Medical Service Corps

Does your taste for adventure match your skill and desire? Do you want to fully develop your leadership skills while being part of a dedicated team anywhere in the world? The Medical Service Corps may be the right choice for you.

As a member of the National Guard Medical Service Corps, you'll have the chance to develop your leadership skills while pursuing a career in one of the most diverse branches of the Guard. You could be involved in unit operations and training, patient administration, medical logistics management, personnel management or administrative work at a staff headquarters, or practicing your specialty in a field environment.

Career Fields

Medical Administration, Behavioral Sciences, Environmental Sciences and Preventive Medicine, and Aviation. Explore each grouping to find the diverse specialties offered in the Medical Service Corps.

Medical Administration

Medical Administrative officers provide medical–unique administrative services to the AMEDD and the Army. These officers have numerous opportunities to progress through developmental assignments to lead medical units, clinics and activities. Additionally, Medical Administration officers earn professional certifications in human resources, operations, logistics, information systems, health systems management and patient records.

To qualify for an appointment as a Medical Administrator in the Guard's Medical Service Corps, you must:

  • Have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree
  • Complete an approved commissioning program through Officer Candidate School (OCS) Officer Candidate School (OCS):
    An intense leadership training course for officers. Most applicants to this physically and mentally challenging course are currently serving as enlisted Soldiers, but highly-qualified recruits can also be accepted.
    OCS     or Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC):
    ROTC is a college elective that allows you to earn a commission straight out of college as a second lieutenant in the Army. The course consists of both academic classes and hands-on training.
    ROTC

Behavioral Sciences

A National Guard Behavioral Sciences officer's main priority and goal is to sustain, restore or enhance the social well-being and functioning of individuals, Families, units and the National Guard community. Behavioral Sciences officers are eligible for Health Professional Bonuses and Student Loan Repayment.

Eligible specialties who can serve as Behavioral Sciences officers are:

  • Social Work
  • Clinical Psychology

Social Worker

To qualify for an appointment as a Social Worker in the Guard's Medical Service Corps, you must:

  • Have a minimum of a master's degree in social work, with emphasis in clinical practice, from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education
  • Possess an unrestricted state license as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker or Licensed Independent Social Worker

Clinical Psychologist

To qualify for an appointment as a Clinical Psychologist in the Medical Service Corps, you must:

  • Have completed a doctorate (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) in clinical or counseling psychology and an American Psychological Association (APA) accredited clinical psychology residency program
  • Be licensed to practice clinical or counseling psychology in the United States

Environmental Sciences and Preventive Medicine

A part of preventive medicine is having the vision and desire to contribute to the science world while working in challenging environments. As an officer, you may also be given the opportunity to become a member of a National Guard Civil Support Team, helping to prepare your community and your nation in case of disaster. If you've got the vision, we've got the opportunity.

Environmental Scientist

As an Environmental Science officer in the National Guard, you'll play an important role in preventive medicine by advising on or performing professional and scientific work in all areas of environmental health, industrial hygiene and epidemiology. Food sanitation, health hazard assessments, pollution issues, and radiological protection and development are just a few of the activities and issues with which you'll be involved if you become an Environmental Science officer in the Guard.

To qualify for an appointment as an Environmental Science officer in the Medical Service Corps, you must have completed a bachelor's degree with a minimum of 30 semester hours in the physical and/or biological sciences, preferably in public health, environmental science, industrial hygiene, biology, chemistry, toxicology or epidemiology and/or possess a master's degree in public health or related area of specialization such as environmental health, environmental science, industrial hygiene or food technology from an accredited program acceptable to the Surgeon General.

Nuclear Medical Science Officer

To qualify for an appointment as a Nuclear Medical Science officer in the Medical Service Corps, you must have a master's degree or Ph.D. in health physics, radiological health, radiation biology, biophysics, physics, nuclear engineering, nuclear science or a related field. A Bachelor's degree will be considered if applicant has an appropriate academic discipline along with suitable professional experience.

Aviation

Medical Service Corps Aviators serve as part of a joint team providing tactical, operational and strategic aeromedical evacuation within a theater of operation. The skills of these dedicated pilots are essential in providing rapid evacuation of the patient to the next higher level of treatment.

Medical Service Corps Aviators are specially trained in aeromedical evacuation doctrine and supervise in-flight medical treatment to sustain human life and relieve suffering. Medevac pilots are eligible for a $5,000 per year bonus.

Requirements:

  • If initially branched in Aviation, the officer must complete a request for reappointment into the Medical Service Corps through their state recruiter.
  • Aviators must complete Initial Entry Rotary Wing training at Ft. Rucker, AL.
  • Aviators must be assigned to a state that has an Air Ambulance Company.

Have questions about Medical Professionals? Contact your local Specialty Officer recruiter for more information.