Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Infobox University
name = Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences


motto = "Learning to Care For Those In Harm's Way"
established = 1972
type = Federal medical school
president = Charles L. Rice, MD
city = Bethesda | state = Maryland
country = USA
undergrad = "None"
postgrad = 750 - 850 | faculty = > 100 on campus, more than 3,500 adjunct
campus = Suburban, ?? acres
colors = Purple, Gold and White
mascot = None
affiliations = United States Navy, United States Army, United States Air Force, United States Public Health Service
website = [http://www.usuhs.mil/ www.usuhs.mil/] The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), was established in 1972 by F. Edward Hebert, a Louisiana Congressman, and graduated its first class in 1980. The university is a typical academic health center with unique programs. The primary mission of the school is to prepare graduates for service to the country at home and abroad in the medical corps. USUHS has officially changed its acronym to USU (Uniformed Services University). Both the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine and Graduate School of Nursing are located on the university's Bethesda, Maryland campus. The university currently has two mottos: "Learning to Care For Those In Harm's Way" and "Providing Good Medicine In Bad Places."

Programs

Students attending USU can focus on their education without the worry of incurring debt. Medical students enter the university as commissioned officers in the grade of O-1 in one of the four uniformed services: Army, Navy, Air Force or Public Health Service. No prior service is required for admission to USU. Students pay no tuition or fees and, in fact, receive the full salary and benefits of a uniformed officer in the pay grade of O-1 throughout their four years at the university in exchange for a seven-year active duty service commitment following their Internship and Residency after graduation.

Students in the Graduate Programs are a mix of both civilians and uniformed officers. They also pay no tuition or fees. Civilian students may receive stipends and uniformed graduate students continue to receive their active duty pay and benefits while attending school at USU. The Graduate School of Nursing students are all active duty uniformed nurses or nurses in federal civilian service. Neither pay tuition or fees at USU and both uniformed graduate students and nursing students maintain their rank and continue to receive their regular salaries while students at the university.

USU School of Medicine

With an average enrollment of approximately 170 students per class, the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine is located in Bethesda, Maryland on the campus of the National Naval Medical Center and is located across Maryland Route 355 from the National Institutes of Health. The school is named in honor of former Congressman F. Edward Hébert.

Typically, the first year class is composed of 63 Army students, 51 Air Force students, 51 Navy students, and 2 Public Health Service students. The Class of 2010 increased the Public Health Service student number to 6. Students attending this institution receive free tuition, as well as reimbursement for all fees. They also receive salaries and benefits as junior officers. Textbooks are issued to the students at the beginning of each semester.

USU School of Medicine students are all active duty uniformed officers during their schooling and receive pay and benefits at the rank of O-1 (2nd Lieutenant for the Army and Air Force, Ensign for the Navy and Public Health Service). Upon graduation, medical students are promoted to O-3 (Captain for the Army and Air Force, Lieutenant for the Navy and Public Health Service) with 0 years time in service and are expected to serve at least 7 years active duty and 6 years on inactive ready reserve. Currently, students graduating from the USU School of Medicine receive four years credit toward retirement, which is obtained after he or she reaches twenty years of service credit.

Curriculum at the School of Medicine includes two years of basic sciences, integrated into several key courses. Additional courses include Parasitology, Combat Medical Skills, Medical and Military History, Officer Professional Development, Military Applied Physiology, Epidemiology, and several other courses. The third and fourth years are spent performing clerkships at various military hospitals.

Approximately 80% of military physicians reaching 20 or more years of service are graduates of USU. Also, a majority of medical corps leadership positions are occupied by graduates of USU. Graduates of USU make up a majority of Army Special Forces physicians.

USU is featured in the documentary " [http://www.fightingforlifethemovie.com Fighting for Life] ". It addresses USU's important place in the military health system and the essential work that its graduates perform.

Rank and Student Promotion Status

When the school was first formed, lawmakers considered the idea of making each student a Cadet, much like the military service academies, versus giving students full active duty promotion benefits. A compromise was reached whereby Medical Students were commissioned as O-1 (2LT USAF/USA, Ensign USN) and not promoted while enrolled in the School of Medicine. Additionally, medical students do not receive time in grade or time in service while enrolled in USU. However, this status puts USU Medical Students in a unique position; unlike every other academic programs in the military (Graduate Education, Graduate School of Nursing, etc.), USU Medical Students are prohibited from being promoted despite satisfactory performance of their duties. Additionally, prior service commissioned officers must accept a demotion to O-1 in order 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 TIS/TIG and used toward promotion to O-4. However, as of FY 2008, prior service officers will be paid their former base pay attending USU Medical School.

Military/Affiliated Civilian Teaching Hospitals

*National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD
*Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC
*Malcolm Grow Medical Center, Andrews AFB, MD
*Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute, Falls Church, VA (Civilian)
*St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Washington, DC (Civilian)
*Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC (Civilian)
*DeWitt Army Community Hospital, Ft. Belvoir, VA
*Portsmouth Naval Hospital, Portsmouth, VA
*Naval Medical Hospital, Camp Lejunne, NC
*Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Ft. Gordon, GA
*Darnall Army Medical Center, Ft. Hood, TX
*Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB, TX
*Wright-Patterson Medical Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
*Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA
*Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI
*Brooke Army Medical Center, Ft. Sam Houston, TX
*David Grant USAF Medical Center, Travis AFB, CA
*96th Medical Group, Eglin AFB, FL
*Martin Army Community Hospital, Ft. Benning, GA
*Womack Army Medical Center, Ft. Bragg, NC
*Jacksonville Naval Hospital, Jacksonville, FL
*San Diego Naval Hospital, San Diego, CA
*Naval Hospital Pensacola, Pensacola, FL

USU Graduate School of Nursing

The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences also has a Graduate School of Nursing (GSN). Students enrolled in the GSN program maintain active duty rank and privileges, to include time in service, time in grade, and promotions.

Graduate nursing students at USU generally have already completed undergraduate nursing degrees and come from within the ranks of the uniformed services.

USU Graduate School

The graduate programs in biomedical sciences and public health in the USU School of Medicine are open to civilian and military applicants. The graduate program at USU currently has approximately 170 full-time graduate students.

USU currently offers Ph.D. degrees in
* Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID)
* Medical & Clinical Psychology (MPS)
* Molecular & Cellular Biology (MCB)
* Neuroscience (NES)
* Pathology (PATH)
* Preventive Medicine & Biometrics (PMB) (Ph.D. in Zoology, and DrPH)

Master's degree programs are offered in
* Comparative Medicine
* Military Medical History
* Public Health
* Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

Civilian students may apply to most of these programs. Faculty are a mix of military and civilian professors. There is no tuition, stipends are guaranteed for 3 years, and no military service is required after graduation for civilian students. There also is no undergraduate teaching.

There are military students in the graduate programs, most notably the public health and tropical medicine programs and clinical psychology program. Generally, military students were in the military before beginning their graduate training, but some commission as they enter their programs. http://www.usuhs.mil/graded/

USU Affiliated Programs and Centers

* Alpha Omega Alpha
* Alumni Association
* Center for Deployment Psychology
* Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine
* Center for Health Disparities
* Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
* Courage to Care Health Campaign
* DoD Center for Education & Research in Patient Safety
* Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine
* Medpix
* Military Cancer Institute
* Military Medical Student Association
* National Capital Simulation Center
* Spaceline
* Tropical Medicine Central Resource

External links

* [http://www.usuhs.mil/ Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences website]
* [http://rad.usuhs.mil/medpix/index.html Medpix Medical Image Database]