Chapter 2: Eligibility, Ineligibility, and Appointment Guidelines
Table 2.4 Service Credit On Appointment As A Medical Or Dental Officer
| Rule | If the individual has successfully completed | then the amount of service credit awarded is |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | a Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree | 4 years. |
| 2 | an internship approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA) | 1 year. |
| 3 | A graduate medical education in a specialty approved by the ACGME or AOA and creditable toward certification by an American Specialty Board (EXAMPLE:residency or fellowship) | 1 year for each year (or school year)(see note 1). |
| 4 | graduate or postgraduate education, after graduation from dental school, in dentistry or in the specialty to which assigned and creditable toward specialty board certification | 1 year for each year (or school year)(see note 1). |
| *5 | a master's degree or doctorate in a field listed in Table 2.7. | 1 year for each school year not to exceed 24 months for a master’s degree and 48 months for a doctorate. Total credit may not exceed 48 months (see notes 1 and 2). |
| 6 | full time experience as a physician or dentist after graduation from medical, osteopathic, or dental school in an environment usually associated with high professional standards | 1/2 year for each year of experience up to a maximum of 3 years (see notes 1,3,4, and 5) |
| 7 | unusual special experience | 1 year for each year (see notes 1 and 6) |
| *8 | service on active duty or in an active status as commissioned officer in any uniformed service, in the professional specialty in which being appointed | 1 year for each year (see note 1) |
| *9 | service on active duty or in an active status as a commissioned officer in any uniformed service, but not in the professional specialty in which being appointed | 1/2 year for each year of service (see note 1) |
| *10 | Commissioned service on active duty or in an active status while participating in an educational program leading to appointment in the MC/DC corps | 1 year for each year (see note 1) |
NOTE:
In computing service credit, count a period of time or qualification only once. Proportionately credit, to the nearest day, qualifying periods of less than 1 year. Limit total service credit awarded to 14 years unless granted a waiver according to paragraph 2.18.2 Do not award United States Military Academy (USMA), United States Naval Academy (USNA), or Unites States Air Force Academy (USAFA) graduates any credit for education, training, service, or experience they gained before graduating from the academy. Attainment of permanent certification by the Educational Council for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) or completion of a Fifth Pathway program is not creditable as an internship.
HQ AFPC/DPAM, ANG/MPP, or HQ ARPC/DAO, as appropriate, approves, on an individual basis, any credit awarded under this rule. The advanced education must contribute directly to the performance of duty. The advanced degree must not have been earned concurrently with the primary credentials (MD, DO, DDS, DMD). Credit may not include time spent in attainment of baccalaureate or lower degrees. No additional credit may be given for more than one advanced degree in a single, or closely related field. The total credit for having both a master’s and a doctorate degree may not exceed the maximum allowed for a doctorate.
Unless HQ AFPC/DPAM, ANG/MPP, or HQ ARPC/DAO, as appropriate, waives, no credit may be given for practice outside the United States, the District of Columbia (DC), Puerto Rico, or Canada.
Use the permanent and unrestricted licensure in a state, the DC, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States, or Canada, to establish the date from which to award credit for experience to foreign-trained physicians.
Compute from the day after the officer completed the internship or the education listed in rules 3, 4, or 5, as appropriate, until the day before appointment. Do not award credit for periods of unemployment of more than 30 days.
HQ AFPC/DPAM, ANG/MPP or HQ ARPC/DAO, as appropriate, may award credit under rule 7 only for a specialty designated critical or urgent. Do not award credit under rule 7 unless the maximum credit under rule 6 has been awarded.