin medical school applications near the end of EMDP2 year one. The EMDP2's second year is designed to expand the student's understanding of medical and biological concepts. Coursework covers anatomy, microbiology, neurology, genetics, etc., to ensure EMDP2 students are well-prepared to matriculate into medical school. After completing the second year, gaining acceptance into a medical school, and fulfilling requirements for commissioning, students will have successfully completed the EMDP2.

Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing: Advanced Practice Nursing Education

The Graduate School of Nursing offers two Advanced Practice Degrees: a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), and a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree in five different APRN specialty options: Family Nurse Practitioner, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesia, Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Women's Health Nurse Practitioner, as well as a Ph.D. The Graduate School of Nursing offers a Master of Science in Nursing degree programs in nurse anesthesia, family nurse practitioner, perioperative clinical nursing, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and full- and part-time programs for a Ph.D. The Masters of Nursing Science and Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees at USU are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, and The Nurse Anesthesia Program is fully accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). The Graduate School of Nursing students are all active duty uniformed military nurses or nurses in federal civilian service.

Postgraduate Dental College: Advancing Dental Expertise

The Post Graduate Dental College (PDC) is a degree-granting institution for active-duty personnel enrolled in branch-specific dental programs. The postgraduate dental college offers a Master of Science in Oral Biology degree to students enrolled in selected graduate dental education programs of the Army, Air Force, and Navy.

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College of Allied Health Sciences: Meeting the Needs of the Military

The College of Allied Health Sciences was established in 2017, responding to the National Defense Authorization Act which modified USU's authorities to include undergraduate and other medical education and training programs. These programs ensure military medicine remains on the cutting edge of providing a “Ready Medical Force” to support the American Warfighter and the Department of Defense (DoD) community around the world. Currently, the CAHS supports Army, Navy and Air Force Medical Enlisted Services across a wide range of education and training requirements. Current enrolment across the programs exceeds 7,000 students per year. Only students enrolled in specific Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) / Navy Enlisted Code (NEC) / Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) / Additional Skill Identifier (ASI) training programs of the Services are eligible for enrollment. Depending on specifics of the respective program, the Servicemember is enrolled into either an Associate of Science Health Science (ASHS) or Bachelor of Science Health Science (BSHS) program. The technical training received by the Servicemember constitutes the discipline with the majority of General Education required for the respective degree coming via transfer credit.

Comprehensive Course Offerings

USU offers a wide range of courses across its various schools and colleges, reflecting its commitment to comprehensive health sciences education. These courses cover diverse areas, including:

Anesthesia: Anesthesia Clerkship, Chronic Pain Elective, Acute Pain Elective, Pediatric Anesthesia Elective, Trauma and Burn Anesthesia Elective, Anesthesia Critical Care Elective
Anatomy: Neuroanatomy Elective, Anatomy Teaching Elective, Forensic Anthropology, Advanced Forensic Anthropology, Anatomical Variations, Advanced Anatomy - Cadaver Dissection Review
Aviation Medicine: Aviation Life Support Systems and Altitude Physiology, Physiological Aviation Hazards, Aviation Survival, Aviation Survival Instructor, Neuroanatomy and Clinical Neuroscience, Aviation Medicine Administration, Intro to Physical Examination and Medical Readiness, Hearing Conservation, Culminating Medical Records Project, Physical Examinations, Medical Investigation of Aviation Mishaps
Biochemistry: Biochemistry I, Biochemistry II
Civil Affairs: Introduction to Civil Affairs, Farm and Ranch Management, Conflict Resolution, Operational Public Health, Intercultural Communication, Organizational Leadership, Strategic Communication, Project Management, Operational Analysis and Planning Practicum, Geographic Information Systems, Open-Source Intelligence
Capstone Research: Capstone Research Project
Critical Care: Critical Care Air Transport
Dental Programs: Biomedical Foundations, Pharmacology 1, Pain Control and Principles of Sedation, Interdisciplinary Seminar, Pain Control and Principles of Sedation, Dental Implantology, Research Methodology/Statistics, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Cone Beam Computed Tomography, Orofacial Pain, Forensic Dentistry, Military Operational Dentistry, Inflammation and Immunology, Endodontics / Periodontics / Prosthodontics Seminar, Dental Management of the Medically-Compromised / Medical Emergencies Seminar, Surgical Anatomy of the Head and Neck, Endodontics / Periodontics / Prosthodontics Short Course, Minimal Sedation, Ethics, Jurisprudence, and Civic Responsibility, Oral Biology, Oral Pathology / Oral Histology Seminar, Military Readiness Training, Orthodontics Seminar, Professional Organizational Involvement, Topics in Oral Biology
Emergency Medical Services: Clinical Advanced Emergency Medical Technician, Patient Assessment and Airway Management, Trauma Management, Medical Math, Introduction to Advanced Practice, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Assessment Based Management, Technical Writing, Emergency Medical Services Operations, Health Care Provider Medical Ethics, Communication Skills for Health Care Professionals
Paramedic Studies: Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab, Clinical II - Paramedic, Emergency Pharmacology, Practicum - Paramedic, Clinical I - Paramedic, Special Populations, Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab, Medical Emergencies, Cardiology
Endodontics: Clinical Endodontics, Periodontics Regeneration Course, Endodontic Current Literature Review, Endodontic Classic Literature Review, Readings in Endodontics, Growth and Development/Embryology, Endodontic Supervised Teaching, Endodontic Research, Introduction to Advanced Endo, Endo Case Presentation, Contemporary Endodontics, Surgical Endodontics, Pulp Biology and Pain Pharmacology, Research Manuscript and Thesis Defense, Endodontic Specialty Clinic, Introduction to Endodontics, Endodontic Literature Review, Endodontic Clinical Seminar, Endodontic Textbook Review, Endodontic Microsurgery Techniques, Endodontic Consultant Seminar, Board Review Course
ETAL (Evacuation Training and Aeromedical Logistics): Basic ETAL Practicum, Advanced ETAL Practicum
Family Medicine: Complementary Medicine / Acupuncture Selective, Family Medicine Operational Medicine Selective, Family Medicine Sports Medicine Selective, Integrative Medicine, Family Medicine Selective - Community Health, Family Medicine Clerkship, Family Medicine - Maternity/Reproductive Health, Metacognition - Thinking About How You Think, Family Medicine Operational, Family Medicine Comprehensive, Family Medicine Ambulatory, Family Medicine Sub-Internship, Sports Medicine, Family Medicine - Integrative Medicine, Family Medicine - Community Health, Family Medicine - Health Equity Elective, Family Medicine - Complementary Medicine - Acupuncture, Motivational Interviewing and Behavioral Change, Clinical Informatics
Gynecologic Surgery & Obstetrics: Gynecologic Surgery & Obstetrics Selective, Gynecologic Surgery & Obstetrics Clerkship, Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility Sub-Internship, Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) or GYN Surgery Sub-Internship, Labor and Delivery Days and Night Float Sub-Internship, Gynecologic Surgery & Obstetrics Subspecialty Combo Sub-Internship, Labor and Delivery Days and Night Float, Gynecologic Surgery & Obstetrics Subspecialty Combo, General Gynecologic Surgery & Obstetrics Elective, Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) or GYN Surgery, Maternal Fetal Medicine, Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, Gynecologic Surgery & Obstetrics Sub-Internship, Gynecologic Oncology, Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery (Urogyn), Gynecologic Oncology Sub-Internship, Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery (Urogyn) Sub-Internship, Advocacy Excellence: Empowering Scholars to Identify, Research, & Champion Their Causes Effectively
Health Sciences: Introduction to Corpsman Fundamentals, Clinical Calculations, Patient Assessment, Corpsman Operations, Medical Emergencies, Anatomy and Physiology I, Anatomy and Physiology II
Health Physics: X-Ray Survey Techniques, Mathematical Calculations in Health Physics, Radiation Physics, Radiation Protection and Dosimetry, Operational Health Physics, Health Physics
Histotechnology: Introduction to Histotechnology, Basic Scientific Information, Specimen Processing for Histological Study, Routine Technical Procedures, Autopsy Procedures, Cytopreparatory Techniques, Immunohistochemistry, Special Stains for Histologic Study, Anatomy, Physiology, and Tissue Identification, Histology Practicum, Histology Clinical
Health Professions Education (HPE): Master’s Practicum in HPE, Leadership Theories in Practice, Philosophies of Science, Practice of Assessment of Competence, Principles of Instruction in Clinical Settings, Quantitative Research Methods in HPE, Principles of Online Instruction, Qualitative Research Methods in HPE, Learning Theories, Teaching Methods, Measurement, Assessment and Evaluation, Curriculum Development, Research Bootcamp, Teaching with Technology, Reflections on Leadership, Rhetoric and Academic Writing Seminar, Mixed Methods, Advanced Mixed Methods, Grant Writing, Meet the Experts, Survey Design, Leadership and Followership in Teams: A Social Psychology Perspective, Accept, Reject, or Revise?
Cardiovascular Technology: Cardiovascular Radiography Equipment and Methodology, Cardiovascular Pathophysiology with Lab, Physics for the Health Sciences, Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Diagnostic Electrocardiography I with Lab, Electrophysiology with Lab, Essentials of Medical Law and Ethics for Health Professionals, Cardiovascular Anatomy and Physiology with Lab, Diagnostic Electrocardiography II with Lab, Cardiac Catheterization with Lab, Pre-clinical and Registry Assessment, Blood Gas Analysis, Critical Care, Cardiovascular Technologist Clinical, Catheterization Clinical Rotation
Dermatology: Dermatology Selective, Clinical Dermatology, Pediatric Dermatology, Distance Learning Dermatology
Emerging Infectious Diseases: Models of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Microbial Genetics and Physiology, EID Seminar, Research in EID
Comprehensive Dentistry: Comprehensive Dentistry, Oral Surgery, Prosthodontics, Endodontics, Restorative Dentistry, Periodontics, Clinical Photography, Practice Management, Sedation and Management of Medical Emergencies, Research Methodology/Biostatistics/Project/Manuscript, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Forensic Dentistry
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: Oral Surgery Rotations
Pediatric Dentistry: Pediatric Dentistry
Prosthodontics: Prosthodontics
Endodontics: Endodontics
Operative Dentistry: Operative Dentistry
Advanced Periodontology: Advanced Periodontology
Oral Diagnosis and Treatment Planning: Oral Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
Orofacial Pain: Orofacial Pain
Advanced Techniques in Orthodontics: Advanced Techniques in Orthodontics
Management of Dental and Medical Emergencies: Management of Dental and Medical Emergencies

USU Graduates: Leaders in Military Medicine

Approximately 80 percent of military physicians reaching 20 or more years of military service are graduates of USU. A majority of medical corps leadership positions are occupied by graduates of USU. USU graduates have made significant contributions to military medicine, serving in leadership roles and advancing healthcare for service members and their families.

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