Newswise — For the last four years, students from varying backgrounds and experiences have worked together seeking a similar goal… an advanced degree from the nation’s federal military medical school. More than 200 individuals will achieve that goal on Saturday, May 15, 2010, when the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, or USU, graduates the class of 2010.
Shortly after the last student crosses the stage to accept their diploma and the graduates of the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine recite the Hippocratic Oath, these new physicians and graduate nurses will take their Oath of Office, completing their transition from medical and nursing students to uniformed officers in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Public Health Service.
General James Amos, the 31st assistant commandant of the United States Marine Corps and a Naval aviator by trade, will address the students and guests for the 31st commencement of the USU, speaking about the role graduates will play in caring for service members and their families at home and abroad. An active supporter of military medicine, General Amos has praised the efforts of military medical professionals whom he has witnessed during multiple deployments and his visits to injured servicemembers.
General Amos has held command at all levels. Most notably, he commanded the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing during Operations Iraqi Freedom I and II from 2002 to 2004, followed by the II Marine Expeditionary Force from 2004 to 2006. He subsequently served as the commanding general, Marine Corps Combat Development Command and as the deputy commandant, Combat Development and Integration from 2006 to 2008.
The USU’s commencement exercise will begin at 11:00 a.m. at the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall, Washington, D.C.
Many USU faculty members are experts in the fields of post-traumatic stress disorder, deployment psychology and traumatic brain injury, but also in the fields of disaster medicine, tropical diseases, microbiology and infectious diseases.
The Uniformed Services University is located on the grounds of Bethesda’s National Naval Medical Center and across from the National Institutes of Health. It is the nation’s federal school of medicine and graduate school of nursing. The university educates health care professionals dedicated to career service in the Department of Defense and the U.S. Public Health Service. Students are active-duty uniformed officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Public Health Service who are being educated to deal with wartime casualties, national disasters, emerging infectious diseases and other public health emergencies. Of the university’s more than 4,500 physician alumni, the vast majority serve on active-duty and are supporting operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, offering their leadership and expertise.
For more information or to attend the commencement exercises, contact the Office of External Affairs at 301-295-3981 or 240-281-2738, or visit the USU Web site at www.usuhs.mil.
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