A Sailor

Go beyond traditional medicine with a career in the Medical Service Corps. From health-care scientists to administrators to clinical-care specialists, this is innovative care at its best.


Medical Service Corps

Job Overview:

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Classification:
Χ Enlisted
√ Officer
Available in:
√ Active Duty
√ Navy Reserve

In the Navy Medical Service Corps, you’ll find cutting-edge research in practice. Elite scientists and medical specialists at the top of their fields. And a position of honor and respect waiting should you choose to join such ranks.

Pay:

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Job Description:

The demanding and far-reaching nature of today’s Navy calls for dedicated leaders and highly trained medical professionals skilled in almost every type of medicine. That’s what you’ll find in the Medical Service Corps.

From research breakthroughs that make headlines worldwide to humanitarian missions around the globe, the Medical Service Corps is the most highly varied corps within Navy Health Care. It’s composed of a multidisciplinary team of Navy Officers in clinical, scientific and administrative health-care specialties.

As a distinguished Officer in the Medical Service Corps (MSC), you’ll be joining approximately 2,600 others on Active Duty – in positions ranging from Ensigns to Admirals. Health-care scientists and clinical-care specialists make up about 60 percent of the MSC, serving in 22 different specialties, while health-care administrators compose the remaining 40 percent.

Officers serve in more than 250 Naval and medical commands throughout the world. About 65 percent serve in facilities delivering direct patient care. Others serve in operational units, training and research commands, occupational and preventative medicine units, material and logistic support commands and headquarters commands.

There are countless ways to make a difference in the Medical Service Corps, all supported by the vast technological resources and professional expertise only the Navy can provide. And wherever you are in your medical career – student, resident or current health-care professional – the Navy offers generous Financial and Educational Benefits to pay off school loans and cover living expenses.

areas of interest

With an explosion of technology driving the Medical Service Corps into the future, the number of areas of concentration and specialties continues to grow. Disciplines available today include administrative, scientific and professional, along with a host of subspecialties.

Health Care Administration

Take your ability to manage complex systems, and put it to use for an incredible cause: ensuring that the systems are in place to maintain the health of the young servicemembers of the Navy and Marines. You’ll also contribute to humanitarian relief efforts around the world, managing projects that are as exciting as they are varied.

As a Navy Health Care Administration Officer, you can further specialize in one or more of the following areas:

  • Education and Training Management
  • Financial Management
  • Fleet Marine Force
  • General Health Care Administration
  • Health Care Facilities Planning
  • Information Management
  • Manpower Systems Analysis
  • Medical Logistics Management
  • Operations Research
  • Patient Administration
  • Plans, Operations, and Medical Intelligence
Health Care Sciences

From aerospace physiology to microbiology – if you have a love of science, the Navy Medical Service Corps is going beyond the cutting edge. Work all around the world with technology that may not even be known in the private sector. Explore these career specialties:

Aerospace Experimental Psychology

Promote and ensure safe and effective performance in aviation systems. Also, provide professional and technical guidance in the planning and conducting of research and development.

Aerospace Physiology

Train others in the areas of aviation physiology, sensory physiology, acceleration physiology, life-support equipment, ejection/egress, parachute procedures and water survival.

Biochemistry

Forensic toxicologists manage and direct operations of military forensic laboratories. Research biochemists conduct and manage basic and applied research on biochemical problems of interest to the Navy.

Entomology

Plan, direct and participate in operational, consultative, training, quarantine and research programs for infestation prevention and control of arthropod pests.

Environmental Health

Focus on prevention and control of diseases in Navy and Marine Corps populations.

Industrial Hygiene

Protect people, installations and equipment by managing risk within working, living and operating environments.

Medical Technology

Supervise state-of-the-art clinical laboratories in Navy hospitals in the United States and many foreign countries.

Microbiology

Prevent, detect, diagnose and treat infectious disease threats to our armed forces.

Physiology

Apply innovative technologies in physiology and medicine to diagnose, treat and rehabilitate exercise- and training-related injuries.

Radiation Health

Serve as health and safety experts responsible for all aspects of an occupational radiation-protection program.

Research Psychology

Conduct research and deliver expertise to positively impact the health, safety and performance of servicemembers.

Clinical Care Providers

From infants to the elderly, clinical care in the Medical Service Corps is similar to the private sector. Except for the cutting-edge technology, travel opportunities and benefits only the Navy can offer. Learn more about these specialties:

Audiology

Provide clinical support services for a diverse population. Also, provide rehabilitative, nonmedical support to conserve and improve communication ability.

Clinical Psychology

Join approximately 130 clinical psychologists in the Navy, working in military hospitals and clinics in the United States, overseas, aboard aircraft carriers and with special operational units.

Dietetics/Food Management

Work in inpatient medical nutrition therapy, outpatient nutrition counseling and food-service operations. Also, assist in general nutrition education and wellness programs for servicemembers and their families.

Occupational Therapy

Practice comprehensive neuromusculoskeletal evaluation and treatment of upper extremity and hand rehabilitation.

Optometry

Provide comprehensive ocular examinations, including evaluation of ocular health and the prescription of glasses and contact lenses at military treatment facilities worldwide.

Pharmacy

Practice pharmaceutical care in a wide variety of hospitals and clinics – ranging from large teaching hospitals and small clinics to a 1,000-bed hospital ship.

Physical Therapy

Practice comprehensive orthopedics at Navy hospitals and clinics in the United States and overseas, aboard aircraft carriers and in pediatric in-school settings overseas.

Physician Assistant

Obtain medical histories, perform comprehensive exams, and order and interpret diagnostic studies. Also, plan and initiate treatment in all areas of primary-care medicine.

Podiatry

Maintain the operational readiness of our fighting forces by treating issues of the foot, ankle and other lower extremities.

Social Work

Work with special behavioral health programs and projects in support of a strategically developing social work community.

financial and educational benefits

Wherever you are in your medical career, the Navy can help ease the financial burdens and advance your career with generous scholarships, financial assistance and continuing education programs.


  • are you a student?
    Up to $185,000 for graduate school Imagine leaving graduate school without the mountain of debt. The Navy Health Services Collegiate Program offers up to $185,000 in financial assistance while you finish graduate school.

    • That includes a monthly salary and housing allowance from $2,940 to $5,150 for up to 36 months (housing allowance may vary depending upon location) – plus other benefits. Note that this specific offer is exclusive to the Navy and not available in other military service branches.

      All you have to do is join the Navy for a specified time (depending on the program you enter). This year, the fields that are offered include Health Care Administration, Physiology, Entomology, Industrial Hygiene, Audiology, Pharmacy and Podiatry.

      100% of tuition coverage for graduate school

      Attention optometrists and physician assistants: This program is for you! With the Navy Health Professions Scholarship Program, optometry and physician assistant students can get 100% tuition coverage for graduate school. You’ll get a monthly stipend of $1,605 to cover living expenses for up to four years.

  • are you a working professional?
    UP TO $114,900 TO REPAY STUDENT LOANS There's no reason to be overwhelmed by the cost of your education. As an Active Duty Officer in the Medical Service Corps, you can get up to $114,900 to repay your graduate school loans by applying to receive $38,300 each year for up to three years. The total amount you can earn depends upon your specialty.

    • To become eligible for the Health Professions Loan Repayment Program, you must serve as an Active Duty Medical Service Corps Officer for each year you receive the loan payment, with a minimum three-year service obligation.

Talk to your recruiter about these or any Navy opportunities that interest you.

career outlook

The diverse career opportunities afforded in the Medical Service Corps are united by a common cause: helping to save lives and expanding the possibilities of health care. No matter which specialty you choose, you’ll be enriched by world-class training, state-of-the-art facilities and experience rarely found in the private sector.

In the Navy, pay is competitive. Plus, there are fringe benefits: Officer rank and 30 days’ vacation with pay earned every year. It’s the ideal balance between professional duties and personal interests – with ample time for family, travel and recreational pursuits.

Want to drill deeper? Visit Medical Health Care Opportunities. There, you will learn more about the cutting-edge equipment, the exciting missions and the real people who make up today’s Medical Service Corps.

For more information, to talk to a Navy representative or to request a free informative video about the Navy Medical Service Corps, please fill out an information request form. We look forward to hearing from you!

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