Clerkships
Fourth year medical students can choose to rotate in elective rotations related to Preventive Medicine and the Public Health specialties. Students completing these rotations gain a better understanding of worker populations, population health, disease prevention, and hands-on tropical medicine experience in the lab, clinic, and/or field.
AEROSPACE MEDICINE
Aerospace medical practitioners serve flyers, passengers, space travelers, air traffic controllers, patients transported by air, maintenance crews, and even mountain climbers and undersea workers. The diverse and expanding opportunities in the field make a career in aerospace medicine attractive for health professionals.
The Army, Navy, and Air Force have aerospace medicine residency programs and offer opportunities for medical student training. NASA also offers medical student clerkships on a space available basis. To learn more about military aerospace medicine and current medical student opportunities, contact any of the individuals or resources below.
NOTE: This elective is separate from the Service-specific flight surgeon courses. More information regarding the flight surgeon courses can be found through the Department of Military and Emergency Medicine and Operational Medicine.
Specific sites are listed below, but other sites are potentially available if student coordinated.
ARMY
John Venezia, DO, MPH, MA, LTC, MC(SFS), USA
Graduate Medical Education Director
Fort Rucker, AL
Email: john.j.venezia2.mil@army.mil
Bert Lee, DO, MPH, MBA, MAJ, MC, SFS, DMO
Program Director, Occupational & Environmental Medicine Residency
Fort Rucker, AL
Email: albert.j.lee1.mil@army.mil
NAVY
Jonathan Elliot, MD, MPH, FAAFP, CAPT, MC, USN
Family and Aerospace Medicine
Graduate Medical Education, Program Director
Naval Aerospace Medical Institute (NAMI)
Email: jonathan.n.elliot.mil@health.mil
AIR FORCE
David C. Miller, Col, USAF, MC, CFS
Program Director
Residency in Aerospace Medicine (RAM)
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH
Email: david.miller.29@us.af.mil
Doug Files, MD
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH
Phone: (937) 938-3222
Email: douglas.files.3.ctr@us.af.mil
NASA
The NASA rotation is predominantly non-clinical. This specific rotation requires a formal application submission through the NASA organization. More information can be found here.
OCCUPATIONAL & ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE
Students spend four weeks at a major Military Treatment Facility getting hands-on experience in occupational & environmental medicine activities including identification of hazards in the workplace through site visits, hazard specific medical surveillance exams, and the evaluation of persons with occupational illness or injury. Students develop an understanding of the role of prevention in maintaining the health of the workforce.
Specific sites are listed below, but other sites are potentially available if student coordinated.
WALTER REED NATIONAL MILITARY MEDICAL CENTER
John W. Downs, MD, MPH, FACP, FACOEM, COL, MC, USA
Medical Toxicologist
Associate Program Director & Associate Professor
Occupational & Environmental Residency Program
Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics
Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD
USU Email: john.downs@usuhs.edu
DoD Email: john.w.downs18.mil@health.mil
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
Students spend four weeks directly in the practice of Preventive Medicine and obtain first-hand exposure to the diverse aspects of Preventive Medicine and Public Health in the military. Students join the Preventive Medicine residency team at USU assisting on new or ongoing projects varying from outbreak investigations and epidemiologic research to healthy policy recommendations. Students may additionally evaluate patients in a Preventive Medicine and Public Health capacity.
Specific sites are listed below, but other sites are potentially available if student coordinated.
WALTER REED NATIONAL MILITARY MEDICAL CENTER
LCDR Teshome Tafes, DO, MPH, MC, USN
Preventive and Occupational Medicine Physician
Preventive Medicine Officer
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD
Phone: 301-295-7937
Email: teshome.m.tafes.mil@health.mil
USU-Sponsored Overseas Rotations in Tropical Public Health
The Uniformed Service University (USU) Division of Tropical Public Health offers qualified uniformed medical personnel and opportunity to study and experience tropical medicine and/or research in an overseas setting. The objective of this program is to train Uniformed Services medical personnel in clinical tropical medicine, to increase awareness of career opportunities in tropical medicine, and to perform research or disease surveillance in an international setting.
Participants spend 4-8 weeks at one of the DoD overseas medical research laboratories or at USU partner field or clinical sights working closely with a clinical mentor and or research mentor. Activities comprise of a mix of clinical tropical medicine, entomology, public health and laboratory experiences in the field, clinic and lab. This opportunity is ideal for students in the Uniformed Services with a strong interest in tropical medicine research, or clinical career paths that require knowledge and experience in tropical public health.
Eligible Applicants are Active Duty Officers in the Uniformed Services who are:
- USU medical students (Capstone only); or graduate students in MPH&TH/MPH/PhD programs
- Fellows in Infectious Disease or other programs
- Residents in Preventive Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Family Medicine, or Veterinary Medicine programs
Applications must be submitted electronically via e-mail to the Sanford Chair in Tropical Medicine, Kyle Petersen DO, FACP, FIDSA, CAPT, MC, USN (ret) at kyle.petersen@usuhs.edu
Applicants are responsible for and obtaining all travel, theater, and country clearances as well as travel orders from their local command. The selection committee will review completed applications when they are received. Rotations should be scheduled to begin no sooner than 8 weeks after submission.
Funded Recipients Must:
- Read assigned articles
- Give a presentation on a suitable topic to his/her preceptor or host nation staff
- Provide USU with an after-action report/evaluation