Does anyone know about the Medical Corps?

core0 · Sep 19, 2008

I work with some of the Medical Corp people and one was deployed to Tx for the after math of Ike. I just want to know why they only accept BSN RNs. It would take me another 3 or better years o get that and you have to be 18-42yo. I'm just wondering.

To be an RN in the military you have to be an officer. To be an officer you have to have a bachelors (with a few exceptions). Technically nurses are in the nursing corps not the medical corps.

As far as the reason you have to be 18-42. You have to be 18 to be able to be deployed to a war zone. The upper limit is due to the the retirement rules. One of the benefits of the military is retirement after 20 years of service. Since this is a benefit you have to be able to qualify for it to join. The mandatory retirement age used to be 55 therefore you could not join if you were over 35. They raised the mandatory retirement age to 62 so you can join up to 42. Really it makes sense in a military sort of way.

David Carpenter, PA-C

TiredMD · Sep 19, 2008

Nurse Corps officers are always BSNs by long-standing policy. This is probably related to the fact that Bachelors degrees are de rigeur for military officers.

There are LPNs in the military (at least the Army).

They are enlisted, not officers.

Altra, BSN, RN · Sep 19, 2008

It's possible your coworkers were volunteers on a DMAT team.

http://www.hhs.gov/aspr/opeo/ndms/teams/dmat.html