Medical Specialist Corps Officer MOS List

The Medical Specialist Corps is a diverse and integral part of the Army Health Care Team. Medical Specialist Corps Officers are essential in treating and helping the overall health of Soldiers and their families. From medical fields such as occupational therapy and physical therapy to dietician and physician assistant, the Army Medical Specialist Corps includes the following areas of specialty:

65A—Occupational Therapy
As an Army Occupational Therapist, you'll use your time, skill and creativity working in a wide variety of roles. You'll not only have the opportunity to perform upper extremity evaluation and treatment, ergonomic evaluation, physical disability rehabilitation and mental health intervention, but you may also serve in the deployed environment on a Combat Stress Control team.


65B—Physical Therapy
Physical Therapists in the Army serve in a number of settings, in a variety of specialized areas and in all phases of treatment. You might perform musculoskeletal screening on new patients, provide amputee care, or get involved in sports medicine.


65C—Dietitian
Keeping Soldiers and their families healthy through nutrition is critical to the success of today's Army. Working alongside other Health Care professionals, you'll be an integral part of the Army Medical Team dealing with fitness, health promotion, diabetes, oncology and countless other issues and diagnoses.


65D—Physician Assistant
As a Physician Assistant in the United States Army you will find yourself as the primary Medical Officer of an airborne infantry battalion, armored cavalry squadron, or one of many combat arms or combat support units. It takes a high degree of personal responsibility and confidence in the field of medicine to manage the dual mission of caring for Soldiers in a field environment as well as for the Soldier's family members in a clinical setting.


65X—Specialist Allied Operations

 

The responsibilities of a Medical Specialist Corps Officer may include:

  • Commanding and controlling the Medical Specialist Corps units during emergency and non-emergency medical situations
  • Coordinate employment of Medical Specialist Corps Soldiers at all levels of command, from platoon to battalion and higher, in U.S. and multi-national operations.

Requirements for Medical Specialist Corps Officers

You must have a degree in your area of specialty from a US accredited school and have a current, unrestricted national certification or registration and/or state license in your specialty.


Training

As an Army Medical Department (AMEDD) Officer, you won't participate in the Basic Training that enlisted Soldiers go through. Instead, you'll attend an Officer Basic Course (OBC), a basic orientation course to the Army Health Care system and the Army way-of-life.

Officer Basic Course for Active Duty Officers is held four times a year at the AMEDD Center and School in Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas and lasts from ten to fourteen weeks. Officers in the Army Reserve go to OBC for two weeks.

Your training time depends on your chosen specialty and whether or not you have prior military experience. You must also meet height and weight standards, as well as pass the Army Physical Fitness Test.

After completing OBC, AMEDD Officers report to their initial Active-Duty assignment. Students return to their academic training following successful completion of OBC.


Helpful Skills

Being a leader in the Army requires certain qualities. A leader exhibits self-discipline, initiative, confidence and intelligence. They are physically fit and can perform under physical and mental pressures. Leaders make decisions quickly, always focusing on completing the mission successfully, and show respect for their subordinates and other military officers. Leaders lead from the front and adjust to environments that are always changing. They are judged by their ability to make decisions on their own and bear ultimate moral responsibility for those decisions.

Advanced Responsibilities of a Medical Specialist Corps Officer

Medical Specialist Corps Officers may continue to specialize and serve in the Medical Specialist Corps at ever increasing levels of leadership and responsibility.

Responsibilities of a Medical Specialist Corps Captain may include:

  • Commanding and controlling part of a Field Hospital, installation Dental or Medical Activity (DENTAC or MEDDAC), or larger Health Services Command.
  • Coordinate employment of Medical Specialist Corps Soldiers at all levels of command, from company to division level and beyond, in U.S. and multi-national operations.
  • Develop doctrine, organizations and equipment for unique Medical Specialist and health care missions.
  • Instruct medical, laboratory and psychology skills at service schools and medical training centers.
  • Serve as a medical or health care advisor to other units, including Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve organizations.

Related Civilian Jobs

Being an Officer in the Army Medical Specialist Corps, you will have the same qualifications to practice in your specialty in the civilian world.

Article Last Modified: February 27, 2011

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