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The Army Medical Department of the U.S. Army, known as the AMEDD, comprises the six medical Special Branches of the Army. It was established in July 1775 to coordinate the medical care required by the Continental Army. The AMEDD is led by the Surgeon General of the U.S. Army, a lieutenant general.
The AMEDD is the U.S. Army's health organization, not a U.S. Army command. The AMEDD is found in all three components of the Army, namely the Active Army, the U.S. Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard. Headquartered at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas — which hosts the AMEDD Center and School — equal numbers of AMEDD senior leaders can be found in Washington D.C., divided between the Pentagon and the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC).
The current Army Surgeon General is Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker. He is also commander of the U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM).
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History
Both the Army Medical Department and the Medical Corps trace their origins to 27 July 1775, when the Continental Congress established the Army Hospital headed by a "Director General and Chief Physician." Congress provided a medical organization of the Army only in time of war or emergency until 1818, when it created a permanent and continuous Medical Department. The Army Nurse Corps dates from 1901, the Dental Corps from 1911, the Veterinary Corps from 1916, the Medical Service Corps from 1917, and the Army Medical Specialist Corps from 1947.
The Army Organization Act of 1950 renamed the Medical Department as the Army Medical Service. However, on 4 June 1968 the Army Medical Service was redesignated the Army Medical Department (AMEDD).
Medical special branches
Medical Corps
The Medical Corps (MC) consists entirely of commissioned medical officers who are physicians — including holders of the Doctor of Medicine degree and the Doctor of Osteopathic medicine degree — and have completed at least one year of post-graduate training (internship). The MC traces its origins to 27 July 1775, when the Continental Congress created “an Hospital” — essentially a Medical Department and corps of physicians — for the Continental Army. Medical officers in the U.S. Army were authorized uniforms only in 1816 and were accorded military rank only in 1847. Congress made official the designation of "Medical Corps" in 1908, although the term had long been in use informally among the AMEDD's regular physicians. Today, members of the MC work around the world at all echelons of the Army. The Chief of the MC is a colonel and the senior-most MC officer — and leader of the AMEDD — is the Surgeon General, a lieutenant general.
Nurse Corps
The Army Nurse Corps consists entirely of commissioned officers. Nurses who wish to serve in the ANC are required to hold an unrestricted RN license prior to receiving a commission. For the Active Army, at least a four year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree is required. Reservists only need either a two year Associate of Science in Nursing or a three year hospital Diploma in Nursing. Members of the Army Nurse Corps work all around the world at all echelons of the Army. The Army Nurse Corps began in February, 2nd 1901. Dita McKinney was the first chief, however at that time this was not a ranked position. The first chief of rank was in 1967, held by BG Anna Mae Hays. The current Chief of the Army Nurse Corps is MG Patricia D. Horoho, USA who took over the position in 2008 (http://history.amedd.army.mil/ANCWebsite/anchhome.html)
Medical Specialist Corps
The Army Medical Specialist Corps consists entirely of commissioned officers. Members hold professional degrees and serve as clinical dietitians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and physician assistants. Members of the Army Medical Specialist Corps serve all around the world and at all echelons of the Army. The Chief of the Army Medical Specialist Corps is a colonel.
Medical Service Corps
The Medical Service Corps (MSC) consists entirely of commissioned and warrant officers. Members are required to hold at least a bachelor's degree before receiving a commission. The MSC is the most complex branch of the Army, with members performing the greatest range of duties. Members perform duties as administrative and support functions as healthcare administrators, field medical administrative assistants in operational units, healthcare comptrollers, healthcare informatics officers, patient administrators, health service human resource managers, medical operations and plans officers, medical logisticians, medical maintenance technicians, and medical evacuation pilots. MSC officers serve in clinical support roles as clinical laboratory science officers, environmental science officers, pharmacists and preventive medicine officers. Medical Service Corps Officers serve as commanders of field medical units in garrison and combat environments. MSC officers provide healthcare to patients as psychologists, social workers, optometrists, pharmacist, podiatrists, and audiologists. The Medical Service Corps also functions as a transitional branch, encompassing commissioned medical, dental, and veterinary students who have not completed their training through the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) or the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP). The Chief of the Medical Service Corps is a brigadier general.
Dental Corps
The Dental Corps consists of commissioned officers holding the Doctor of Dental Surgery degree or Doctor of Dental Medicine degree. The chief of the Dental Corps is a major general.
Veterinary Corps
The U.S. Army Veterinary Corps was established by an Act of Congress on 3 June 1916. Recognition of the need for veterinary expertise had been evolving since 1776 when General Washington directed that a "regiment of horse with a farrier" be raised. It was evolved to include both animal health care and sanitary food inspections.
The Veterinary Corps consists of commissioned officers holding "Doctor of Veterinary Medicine" degree, warrant officer, enlisted food inspectors and enlisted animal care specialists.
The chief of the Veterinary Corps is a Brigadier General.
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References
- Ashburn, Percy M., A History of the Medical Department of the United States Army, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1929.
- Bayne-Jones, Stanhope, The Evolution of Preventive Medicine in the United States Army, 1607–1939, Washington, D.C.: Office of the Surgeon General, 1968.
- Gillett, Mary C. (1981), The Army Medical Department, 1775-1818, Washington, DC: Center of Military History, United States Army. (Series: Army Historical Series)
- Gillett, Mary C. (1987), The Army Medical Department, 1818-1865, Washington, DC: Center of Military History, United States Army. (Series: Army Historical Series)
- Gillett, Mary C. (1995), The Army Medical Department, 1865-1917, Washington, DC: Center of Military History, United States Army. (Series: Army Historical Series)
- Hume, Edgar Erskine, Victories of Army Medicine: Scientific Accomplishments of the Medical Department of the United States Army, Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1943.
- Tobey, James A., The Medical Department of the Army: Its History, Activities and Organization, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1927; Reprint: New York: AMS Press, 1974.
- This article contains information that originally came from US Government publications and websites and is in the public domain.
See also
- 68W (91W)
- Battlefield medicine
- U.S. Navy Nurse Corps
- Surgeon General of the United States Army
- United States Army Medical Command (MEDCOM)
- Angels of Bataan
External links
- WW2 U.S. Medical Research Centre
- U.S. Army Medical Corps official site
- U.S. Army Nurse Corps official site
- Army Nurse Corps online history exhibit
- Army Nurse Corps history and WWII women's uniforms in color (WAC, WAVES, ANC, NNC, USMCWR, PHS, SPARS, ARC and WASP)
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 20 November 2008, at 19:57.
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