Role of the United States Army Surgeon: Past, Present, and Future

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The role of the military surgeon has markedly changed in recent years, including frequent replacement of physicians by Medical Service Corps officers. Definitions of the surgeon’s role are examined and definitions of military medicine are analyzed. The history of the development of the American Military Surgeon is outlined, with emphasis on the acquisition and training of the surgeon, and the strong traditions of the American military physician are portrayed. The perceptions of 1976 Command and General Staff College students toward the evolving role of the surgeon were determined by a survey which indicated recognition of the existence of Army Medicine. The students favored retaining the physician’s role in field units and maintaining a distinct Army military medical department, but they did not recognize requirement for extensive military training of the physician. There was a lack of an extensive appreciation for the organization of the Army Medical Department. The thesis concludes that physicians continue to be required in military staff positions.