Navy Medical Corps

Navy Medicine: Saving Lives on Land and Sea

The oldest of the corps in Navy Medicine, the Medical Corps is comprised of the service’s physicians. Doctors have been a part of the command structure from the earliest days of the Navy. Since then, the corps has seen the advancement of medical organization and its members have made significant contributions to the science of medicine. Through peace and war, Navy doctors have improved the health and saved the lives of military personnel and civilians alike. Today, over 3,700 Medical Corps officers serve at commands ranging from naval hospitals to ships to Marine Corps units around the globe, as well as in esteemed positions such as the Capitol and the White House.

Navy Medical Corps

18th Century Illustration of Navy Medical Corps From the beginnings of the Continental Navy in October 1775, doctors were included as an integral part of ships’ crews. With the formal establishment of the U.S. Navy at the end of the 18th Century, physicians such as this continued to go to sea, although usually under contract for a specific cruise. Although considered “officers” as of 1835, it wasn’t until 1871 that doctors were given commissioned ranks equal to those of line officers.