Uniformed Services University: An All-American Medical School

The acronym USU may not be familiar. It stands for the Uniformed Services University (USU) in Bethesda, Maryland. This relatively new medical center trains allied health students and medical students for military medical careers. After World War II, many military facilities found it difficult to retain their medical specialists. USU was established in 1972 in order to supply medical personnel for the three major services, which at that time were the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Later the Public Health Service was added. In the last of the twentieth century, there was a tendency to downsize treating facilities of the military and transfer care to private or state-supported medical centers. However, the demand for military medical professionals persisted. An example of downsizing was the 2011 closing of the prestigious Walter Reed Army Medical Center. A second example would be the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, which has become a tri-service teaching hospital. It now treats active and retired military personnel, and in many situations, civilians. Willford Hall Medical Center, formerly a USAF teaching hospital in San Antonio has been downsized to an outpatient facility.

Missouri Physician Founder of USU

One may also hear the acronym USUHS, which stands for Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Other names of USU are “America’s Medical School” or “West Point for Doctors” or finally “The F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine.” Hebert, a Cajun Congressman from Louisiana, served in the U.S. Congress for 36 years and led the campaign for the military medical school after WWII. Another congressman instrumental in the development of the USU was Durward G. Hall, MD, of Cassville, Missouri, who served as a representative from Missouri’s 7th Congressional District (1961–1973) (Figure 1). Dr. Hall is also considered a founder of the School of Medicine. Hall, along with this author, Michael J. Clarke, MD, of Springfield, Missouri, founded the American College of Surgeons chapter in southwest Missouri. Dr. Hall had an extensive military background in WWII, and he well recognized the need for trained military medical professionals.

Figure 1.

Durward G. Hall, MD, Cassville, Missouri, was instrumental in the development of USU and on its Board of Trustees.

The state of Missouri is fortunate to have multiple medical training facilities. The recent opening of the Kansas City University (KSU) Joplin, Missouri, campus, brought the number of schools (DO and MD) to six on eight campuses. There are now approximately a thousand first-year medical school positions in Missouri, split approximately evenly between osteopathic and allopathic students.

History of USU

After a multi-year battle in Congress, USU was chartered in 1972 as the first and still the only Federal Health Science University devoted to filling the military services’ need for career physicians. President Nixon called for an end to the draft in 1970. This further exacerbated the military physician shortage. Congress, led by Dr. Hebert, complied with USU appropriation and a well-located Bethesda campus was purchased just north of the District of Columbia (Figure 2.) The medical school was formally chartered on September 21, 1972, with a fifteen-member Board of Directors appointed by the President. A highly qualified faculty was assembled. The first class was admitted in 1976. A traditional medical curriculum was adopted with special emphasis on military medicine. Anthony R. Curreri, MD, Professor of Surgery at the University of Wisconsin and chairman of the Wisconsin Board of Regents, was appointed the first president of USU.

Figure 2.

USU campus in Bethesda, MD; our nation’s only federal health sciences university.

Dr. Curreri developed the curriculum, hired faculty, and put forth an admissions plan. Dr. Curreri stepped down shortly after the first students were admitted in 1976. In signing the bill establishing USU, President Nixon stated that the purpose of the school was to ensure enough highly-trained career physicians for the three major military services (Army, Navy, and Air Force). Jay Sanford, MD, a prominent infectious disease specialist, was appointed first Dean of the medical school, and later, he became president of USU. The new campus at the Bethesda Medical Centers spans 100 acres and is located on a major Metro line from the District of Columbia, just north of the DC border and across from the National Institutes of Health.

The School of Medicine soon attained full accreditation, and the construction of a modern state-of-the-art facility was completed. The first class of 29 students matriculated in 1976 and graduated on May 24, 1980.

Upon admission, the students are commissioned as either Second Lieutenants in the Army/Air Force or as Ensigns in the Navy. Upon graduation, the new MDs are promoted to the rank of Captain Army/Air Force or Lieutenant in the Navy. Graduates participate in the national matching program.

In 1987, President Reagan gave the commencement address affording the medical school needed positive publicity. The capacity for medical students gradually grew from the initial 29 to approximately 171 students in 2019. The percentage of graduates remaining on active duty beyond their seven-year service obligation has been 65%. During medical school, clinical rotations may be taken at military installations around the world.

USU has not functioned without detractors. Serious threats for the closure of the school surfaced in the late 1980s. A number of congressional members considered the school too costly. However, the university continued to grow and demonstrated its value as a training and research institution. The university, in response, underwent a cost-cutting reorganization and streamlined its administration. Over 100 USU MDs served in operation Desert Storm. These MDs demonstrated their value as invaluable front-line medical officers (Figure 3).

Figure 3.

USU physicians and surgeons are invaluable to the mission of our Armed Forces. Shown is a front-line Army medical unit in Iraq.

The mission statement of USU is “Learning to care for those in harm’s way.” USU has trained more than 5,000 medical doctors in military medicine and care for those in need. Additionally, thousands of paramedical professionals have graduated from USUHS.

The Road to a USU Medical Degree

All medical applicants for USU must take the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) within three years of their desired matriculation. The average MCAT score for successful matriculants is 509. In comparison, the 43 medical schools with the highest MCAT scores in 2020 averaged 517. Applicants may retake the MCAT multiple times and retain the highest score. The American Medical College Admission Service is used. Data for the USU class of 2023 show 3,096 applicants; 274 of these applicants were offered admission, and 171 accepted—86 were men, and 85 were women. The undergraduate cumulative grade point average was 3.7 on a 4.0 scale. Thirty-four states were represented in the 2019 freshmen class of 171 students. Additional admission requirements, unique to USU are that all students must be USA citizens between the ages of 18–36. All applicants must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited academic institution. No applications are accepted from students with GPA below 3.0. Required prerequisite courses are similar to most American medical schools. USU does not accept transfers. All four years of medical school are required to be taken on the Bethesda campus. The graduation percentage of entering first-year students is 95%.

All students must meet relatively lenient height and weight standards and pass a physical fitness exam yearly. The new medical graduates are committed to seven years of active medical service. Special features of acceptance to USU include becoming paid commissioned officers, free tuition, free medical care, assistance with moving expenses, and a housing allowance. Quite important are a likely debt-free graduation and access to an excellent military retirement program.

Presently 25% of active-duty military medical doctors are USU graduates (Figure 4). USU physicians are generally relatively young after the 20 years of service required for retirement. Many outstanding opportunities are available to these young military physicians after retiring. USU offers an exceptional opportunity for medical education and retirement.

Figure 4.

USU graduation class. USU supplies 25% of military physicians and 65% of USU graduates pursue a career in military service.

Military Sponsored Medical Education for Non-USU Students

The Health Professions Scholarship Program allows non-USU medical students to join prior to starting medical school, in exchange for the military paying tuition and a monthly stipend. Upon graduation the physician will generally owe the military four years of active duty as repayment. More information can be found at: https://www.medicineandthemilitary.com/joining-and-eligibility/medical-school-scholarships