Army Medical Department (United States)

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The Army Medical Department (AMEDD) of the U.S. Army comprises the six medical Special Branches of the Army. It is not a command of the U.S. Army but was established in June 1775 to coordinate the medical care required by the Continental Army. The AMEDD is led by The Surgeon General of the U.S. Army, a Lieutenant General. The AMEDD is found in all three components of the Army, including the Active Army, the U.S. Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard. Headquartered at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, which hosts the AMEDD Center and School, equal numbers of AMEDD senior leaders can be found in Washington D.C., divided between the Pentagon and Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

The current U.S. Army Surgeon General is LTG Kevin C. Kiley, an obstetrician by training.

1 Medical special branches
2 See also
3 External links

[edit] Medical special branches

[edit] Medical Corps

The Army Medical Department consists of officers and enlisted. The Medical Corps consists entirely of officers. All Army physicians, including holders of the Doctor of Medicine degree and the Doctor of Osteopathy degree are members of the Medical Corps. Members of the Medical Corps work around the world at all echelons of the Army. The Chief of the Medical Corps is a lieutenant general.

[edit] Army Nurse Corps

The Army Nurse Corps consists entirely of commissioned officers. Nurses who wish to serve in the ANC are required to hold an unrestricted RN license prior to receiving a commission. For the Active Army, at least a four year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree is required. Reservists only need either a two year Associate of Science in Nursing or a three year hospital Diploma in Nursing. Members of the Army Nurse Corps work all around the world at all echelons of the Army. The Chief of the Army Nurse Corps is a major general.

[edit] Army Medical Specialist Corps

The Army Medical Specialist Corps consists entirely of commissioned officers. Members hold professional degrees and serve as clinical dietitians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and physician's assistants. Members of the Army Medical Specialist Corps serve all around the world and at all echelons of the Army. The Chief of the Army Medical Specialist Corps is a colonel.

[edit] Medical Service Corps

The Medical Service Corps (MSC) consists entirely of commissioned and warrant officers. Members are required to hold at least a bachelor's degree before receiving a commission. The MSC is the most-complex branch of the Army, with members performing the greatest range of duties. Members perform duties as administrative and support functions as healthcare administrators, field medical administrative assistants in operational units, healthcare comptrollers, healthcare informatics officers, patient administrators, health service human resource managers, medical operations and plans officers, medical logisticians, medical maintenance technicians, and medical evacuation pilots. MSC officers serve in clinical support roles as clinical laboratory science officers, environmental science officers, pharmacists and preventive medicine officers. MSC officers provide healthcare to patients as psychologists, social workers, optometrists, podiatrists, and audiologists. The Medical Service Corps also functions as a transitional branch, containing medical students, dental students, and veternary students who have not completed their training, but hold commission through either the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) or Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP). The Chief of the Medical Service Corps is a brigadier general.

[edit] Dental Corps

The Dental Corps consists of commissioned officers holding the Doctor of Dental Surgery degree or Doctor of Dental Medicine degree. The chief of the Dental Corps is a major general.