, one of the longest serving members in the U.S. House of Representatives (1941–1977). Hebert was instrumental in the founding of USU in 1972. With an average enrollment of approximately 170 students per class, the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine is located in
Bethesda, Maryland on the military installation of Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB), sharing NSAB with the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and is located along
Maryland Route 355, across from the
National Institutes of Health. The school is named in honor of former U.S. Representative
Felix Edward Hébert. Typically, the first-year class is composed of 63 Army students, 51 Air Force students, 51 Navy students, and two
Public Health Service students. The Class of 2010 increased the Public Health Service student number to six. 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 grade of O-1 (
second lieutenant for the Army and Air Force and
ensign for the Navy and Public Health Service) – unless the student was prior service at a higher rank then that student will wear the O-1 rank but be paid at their previous pay grade. 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. Students graduating from the School of Medicine receive four years' credit toward military retirement once 20 years has been reached through military graduate medical education (residency/fellowship), practicing, and prior-service (if applicable). When the school was first formed, the
United States Congress weighed whether to make each student a
cadet or
midshipman (like the military service academies) or to give students full active-duty officer status and promotion benefits. A compromise was reached whereby medical students were commissioned as O-1 grade officers, were not promoted while enrolled in the School of Medicine, and 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 the Graduate School of Nursing and other programs, School of Medicine students are barred from promotion. 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
time-in-service (TIS)/time-in-grade (TIG) and used toward promotion to the rank of
major or
lieutenant commander (O-4). However, , prior service officers will be paid their former base pay while attending School of Medicine. The curriculum at the School of Medicine 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, Epidemiology, and several other courses. The
clerkship year begins in January of the second year, and is 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 . These
clerkships are done at various
military hospitals across the country. 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. Graduates also make up a majority of
Army Special Forces physicians. USU is featured in the documentary
Fighting for Life. Affiliated military and civilian
teaching hospitals are: •
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center,
Bethesda, MD •
Malcolm Grow Medical Center,
Andrews AFB, MD • Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute,
Falls Church, VA (civilian) •
St. Elizabeth's Hospital,
Washington, D.C. (civilian) •
Washington Hospital Center,
Washington, D.C. (civilian) •
DeWitt Army Community Hospital,
Fort Belvoir, VA •
Portsmouth Naval Hospital,
Portsmouth, VA •
Naval Hospital,
Camp Lejeune, NC •
Eisenhower Army Medical Center,
Fort Gordon, GA •
Darnall Army Medical Center,
Fort Cavazos, 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,
Fort Sam Houston, TX •
David Grant USAF Medical Center,
Travis AFB, CA •
96th Medical Group,
Eglin AFB, FL • Martin Army Community Hospital,
Fort Moore, GA •
Womack Army Medical Center,
Fort Bragg, NC • Naval Hospital Jacksonville,
Naval Air Station Jacksonville, FL •
Bob Wilson Naval Hospital,
San Diego, CA • Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton,
Camp Pendleton, CA •
Naval Hospital Pensacola,
Pensacola, FL Combined MD/PhD Program 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. Degrees are not granted until completion of both graduate and medical requirements.
Graduate programs The graduate programs in biomedical sciences and public health in the School of Medicine are open to civilian and military applicants. Civilian students may apply to most of these programs. The faculty is composed of a mix of military and civilian professors. There is no tuition, stipends are guaranteed for three years, and no military service is required after graduation for civilian PhD students. There also is no undergraduate teaching. The graduate program at USU currently has approximately 170 full-time graduate students. USU currently offers the
Ph.D. in
emerging infectious diseases,
medical and
clinical psychology,
molecular and
cellular biology,
neuroscience, Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences and Medical Zoology. USU also offers
Master's degree programs in healthcare administration and policy, health professions education,
public health and
tropical medicine and hygiene. 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.
Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program (EMDP2) The Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program (EMDP2) program 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. Edward Hebert School of Medicine. Selectees are assigned to USU (requires a permanent change of station to
Bethesda, MD) and placed in a supportive academic setting for a two-year period. 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. USU coordinates the clinical component, which is completed at
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center,
Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, and
Malcolm Grow Medical Center at Andrews Air Force Base. from GMU. After completing the second year, gaining acceptance into a medical school, and fulfilling requirements for commissioning, students will have successfully completed the EMDP2. They will then matriculate into medical school at USU or a civilian school and earn an
commission. ==Graduate School of Nursing==