Biomedical sciences education, commissioning program application windows open

  • Published
  • By Debbie Gildea
  • Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs
Airmen interested in biomedical sciences education, or BSC, or commissioning opportunities may be eligible for one or all of the four Biomedical Sciences Corps programs now accepting applications.

Available BSC programs include the Army Baylor Doctor of Physical Therapy Training, the Uniform Services University of the Health Sciences PhD Clinical Psychology Training Program, the Interservice Physician Assistant Training Program and the Direct Accession Program.

Eligible active-duty Air Force officers and enlisted members may apply for any of the four programs. Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard members are eligible to apply for the PhD Clinical Psychology Program at USUHS.

Army Baylor Doctor of Physical Therapy

- Leads to a commission as a physical therapist
- Applications are due by Nov. 25, 2014, for training beginning in October 2015
- Active-duty enlisted, officers and cadets may apply
- Eligibility criteria include the following:
- U.S. Citizen
- Bachelor's Degree (or in final semester for degree)
- Worldwide qualified for duty
- Minimum total Graduate Record Examination score of 1,000 (297 new); minimum 450 (150 new) on verbal
- Minimum 100 hours of physical therapy observation
- Minimum GPA of 3.25
- Complete required anatomy, physiology, biology, physics, chemistry, psychology, statistics and social science courses
- Enlisted selective reenlistment bonus recipients: must have completed 50 percent of their enlistment before applying

PhD, Clinical Psychology Training Program

- Leads to a commission as a clinical psychologist
- Applications are due to the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences by Dec. 1, 2014 for training beginning in August 2015; USUHS will forward accepted packages to AFPC for candidate selection
- Active-duty, Reserve and Guard Airmen may apply
- Eligibility criteria include the following:
- Must be a U.S. Citizen
- Must meet commissioning requirements according to Air Force Instruction 36-2005, "Appointment in Commissioned Grades and Designation and Assignment in Professional Categories - Reserve of the Air Force and United States Air Force." To review the AFI, go to ePublishing at http://www.e-publishing.af.mil and enter "AFI36-2005" in the search window.
- GRE score of 1,100 (302 new format); GRE scores must have been completed within two years of the USUHS application date.
- Must meet entry requirements for attendance at USUHS; for application and submission information, go to http://www.usuhs.mil/mps/militaryprograms.html

Interservice Physician Assistant Training Program

- Leads to a commission as a physician assistant
- Applications are due Jan. 25, 2015, for the 13-month training program at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston beginning in August for selected Officers and Enlisted attending either December 2015, April or August 2016 (the 13 month program is followed by 16 months of Phase II training)
- Active-duty enlisted, officers and cadets may apply
- Enlisted eligibility criteria include the following:
- U.S. Citizen
- 60 Semester hours
- Worldwide qualified for duty
- Minimum total SAT score of 1,425 and 450 on each category
- Minimum of two years and maximum of 14 years of time in service
- Minimum 2.5 cumulative grade point average, 3.0 for math/science
- Completed prerequisite courses
- SRB recipients: must have completed 50 percent of their enlistment before applying
- Active-duty officer and cadet eligibility criteria
- Worldwide qualified for duty
- Minimum total SAT score of 1,425 and 450 on each category
- Maximum of five years of time in service (waivers considered for more than five years TIS but fewer than seven years)
- Minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA, 3.0 for math/science
- Completed prerequisite courses in anatomy, physiology, biology, microbiology, chemistry, medical terminology, psychology, algebra, English and social science

BSC Direct Accession Opportunities

- Open to enlisted, line officers and cadets
- Opportunities vary by fiscal year for commissions into the aerospace physiology, laboratory, public health and bioenvironmental engineering fields; opportunity and application updates are available on the Air Force Medical Service Knowledge Exchange webpage.
- Eligibility Criteria
- Must meet degree eligibility criteria for commissioning appropriate for available Air Force specialty codes (42S clinical social worker, 43A aerospace and operational physiologist, 43E bioenvironmental engineer, and 43T biomedical laboratory)
- Must meet commissioning requirements according to AFI 36-2005

For more information on BSC education and commissioning opportunities, including additional eligibility criteria and application instructions, log in with a common access card to the AFMS Knowledge Exchange at https://kx2.afms.mil/kj/kx3/afbsceducation or https://kx2.afms.mil/kj/kx4/afbscutilization.

For more information about developmental and other personnel issues, visit the myPers website at https://mypers.af.mil.