In medicine we like to look at scientific evidence, is there any evidence that the current plan makes a better Army Officer....or how about any that an additional 4 weeks adds any value. Doubt it.
Can't say how SCIENTIFIC it was but, there was a study done it was called Officer Leader Development Study (OLDS) that found:
AMEDD officers are not adequately inducted, inspired, or motivated upon entry into the Army Profession.
Many AMEDD officers are not adequately developed as leaders through military education, training, and assignment experiences.
The emphasis on managing the business of the healthcare system often outweighs the focus on leader development.
AMEDD policies and command selection processes allow some AMEDD officers to be selected for command less experienced and less prepared in the Army Profession than those in the ACC.
I anticipate that it all boils down to an OER bullet and increasing relevance. More than likely things will be moved out of the BOLC curriculum and into the new DCC one, at the same time BOLC will decrease in weeks
The study recommended that there be an additional four weeks of BOLC-A (which became the DCC) in order to augment the training at Fort Sam. It seems like the AMEDD was moving too slowly to create this, the task was turned over to TRADOC. For them it’s another way to justify their existence. The DCC will actually be at Fort Sill CoE in OK. The pilot course is set for this Jun/Jul. There is still ongoing discussions as to the cut-off of when it will be mandatory before going to BOLC, and the “grandfathering” of the HPSP students in the pipeline.
As with everything in the military everything is written in sand.
The OLDS also said "Several statutes, policies, and authorities governing AMEDD officer leader development require improvement" Army G-3 is looking at writing this into regulations.
End of the day any future course for medical students will have to be designed in a way that majority of all students could attend during their summer break. This sets in stone a window of time- June, July, August. Money then dictates how long that course will be. At the same time as HPSP you are asked to be on AD for 45 days. I don't know what happens if they ask you to do more if anything. I wonder how any DCC and BOLC will fit within those guidelines.
Ultimeately, the best is for the DCC to be completed between the end of undergrad and medical school start. The advantage here is that the MEDCOM should be able to sell to big Army that because it is performed prior to the start of graduate school, it should not count as one of the student's ADTs. The 45 day rule is actually written into Title 10 for ADTs, so there is no way around that other than to cut orders for 26 days at DCC, and 19 days at school.
