Current MS4 and 13 yr prior AD officer here.
I can try and address a few of your specific questions, though I would encourage you to search through the numerous threads here on USUHS vs HPSP etc to gain an understanding of other ways that USUHS differs from civilian medical school.
Being prior service is good, you will benefit from that. Whether or not you know what military medicine is/isn’t is questionable, given you are the one asking the question of what USU “has to offer”.
1) Day to day: take a moment and search for USU’s 4 year schedule for any class in the last few years to get a big picture of your flow. Major difference as I understand it is that you will complete a large portion of your clerkships prior to taking Step 1 versus most civilian institutions. Day to day during pre-clerkship you will wear a uniform if you are required to attend a lecture/class. Many are recorded and not required minus pathology lab and other events needing hands on training.
2) TCCC: You will have a heavier focus on preparing to potentially be a sole provider in an area with limited resources and slowly grow your skills throughout your 4 years culminating in Bushmaster up in PA. By the end you will be able to work as a team with your classmates in a simulated combat environment handling a gamut of combat trauma and other pathologies (psych, Prev Med, etc). Could you actually put in a chest tube in a real situation post bushmaster without more practice and training? Possibly, but you will leave feeling somewhat more confident in your combat trauma and leadership skills. You will not get these experiences in civilian school. You will load live patients into turning blackhawks, handle simulated CBR environments, and many more things. Bushmaster was an incredible training experience and I have completed SERE and many others for perspective.
3). You will have a chain of command. If you want to leave the 300ish mile distance from Bethesda or any training area you will need permission and route accordingly. This should t be a big deal for someone AD like yourself. You will complete PRTs/whatever service physical test it is you take twice yearly. You will get annoying emails to complete all the semi pointless CBTs. Beyond that there is little military at USU. You will call your physicians sir/M’am or Dr. So and So, you will be professional. You will work/clerkship primarily At military MTFs throughout the country. You can request almost anywhere and most of my classmates were able to travel as much/little as they wanted.
4) Summer experiences. Operational opportunities such as jungle medicine, mountain medicine, etc exist but it is often on you to work out the details and fit into your schedule. I have heard nothing but good things. Your question if our military courses teach “anything useful” further highlights your questionable knowledge of how military medicine works. While it isn’t a perfect system by far. The people and training offered from my experience and perspective has been mostly highly valuable.
