Navy Medical Service Corps

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The Medical Service Corps is a staff corps of the United States Navy, consisting of officers engaged in medical support duties. It includes healthcare scientists and researchers, comprising around 60% of its personnel, and healthcare administrators, comprising the remaining 40%.^[1] Many of the latter are former enlisted corpsmen, this being the Hospital Corps' route to commissioned status. The Medical Service Corps has around 2,600 serving commissioned officers.^[2]

The Navy Medical Service Corps was created on 4 August 1947 by act of the United States Congress. Originally it had four specialist sections: Supply and Administration, Optometry, Allied Sciences, and Pharmacy.^[1]