Leadership
CO/XO Application Process
All of the information needed to apply for CO/XO can be found at this link (select your e-mail CAC certificate):
https://es.med.navy.mil/bumed/m00/m00c/pages/executivemedicine.aspx
The documents you need are here:
Director of Public Health – NMC San Diego
The details of this position are here:
DPH Applicant Announcement 2018
Applications are due 23 APR 2018. Templates of CV, bio, and letter of intent can be found here.
Director of Professional Education at NMCP – O5/O6
Director, Professional Education (DPE) is responsible for oversight of:
- Graduate Medical and Dental Education (GMDE)
- Clinical Investigation Department (CID)
- Staff Education and Training (SEAT)
- Visual Information Department
- Healthcare Simulation & Bioskills Training Center
- Nursing Research
- Health Sciences Library.
The position is open to Navy Medical Corps officers at the O-5/O-6 level. Interested candidates should submit (preferably via e-mail) a letter of interest, a short bio, copies of their 3 most recent FITREPs, a CV (templates here) and Specialty Leader concurrence no later than 21 March 2018 to: CAPT Will Beckman, MC USN (contact info is in the global address book).
Director of Primary Care at NMC Portsmouth – O5/O6
The details of this position are in this document:
DPC Vacancy Announcement MAR18
Applications are due 31 MAR. CV, Bio, and Letter of Intent templates can be found here.
If you are not already at NMCP or destined to go there, you’ll need to check with your Detailer and Specialty Leader if you want to apply.
Director of Medical Services at NMC Camp Lejeune – O5/O6
The details of this position are in this document.
Applications can go directly to the command, as indicated. Anyone not already at NMC Camp Lejeune will need to coordinate with their Detailer prior to their application.
If you need CV, Letter of Intent, or Military Bio templates you can find them here or here.
Director for Education, Training, and Research at Walter Reed – 05/06
All of the details are in this announcement. In brief, you need to:
- Be an O5/O6.
- Be able to report in JUL 2018.
- Submit the requested documents by 14 APR 2018 to the POC in the announcement.
This Job Will Probably Make You a Captain
Whenever a position is advertised a second time, that usually means there is little qualified interest in the position. I’m not saying everyone would like this job or be good at it, but this position has been advertised a second time by BUMED:
BUMED Policy and Practice Officer
It is great prep for anyone looking to do Executive Medicine and is a high-level position at BUMED, which has historically led to promotion to O6. If you’re an O5, I’d look at this position and consider applying.
BUMED Policy and Practice Officer – O5/O6
Billet Title: Policy & Practice Officer, Office of the Medical Corps Chief, BUMED
Location: Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Defense Health Headquarters, Falls Church, VA
Rank: O5/O6
Corps: Medical Corps
Tour Length: 36 months (beginning July 2018)
Billet Description:
Mission: Direct, design, develop and evaluate all Medical Corps policy initiatives in support of and in continuous alignment with BUMED Strategic Goals. Research and revise policy related to professional practice based upon relevant statutes and regulations on community, regional, and national levels. The effect of this position is far reaching in terms of the sustainment, changing nature, and future growth of the Navy physician community, as well as the successful career development of individual Navy Medical Corps officers.
Functions: Draft, prepare and coordinate routing of policy action packages for the Corps Chief Office. Act as the Medical Corps representative for a variety of committees to include but not limited to National Defense Authorization Act Working Groups, Collaborative Care Board, Master Privilege List Group, Medical Corps Professional Review Case Panel, and Medical Corps Professional Review Board. Coordinate corps specific plans and policy activities with appropriate BUMED Codes. Collaborate and network with Policy and Practice Officers from other corps on enterprise wide policy matters. Manage selection of and communication with Medical Corps specialty leaders, to include coordination of specialty leader business meetings.
Command Relations: Ability to communicate effectively to a 1 or 2 Star Admiral on a regular basis.
Experience Required: Highly recommended to have:
Knowledge of Department of Defense, Navy, Navy Medical Corps policies and instructions and policies of other Federal entities as needed. Experience with recruitment, retention, and public speaking. Networking skills, written and oral communication skills.
Other: Time available to perform clinical work at multiple MTFs in the National Capital Region. Time available to travel for CME. TAD travel possible throughout the year for Medical Corps Chief related events.
POC: For further information about the billet please contact CAPT Christopher Quarles (contact info in the global address book).
Multiple Alternative Billet Opportunities Available
If you’re interested in any of these, contact your Detailer or Specialty Leader:
| Position | Command | Homeport | Rank (generally +/- one rank) | Traits | Fill date | Tour length |
| Student | Naval War College | Newport, Rhode Island | CDR | JPME1 completed | Summer 2018 | One year |
| Physician researcher | Naval Medical Research Center | Silver Springs, Maryland | All ranks | Researcher qualified | Summer 2018 | Three years |
| SMO | AS 39 Emory S Land | Guam | CAPT | Primary Care Skills | Summer 2018 | Two years |
| SMO | LHD 1 WASP | Sasebo, Japan | LCDR | Primary Care Skills | Spring 2018 | Two years |
| SMO | LHD 8 MAKIN ISLAND | San Diego, California | LCDR | Primary Care Skills | Summer 2018 | Two years |
| SMO | LCC 19 B RIDGE | Yokosuka, Japan | LCDR | Primary Care Skills | Spring 2018 | Two years |
| Group Surgeon | NCG 1 | Port Hueneme, California | CAPT | Marine Corp Experience | Late Summer 2018 | Three years |
| Physician | Sec Nav Physical Exam Board | NCR | CDR | Physician | Summer 2018 | Three years |
| Executive Medicine/Surgical Detailer | Navy Personal Command | Millington (Memphis) Tennessee | CAPT | Physician | Summer 2018 | Two years |
| GP MED/MEB SURGEON | 2 MEF | Camp Lejeune | LCDR | Physician/FMF | Apr-18 | Two years |
| CATF 7 Surgeon | Fleet Surgical Team 7 | Okinawa | CDR/CAPT | Physician/Fleet Experience | Jan-18 | Two Years |
| Med Homeport Program Mgr | BUMED | NCR | CDR | Physician | Summer 2018 | Three years |
| 3rd MLG Physician | 3rd MLG | Okinawa | LCDR | FMF/Primary Care Skills | Summer 2018 | Two Years |
| Force Surgeon | Navy Reserve Forces Command | Norfolk, VA | CAPT | Physician | Summer 2018 | Three years |
How to Prepare for Important Navy Interviews
A reader recently asked me for help preparing for a big interview that I had done in the past (the interview to become a Specialty Leader). We both thought that interview prep would be a good blog post, so here is my advice after 10+ interviews for significant leadership positions:
- Be prepared for an in-depth and long interview. My interview for Specialty Leader was with VADM Bono when she was a two star and the Navy Medical Corps Chief. It thought that it was going to be 15-20 minutes with a max of 30 minutes because she was (is) so busy. She talked to me for an hour and 15 minutes and it was a very, very thorough and in-depth interview. Although I got the position, I probably should have been more mentally prepared for the possibility that it could have lasted over an hour.
- Always have a reasonable understanding about the current state of the position you are interviewing for. I ensure this by talking with the incumbent for at least 15 minutes about the position. Ask how it is going, what they liked or didn’t like about it, what has gone well and what hasn’t, etc. In addition, try to meet with their immediate supervisor to ask them a few questions about the position. I try to find out what they would like out of the position in the future, what they need more of, and what their strategic priorities are.
- Make sure you’ve read all of the core strategic documents. To me, these include the Navy Medicine Commander’s Guidance (Short Version and Long Version), the DHA Director’s Priorities and Vision, and your command’s mission/vision statements. There may be others, depending on what you’re interviewing for. For example, I like this article on Value Based Healthcare.
- If given the position, always have a plan for what you want to do in the future. Ideally, your plan needs to support the strategic documents in #3 above.
- Tell the truth and be honest to yourself. In other words, don’t try to be who you think they want. Be who you are. If you’re not what they want, it is probably better if you don’t get the job anyway.
- As soon as you are done with the interview, write down the questions they asked. Then you can use these questions to prepare for future interviews. The list of questions I’ve been asked in the last few years include:
- What do you see as the role of (insert whatever position you’re interviewing for)?
- What has prepared you for this position?
- How do you see yourself in this position supporting the Surgeon General’s strategic initiatives?
- What do you see as the role of the senior enlisted leader?
- Describe your leadership style.
- How would you handle a disagreement between you and the CO?
- How do you handle it when you make a decision and someone who works for you disagrees with you?
- How would you handle the multiple priorities associated with being a director, especially as it relates to GME?
- How do you see your role on the Executive Steering Committee/Command Evaluation Board?
- What are your top 3 priorities?
- What are some of the challenges you’ve faced and how have they impacted you as a leader?
- How do you think you and your direct boss/supervisor will work together?
- What part of the directorate is most interesting to you?
- Why did you apply for this job?
- What are your biggest leadership challenges?
- How do you handle disagreement or conflict?
- Tell me about your leadership style.
- As soon as the results of the interview are released, no matter whether you got the position or not, always ask a few of your interviewers for feedback so you can grow professionally. They’re usually happy to give both positive and negative feedback.
Joel Schofer's Career Planning Blog 