US Public Health Service at USUHS School of Medicine
Presently two agencies are supporting students at USUHS, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIAID, and the Indian Health Service, IHS.
The NIAID is a component of the National Institutes of Health. NIAID supports basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose and treat infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria and illness from potential agents of bioterrorism. NIAID also supports research on basic immunology, transplantation and immune-related disorders, including autoimmune diseases, asthma and allergies. For more than 50 years, NIAID research has led to new therapies, vaccines, diagnostic tests, and other technologies that have improved the health of millions of people in the United States and around the world.
In addition to NIAID's research mission, it supports two, 3-year clinical/research training programs, in infectious diseases and allergy/immunology. The first year of these subspecialty training programs is spent in clinical rotations, while in the second and third years trainees pursue their individual research interests under the direction of a faculty research mentor. The purpose of the training programs is to develop clinical and research skills in physicians who are already well grounded in clinical medicine, and who intend to pursue academic research careers in either infectious diseases or allergy/immunology.
NIAID is able to sponsor two medical student slots per year at the Uniformed Services University (USUHS). Students must be committed to a career as a Commissioned Officer in the USPHS and a career as a clinical or basic science researcher in either infectious diseases or allergy/immunology. Upon completion of medical school, students must enter an ACGME-approved Internal Medicine or Pediatrics residency training program and then apply to either the NIAID Infectious Diseases or Allergy/Immunology Fellowship Training Programs. Undergraduate or post-graduate research experience is a prerequisite requirement.
The following are links to the NIH website and the NIAID website.
www3.niaid.nih.gov/
www.nih.gov
Indian Health Service (IHS)
The Indian Health Service (IHS) is an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The IHS mission is to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level, and to assure that comprehensive, culturally acceptable personal and public health services are available and accessible to American Indian and Alaska Native people.
The provision of health services to members of federally-recognized tribes grew out of the special government-to-government relationship between the federal government and Indian tribes in 1787. The IHS is the principal federal health care provider and health advocate for Indian people providing a comprehensive health service delivery system for over 50 years. The population we serve is approximately 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who belong to 562 federally recognized tribes. The health care is provided in 35 states, through a network of over 40 hospitals and 200 clinics.
The American Indian and Alaska Native people have long experienced lower health status when compared with other Americans, and have lower life expectancy and disproportionate disease burden. The Indian Health Service has an important mission to provide much-needed services for a highly appreciative community. The integrated health care system of the IHS is a collegial, multidisciplinary team providing primary care with special initiatives in traditional medicine, elder care, women's health, children and adolescents, injury prevention, domestic violence and child abuse. IHS medical professionals practice in a variety of settings, many surrounded by spectacular natural beauty, throughout the United States. Each of the 12 Areas offers its own unique career experiences and provides the opportunity to live and work in diverse Native American or Alaska Native communities that are rich with their own traditions.
The Indian Health Service is able to sponsor two medical student slots this year at USUHS. Students must be committed to a career as a Commissioned Officer in the USPHS and to pursuing a career serving the American Indian and Alaska Native people. Upon completion of medical school, students must enter an ACGME approved residency in one of the following training programs:
- Family Medicine
- General Pediatrics
- General Internal Medicine
- Emergency Medicine
- Psychiatry
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- General Surgery
The following is a link to the IHS website, www.ihs.gov.
PHS students begin their career by attending the PHS Officer Basic Course, OBC, the summer prior to medical school. This is a two week introductory course preparing the officer for a career in the PHS.
While at USUHS, PHS students follow the exact curriculum as the other medical students in the Army, Navy and Air Force to include all military medicine field exercises. PHS students will also complete a summer experience between the first and second year with their supporting agency, IHS or NIAID. They will also have options for elective clinical rotations in the fourth year at Centers for Disease Control, CDC, National Institutes of Health or the Indian Health Service.
The PHS Senior Advisor is Narayan Nair, MD, CAPT, USPHS a 1994 School of Medicine graduate. He can be reached at narayan.nair@hhs.gov. Other advisors for the PHS students include the agency liaisons, NIAID, JoAnn Mican, MD, CAPT, USPHS and IHS, Damion Killsback, PharmD, LCDR, USPHS.
PHS medical students have the option of entering residency training through the military matching program or the National Resident Matching Program, NRMP, (civilian matching program). Students may not enter both matching programs, but must pick one.