JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) – September 3, 2015 — Eligible Airmen interested in biomedical sciences education or commissioning opportunities can now apply for any of the four available Biomedical Sciences Corps programs now accepting applications.
Available BSC programs include the U.S. Army-Baylor University Doctoral Program in Physical Therapy, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology, the Interservice Physician Assistant Program and the Direct Accession Program.
Each program has specific criteria, but applicants for all programs should be U.S. citizens, meet the minimum commissioning age requirements, meet fitness standards and be medically qualified for worldwide duty.
“The BSC depends on the acquisition of personnel with current military experience to enhance the development of the next generation of leaders in biomedical sciences,” said Kevin Smith, from the Air Force Personnel Center medical force management branch. “Additionally, providing a path for enlistment to commission is a critical force development objective for our specialties.”
Doctor of Physical Therapy Training Program
The Army Baylor University doctoral program in physical therapy provides students with entry-level competence in traditional physical therapy skills. The program is open to Air Force active duty members who have a bachelor’s degree or are in the final semester of school for their degree.
Applicants must have a Graduate Record Examination score of 297, with a minimum score of 150 in the verbal portion; at least 100 observation hours in a variety of clinical settings; an undergraduate grade point average of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale; and prerequisite courses including anatomy, physiology, biology, physics, chemistry, psychology, social sciences and statistics.
Applications will be accepted through Nov. 25 and the program begins in October 2016. Additional information, application instructions and contact information are available on the myPers website, and on the Air Force Medical Service Knowledge Exchange page.
Ph.D. Clinical Psychology Training Program
The USUHS graduate training program in military clinical psychology is designed to prepare broad-based Ph.D. clinical psychologists and to emphasize appreciation and understanding of the needs of the military.
The program is open to active duty officers, enlisted, Guard and Reserve members with a GRE of 302. GRE scores must be no older than two years from the application date.
Applications can be submitted to the USUHS website through Dec. 1 and USUHS will submit them to AFPC. For more information, application instructions and general guidance go to http://www.usuhs.mil/mps/militaryprograms.html.
Interservice Physician Assistant Program
Airmen who meet IPA admission criteria and successfully complete required training are awarded a qualifying degree as a physician assistant. The program is open to active duty officer and enlisted members, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets, U.S. Air Force Academy cadets, and Guard members with applications due between Nov. 1, 2015 and Jan. 25, 2016.
Enlisted applicants must be airmen first class through senior master sergeants who have 2-14 years active military service as of Aug. 1, 2017. Active duty officers must have fewer than five years time-in-service by Aug. 31, 2016. AFROTC and USAFA cadets must be released by the AFPC line officer accessions branch before they can begin the application process, and USAFA cadets must be endorsed by the USAFA Health Professions Advisory Committee before applying. Air National Guard members are only eligible for Guard allocations.
All applicants, including those with undergraduate and graduate degrees, must submit their Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, which must be no more than five years old. The minimum combined score for critical reading, verbal and math must be 1,425. Candidates must also have a minimum of 60 semester hours of transferable college credits with a 2.5 or higher GPA. Additional scholastic requirements are available on myPers.
Application packages must include worksheets, transcripts and SAT reports, which must be emailed to the AFPC Biomedical Sciences Corps Utilization and Education Branch by Jan. 25, 2016. Submission instructions are also available on myPers.
Direct Accessions
Direct commissioning opportunities are also available in the three career fields for Airmen who meet eligibility requirements.
Applicants must meet requirements for consideration in aerospace physiologist, biomedical laboratory officer, social worker, public health officer or bioenvironmental engineer Air Force specialties. For field requirements and application procedures go to the Air Force Medical Service Knowledge Exchange page.