2019-2020 Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences

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Military and Public Health Medicine is a calling that is both rewarding and challenging. “America’s Medical School” is looking for the absolute best to serve all military and Public Health Service beneficiaries—service members, retirees, and family members. Please describe your motivation to learn and practice medicine with the U.S. military medical corps and/or the U.S. Public Health Service. (1500 Character Limit)

The F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine features a distinctive curriculum that meets all of the requirements for a high quality medical degree AND prepares students to be high-performing officers in the medical corps of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force or Public Health Service. Please describe what in your research about our school and/or in your personal or family background attracts you to our institution’s unique mission and approach. (1500 Character Limit)

The F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine receives far more outstanding applications from potential students than we are able to admit in any given year. Our Admissions Committee likes to assemble classes of students with a diversity of backgrounds, skills, experiences and talents to care for our patients—many of whom have overcome impressive challenges while serving our country. Please describe a special quality or experience that will help you relate to our unique population and that will strengthen your class if admitted to “America’s Medical School.” (1500 Character Limit)


Good luck to everyone applying!

Interview Feedback: Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences
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Anyone know if the secondary questions remain the same as last year? Thanks!
 
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Secondary received. Same as last year as promised.

Military and Public Health Medicine is a calling that is both rewarding and challenging. “America’s Medical School” is looking for the absolute best to serve all military and Public Health Service beneficiaries—service members, retirees, and family members. Please describe your motivation to learn and practice medicine with the U.S. military medical corps and/or the U.S. Public Health Service. (1500 Character Limit)

The F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine features a distinctive curriculum that meets all of the requirements for a high quality medical degree AND prepares students to be high-performing officers in the medical corps of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force or Public Health Service. Please describe what in your research about our school and/or in your personal or family background attracts you to our institution’s unique mission and approach. (1500 Character Limit)

The F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine receives far more outstanding applications from potential students than we are able to admit in any given year. Our Admissions Committee likes to assemble classes of students with a diversity of backgrounds, skills, experiences and talents to care for our patients—many of whom have overcome impressive challenges while serving our country. Please describe a special quality or experience that will help you relate to our unique population and that will strengthen your class if admitted to “America’s Medical School.” (1500 Character Limit)

@Lucca
 
Hi! I had a question in regards to this part of the supplemental application:

Part of becoming a Military or Public Health Service physician includes obtaining a commission from your sponsoring Service and a security clearance from the federal government. To help us determine if you will be eligible to receive a commission and security clearance, please provide us with the following information: • A description of any institutional action you have received at any college or university you have attended, regardless of the outcome of the action. Please include the dates associated with the action. • A description of ANY time you have had a potentially negative interaction with the law or legal system. This includes, but is not limited to, warnings, citations, arrests, charges, and other actions, even if the issue was dropped, expunged, dismissed, appealed, or you were found not guilty, or pardoned. If you were fined, include the amount of the fine. Please include the dates associated with the interaction. • A description of ANY time you have used marijuana, to include amount and frequency. • A description of ANY time you have used substances illicitly.

I had received an IA from my school almost three years ago regarding an altercation I had with another student, as well as a couple of run-ins w/ the campus police precinct, which I was let go w/ a warning each time. How should I report these instances in the IA section, or does this altogether DQ me from commissioning?
 
VTDSPMed said:
Question in regards to this:
"Do you have any medical concerns which may be a disqualifying condition for commissioning (i.e., history of asthma, food allergies, currently or previously described behavioral medications or stimulants, <6 months post-op)?"

I do take an SSRI (anti-anxiety) medication. I'm assuming this is a behavioral medication; however, does that mean it's a disqualifying condition for commissioning?
Click to expand...

You can always get a waiver. So try.
 
The_Rowaway said:
Hi! I had a question in regards to this part of the supplemental application:

Part of becoming a Military or Public Health Service physician includes obtaining a commission from your sponsoring Service and a security clearance from the federal government. To help us determine if you will be eligible to receive a commission and security clearance, please provide us with the following information: • A description of any institutional action you have received at any college or university you have attended, regardless of the outcome of the action. Please include the dates associated with the action. • A description of ANY time you have had a potentially negative interaction with the law or legal system. This includes, but is not limited to, warnings, citations, arrests, charges, and other actions, even if the issue was dropped, expunged, dismissed, appealed, or you were found not guilty, or pardoned. If you were fined, include the amount of the fine. Please include the dates associated with the interaction. • A description of ANY time you have used marijuana, to include amount and frequency. • A description of ANY time you have used substances illicitly.

I had received an IA from my school almost three years ago regarding an altercation I had with another student, as well as a couple of run-ins w/ the campus police precinct, which I was let go w/ a warning each time. How should I report these instances in the IA section, or does this altogether DQ me from commissioning?
Click to expand...

Report them truthfully. With IAs, your school can attach a report to your transcript so there is no point in covering it up. And if you do cover it up and the military finds out while you are a commissioned officer...well...the consequences are really dire. Much more than having AMCAS and med schools throwing your application out.
 
Red Lobster Actual said:
Report them truthfully. With IAs, your school can attach a report to your transcript so there is no point in covering it up. And if you do cover it up and the military finds out while you are a commissioned officer...well...the consequences are really dire. Much more than having AMCAS and med schools throwing your application out.
Click to expand...

Got it, thanks for your reply. In regards to reporting them, should I list each incident in chronological order or should I go into some detail on what had happened for each? I've reported the IA incident in my primary already, and given that I only have 2000 characters to work w/ for this section of the secondary, I'm not sure how much detail or introspection I should include when reporting.
 
Hi everyone!

Active Army and reapplicant from the last cycle here. Here's to hoping I've shown enough improvement to earn an acceptance!

Submitted secondary responses 7/3, received the prerequisite email a few hours afterward. Will update as time goes on.

Let me know if anyone has any questions about Army life. I work closely with physicians in the medical field who attended USUHS as well, so I may be able to give some perspective on life post-residency, what to expect on deployments, etc.! But purplefrog13 may still be a better reference for those types of questions!

Looking forward to acting neurotic with you all as we pray for II!
 
The_Rowaway said:
Got it, thanks for your reply. In regards to reporting them, should I list each incident in chronological order or should I go into some detail on what had happened for each? I've reported the IA incident in my primary already, and given that I only have 2000 characters to work w/ for this section of the secondary, I'm not sure how much detail or introspection I should include when reporting.
Click to expand...

To be honest, not sure. I had an academic IA when I applied. I did what they asked in the instructions, and briefly expanded on how I learned from my experiences. I did not rehash what I wrote on AMCAS. That just seems lazy.

Unless your actions form a core of what you want to write about, don't take up too many characters but at the same time do not ignore it.

I apologize for sounding like a cryptic old senile indecisive man but in the end you have to be the judge of how much attention you want to place on that aspect of your application.

Good luck!
 
Hi all! I'm a re-applicant to USUHS this year - pretty glad I didn't get into any other school because USUHS is my top choice! Received secondary on 6/28 and submitted it 6/30. Applying for an Air Force spot.

The admissions department is full of wonderful people - I highly recommend stopping by the admissions office and saying hello!

Is anyone attending the Open House on July 19th? It'd be cool to meet some possible future classmates!
 
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VTDSPMed said:
Question in regards to this:
"Do you have any medical concerns which may be a disqualifying condition for commissioning (i.e., history of asthma, food allergies, currently or previously described behavioral medications or stimulants, <6 months post-op)?"

I do take an SSRI (anti-anxiety) medication. I'm assuming this is a behavioral medication; however, does that mean it's a disqualifying condition for commissioning?
Click to expand...

with behavioral medication you generally have to be off of them for a year before they will grant a waiver but double check with USU to verify
 
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EasyEveryoneWouldDoIt said:
incoming USU MS1 Air Force willing to help with any questions
Click to expand...

I might be getting a bit ahead of myself here but do they talk about projected residency spots during orientation or interview. If admitted I want to go Air Force as well since I am prior service but I hear they have less specialty slots and do mostly family med or IM. I wouldn't mid either of those but I would prefer to have some sort of choice at the very least. Thanks and best of luck!
 
woodecker said:
I might be getting a bit ahead of myself here but do they talk about projected residency spots during orientation or interview. If admitted I want to go Air Force as well since I am prior service but I hear they have less specialty slots and do mostly family med or IM. I wouldn't mid either of those but I would prefer to have some sort of choice at the very least. Thanks and best of luck!
Click to expand...

There isn't a specific talk about it. You can definitely ask, but spots vary from year to year so there is no set number. Currently, army has the widest variety and the highest number of slots (they are also the largest branch...so it is rather proportional). Navy in the middle, and Air Force the fewest, but still some. You do still get a choice and the majority of major residencies are still available in all branches. I know PMR and RadOnc are only in Army (right now). There are some changes going on in big military medicine, and we don't know all they impact it will have. One of the options is that all slots will become available to all branches, but no one knows what will really happen.

Semper gumby.
 
purplefrog13 said:
There isn't a specific talk about it. You can definitely ask, but spots vary from year to year so there is no set number. Currently, army has the widest variety and the highest number of slots (they are also the largest branch...so it is rather proportional). Navy in the middle, and Air Force the fewest, but still some. You do still get a choice and the majority of major residencies are still available in all branches. I know PMR and RadOnc are only in Army (right now). There are some changes going on in big military medicine, and we don't know all they impact it will have. One of the options is that all slots will become available to all branches, but no one knows what will really happen.

Semper gumby.
Click to expand...


Yeah I figured, it would make sense they would have some sort of projections but I guess with the coming DHA changes it's impossible to know what mil medicine is going to look like in a few years. Are you already a student at USU or an incoming MS1?
 
woodecker said:
Yeah I figured, it would make sense they would have some sort of projections but I guess with the coming DHA changes it's impossible to know what mil medicine is going to look like in a few years. Are you already a student at USU or an incoming MS1?
Click to expand...

Rising MS3
 
MantisTobboganMD said:
I received the secondary right after submitting my primary. The due date is rapidly approaching and my app isn't verified yet, and I've received another e-mail stating to not to list my prerequisites prior to verification.

If I can't list my prereqs, I can't submit my app. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do in this situation?
Click to expand...
I would at least submit the secondary responses. There are two separate submissions for pre-reqs and essays/biographical info.
 
So i just remembered I got a traffic ticket like 3 years ago but I already submitted my secondary...
1) do I need to report this? I know it said to report any negative occurrences with the law
2) how should I go about doing so if i need to?
 
purplefrog13 said:
Hey there! I'm a rising MS3 at USUHS, Navy, went to ODS, currently on clinical rotations, etc. Let me know if you have any questions!
Click to expand...
VTDSPMed said:
Question in regards to this:
"Do you have any medical concerns which may be a disqualifying condition for commissioning (i.e., history of asthma, food allergies, currently or previously described behavioral medications or stimulants, <6 months post-op)?"
Click to expand...


Is it less than 6 months post-op by the time of matriculation?
 
For the secondaries, can anyone elaborate the difference between the first two prompts? Also, should we include examples of our own experiences in our responses? I talked about how USUHS offers really unique experiences like operation bushmaster and the summer operational experience and relate it to my experience this summer as a commercial fishing captain in Alaska. Thanks for the help!
 
Has anyone else received confirmation that their application is complete? I finished the secondary and the request for supplemental info a while ago and never got a confirmation email
 
Yinmei said:
Has anyone else received confirmation that their application is complete? I finished the secondary and the request for supplemental info a while ago and never got a confirmation email
Click to expand...

I was just about to ask the same question. Finished my secondary over a week ago and haven’t received any correspondence. I’m re-applicant, and they did not send out completed emails last year.

I take it all back...just got my completed email this morning. Sorry for the confusion.
 
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Dr. Oz said:
Is it less than 6 months post-op by the time of matriculation?
Click to expand...
Probably by the time of matriculation or summer officer training. tbh, I'm not completely sure. probably situation dependent. Feel free to PM me.
 
Just wanted to pop in and say good luck to everyone. I’m starting school here in the class of 2023, so I just went through this whole process. Along with @Red Lobster Actual I will be around to answer any questions. I also can answer any ODS questions the Navy folks have since I just went through it and it has changed pretty recently.

I was also enlisted Navy for 7 years prior so if any prior service folks have specific questions about that feel free to tag me.
 
dgc_8 said:
For the secondaries, can anyone elaborate the difference between the first two prompts? Also, should we include examples of our own experiences in our responses? I talked about how USUHS offers really unique experiences like operation bushmaster and the summer operational experience and relate it to my experience this summer as a commercial fishing captain in Alaska. Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...

The first two are very similar. I answered the first question by saying why I wanted to serve and specifically why I want to serve those who go into harm’s way, as they say. The second question I answered by describing what about the school and my experiences attracts me to going to USUHS specifically for mil med.

Definitely use personal stories. They want to get to know you as a person and see if you are a fit for military medicine and if you have a heart for service.
 
I'm another incoming MS1 and am happy to answer questions. I am one of the (very few) Public Health Service students, and am also happy to answer questions specific to PHS.
 
dgc_8 said:
For the secondaries, can anyone elaborate the difference between the first two prompts? Also, should we include examples of our own experiences in our responses? I talked about how USUHS offers really unique experiences like operation bushmaster and the summer operational experience and relate it to my experience this summer as a commercial fishing captain in Alaska. Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...
Matthew9Thirtyfive said:
The first two are very similar. I answered the first question by saying why I wanted to serve and specifically why I want to serve those who go into harm’s way, as they say. The second question I answered by describing what about the school and my experiences attracts me to going to USUHS specifically for mil med.

Definitely use personal stories. They want to get to know you as a person and see if you are a fit for military medicine and if you have a heart for service.
Click to expand...

I had a similar approach - my response to the first question was focused on why I want to be a Public Health Service physician specifically, and my response to the second question was focused on why I wanted to go to USU to achieve that goal. One way to think about the difference in the two questions is the first question is asking why uniformed service / military medicine and the second is asking why USU and not HPSP or NHSC at any other medical school.

And strongly agree with using personal stories.
 
julietburke said:
Any current MS know of students with somewhat serious past conditions (e.g heart conditions) getting waivers?
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that there are certain things they just won’t waiver. If you don’t try, you won’t know, but they are likely going to be very cautious with certain things, especially heart conditions, as we’ve (meaning the military, not USUHS) had a few deaths due to heart issues in the last couple years.
 
Question regarding any possible depression or pre-depression diagnosis; how strict is USUHS regarding these things? I was admitted almost three years ago but I didn't receive any diagnosis for depression IIRC, and I haven't had to follow up with anybody regarding any possible depression diagnosis since being admitted. I'm gonna call USUHS on Monday regarding this, but I was curious what admitted MSs here can advise me to do.
 
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The_Rowaway said:
Question regarding any possible depression or pre-depression diagnosis; how strict is USUHS regarding these things? I was admitted almost three years ago but I didn't receive any diagnosis for depression IIRC, and I haven't had to follow up with anybody regarding any possible depression diagnosis since being admitted. I'm gonna call USUHS on Monday regarding this, but I was curious what admitted MSs here can advise me to do.
Click to expand...

Be careful with what you put on the medical questionnaire. DoDMerb takes it extremely seriously. Obviously don’t lie. But anything you put on there will get investigated thoroughly. I listed my seasonal allergies and LASIK and had to write a whole page about my occasional allergies/the couple times I’ve taken loratadine and provide every medical record I had for my LASIK.

If you do have something that needs to get listed, start getting all your records now so you don’t delay the process.
 
I never got a confirmation that my secondary was complete and I sent an email to the person listed as the person to contact based on my last name but I never got a response. Is it appropriate to send a second email or to call the admissions office?
 
Yinmei said:
I never got a confirmation that my secondary was complete and I sent an email to the person listed as the person to contact based on my last name but I never got a response. Is it appropriate to send a second email or to call the admissions office?
Click to expand...

There are a couple steps after the secondary. You might not get an email saying your secondary is complete. But mine took about a month, so be patient.
 
Matthew9Thirtyfive said:
There are a couple steps after the secondary. You might not get an email saying your secondary is complete. But mine took about a month, so be patient.
Click to expand...

I've finished the secondary and the pre-reqs three weeks ago and still have not received the email that other people have received about their application being complete, I'm starting to get a bit worried
 
The_Rowaway said:
Question regarding any possible depression or pre-depression diagnosis; how strict is USUHS regarding these things? I was admitted almost three years ago but I didn't receive any diagnosis for depression IIRC, and I haven't had to follow up with anybody regarding any possible depression diagnosis since being admitted. I'm gonna call USUHS on Monday regarding this, but I was curious what admitted MSs here can advise me to do.
Click to expand...

Also check out DoD Instruction 6130.03, which is what DoDMERB references to determine if you have any medically disqualifying conditions. It's also a good idea to get copies of all your medical records from that hospital admission if you dont already.
 
Yinmei said:
I've finished the secondary and the pre-reqs three weeks ago and still have not received the email that other people have received about their application being complete, I'm starting to get a bit worried
Click to expand...

Have all your LORs that you listed on your secondary been received by AMCAS? If not, that could be one reason why you havent received the email yet.
 
Yinmei said:
I've finished the secondary and the pre-reqs three weeks ago and still have not received the email that other people have received about their application being complete, I'm starting to get a bit worried
Click to expand...

Like I said, mine took a month. If you don’t have it by Thursday send another email to your admissions counselor.

Are you sure everything is in? Your LORs are in?
 
Received the complete email this morning. Submitted my secondary on 7/3 with LOR and everything submitted at that point
 
Received the secondary on 7/1
Submitted the secondary on 7/12
The portal says my application has been submitted, but I haven't yet received an application complete confirmation
 
Does anyone have any experience with obtaining a letter of release for active duty applicants? I emailed the contact they provided several times now but no response. My unit is unsure of what I need to do to obtain one.
 
ArmyToMD said:
Does anyone have any experience with obtaining a letter of release for active duty applicants? I emailed the contact they provided several times now but no response. My unit is unsure of what I need to do to obtain one.
Click to expand...

talk to whoever is head of your physician education. i did mine last year but it was air force so my form and contact is different then yours. also USUHS might be able to help you. email your admissions counselor at USUHS. pm me i will see if there was anybody from army who had to get a letter of release in my class and see if they can offer any insight
 
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