Enlisted medical degree preparatory program 'intent to apply' email due Oct. 3

  • Published
  • By Debbie Gildea
  • Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) --  Eligible active duty enlisted Airmen interested in pursuing a medical degree must submit their application for the Enlisted Medical Degree Preparatory Program by Dec. 1, and an "intent to apply" email by Oct. 3, Air Force Personnel Center officials said today.

The Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program offers active duty enlisted members an opportunity to complete the preparatory coursework for admission to medical school while maintaining active duty status and full pay and benefits. The program, which incurs a three-year active duty service commitment, will include coursework in a traditional classroom setting with structured pre-health advising and formal medical college admission test preparation, with classes slated to begin in July 2015.

Airmen selected for the program will transfer on permanent change of station orders to Bethesda, Maryland, where they will attend school full-time at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences.

Following successful completion of the 24-month program, graduates will apply for acceptance to the USUHS medical school and/or civilian medical schools. Once accepted for an approved medical school, participants will be commissioned as second lieutenants in the Medical Services Corps. As fourth year medical students, those lieutenants will be eligible to apply for medical residencies approved by the Air Force Health Professions Education Requirements Board.

The program is open to active duty enlisted members from all Air Force specialty codes who meet eligibility criteria. Applicants must be younger than 33 as of June 30, 2015, have at least 36 months but no more than 10 years time in service as of Sept. 30, 2014, and have a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline from an accredited institution. The program incurs a three-year active duty service commitment.

Applicants must send an "Intent to Apply" email to the AFPC physician education organizational account (afpc.dpame@us.af.mil) by Oct. 3. Those who do so will be notified by Oct. 24 whether or not they have been released from their career field to compete for selection. Once notified of their eligibility to compete, Airmen may submit their application to AFPC by the Dec. 1 deadline.

Full eligibility criteria and application guidelines for the program are available on myPers at https://mypers.af.mil. Enter "EMDP2" in the search window.