UMO
REMINDER: Operational Medical Officer (OMO) Application Deadline 15 October
Please send your applications to be considered for the community as outlined as below:
Surface
Submit via the Surface Force Medical webpage:
https://esportal.med.navy.mil/bumed/rh/m3/m35/m355/Pages/SFMOApplication.aspx
If you send an email to the SFMO email (usn.ncr.bumedfchva.mbx.surface-force-med@health.mil), you will get an automatic reply advising you to use the SFMO webpage
Specialty Leader: cormac.j.oconnor.mil@health.mil
FMF
Specialty Leader: ellema.schollnberger@usmc.mil
Aerospace
UPDATE! The flight surgery application email box is back in service. Please send applications to USN NAS Pensacola NAVMED OTC NAMI FL List NAMI-FSAppCoord:
usn.pensacola.navmedotcnamifl.list.nami-fsappcoord@health.mil
Specialty Leader: matthew.doubrava@cvn75.navy.mil
UMO
usn.new-london.navmedotcnumict.mbx.numi-umoc@health.mil
Specialty Leader: richard.h.schreckengaust.mil@health.mil
Hot Fill – UMO, NMRTC Charleston – JUN 2023
- Who: O3-O5 Medical Corps Officers (any specialty)
- What: UMO, NMRTC Charleston
- Where: Charleston, SC
- When: Detach May/June, Report June (36 month orders)
Billet Description: Senior undersea medical officer (UMO’s) overseeing junior UMO’s in direct support of the Naval Reactors Program and Naval Power Training Unit.
Interested personnel should contact LCDR Derek Chamberlain, OMO Detailer.
Operational Medical Officer (OMO) Opportunities
PERS 4415 has provided the attached OMO opportunities list:
The list is current but will fluctuate throughout the detailing cycle. Residency-trained MC officers without previous operational experience are encouraged to apply as outlined in the attached memo and per BUMEDINST 1520.42B.
OMO applications are due to operational specialty leaders NLT 15 October 2022.
OMO detailing involves extensive cross-detailing at PERS. As such, communication is key. Officers must communicate their intentions to their detailer and community specialty leader(s).
Questions about OMO applications can be directed to the operational community specialty leader of the community to which you are applying:
· Aerospace Medicine and Flight Surgery – CAPT Robert J. Krause
· Fleet Marine Forces – CDR Debra D. Buckland-Coffee
· Surface Medicine – CAPT Mark J. Lenart
· Undersea and Dive Medicine – CAPT James J. Mucciarone
Additional information on OMO applications can be found here: https://esportal.med.navy.mil/bumed/m00/m00c/M00C1/SitePages/Home.aspx
Here’s a graphic for an info session happening on 13 SEP:
New Operational Medical Officer (OMO) Instruction is Out – You Now Apply for Flight, Dive, FMF, and Surface
BLUF – Officers will now not only apply for Flight Surgery or Undersea Medicine, but also Fleet Marine Force and Surface.
Attached is the new instruction that governs application for Operational Medical Officer (OMO) positions:
The old version only mentioned Flight Surgery (FS) and Undersea Medicine (UMO), but this one adds Surface and Fleet Marine Force (FMF), all under the banner of OMO. In addition, it creates the Undersea Medical Examiner, similar to the Aviation Medical Examiner, so that anyone who can’t complete UMO training has a landing spot if they can’t complete UMO training, similar to Flight. This is all part of our 5-year transition to straight-through GME, which will kick off at the next GME Selection Board, and residency trained physicians in support of the Fleet.
Anyone interested in this should read the instruction in its entirety as it is a complete re-write. Finally, anyone interested in applying for Surface or FMF opportunities in FY22 who does not already have that experience will be applying to a selection board like Flight and Dive always have. No longer do these simply go through the GMO Detailer.
If there are any questions after reading the instruction, please contact the POCs in the instruction or me.
One Way to Get Operationally Relevant and Advance Your Career – Go Undersea Medicine
Every year promotion boards are placing more emphasis on operational contributions. Here is one way to get operationally relevant if you are residency-trained:
Colleagues,
Residency trained physicians are encouraged to become Undersea Medical Officers. Positions are available with operational units, research facilities, training commands, MTFs, and overseas. If you would like more information about billets contact the Undersea Medicine Specialty Leader, CAPT James Mucciarone (contact info is below). If you would like information about training, visit the Naval Undersea Medical Institute website and go to the tab for Prospective Undersea Medical Officer (https://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmotc/numi/UMOApply/Pages/default.aspx).
V/R
James J. Mucciarone, MD, CPE
CAPT, MC, USN
Force Medical Officer
Commander Submarine Force
U.S. Pacific Fleet
Undersea Medicine Specialty Leader
Office: (808) 473-5789
Cell: (757) 817-7380
NIPR: james dot mucciarone at navy dot mil
Why Didn’t More GMOs, UMOs, and Flight Surgeons Promote to O4?
I’ve been asked this question multiple times since the FY21 LCDR promotion board stats came out. Many looking at the stats noticed these facts:
- The overall in-zone promotion rate was 83.19%.
- The rate for GMOs, UMOs, and Flight Surgeons were all lower than this:
- GMO – 66.67%
- UMO – 40%
- Flight Surgery – 42.86%
This seems to argue against the recent advice to “go operational” to successfully compete for promotion. What gives? The following is my best guess, and it is a guess. I was not on the board, and if I was I wouldn’t be able to talk about it.
Let’s look at the typical career path for a Medical Corps LT who does GMO, UMO, or Flight Surgery:
- Year 0 – Graduate from medical school and put on LT.
- Year 1 – Finish internship and go GMO, UMO, or Flight Surgery.
- Years 2-4 – Do a 2-3 year operational tour.
- Years 3-4 – Match in a residency program.
- Year 5 – You are in-zone for LCDR.
If in year 5 you are still a GMO, UMO, or Flight Surgeon, you probably haven’t matched in a residency either because you can’t or you’ve chosen to pay back the 3-4 years you owe the Navy and get out. In the latter case, you may have approved resignation orders in the system, which the promotion board will see on your record.
This timeline is obviously not applicable to anyone with prior service, entry-grade credit, or an abnormal promotion timeline, but it is applicable to the majority of Medical Corps LTs. For example, I did internship, 1 year as a GMO, 3 years of residency, and then was picked on-time/in-zone for LCDR, which I put on as a staff Emergency Physician. Back in the day, I showed up in the stats under Emergency Medicine. Anyone in a residency will show up under their specialty’s statistics.
Bottom Line – Why didn’t more GMOs, UMOs, and Flight Surgeons promote to LCDR?
Again, this is just a guess, but if you are in an operational billet your 5th year you either can’t match in a residency or are getting out, both of which do not portend well for promotion.
Takeaway – Your primary job and career goal as a LT is to match in a residency program that will lead to board certification. You can always “go operational” later. Spending too much time in the operational setting can lead to difficulties promoting.
Modified Dates for Flight and Dive Application to Align with GME Dates
Please see the message below that better aligns the application timeline for Undersea Medicine and Flight Surgery due to the COVID-altered GME timeline. Summary…Flight and Dive applicants will find out if they were selected the same date as they will for GME (6 JAN 2021) and have 2 weeks to accept/decline on the same day they do that for GME (20 JAN 2021).
MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/-/MAR//
SUBJ:/MODIFY BUMEDINST 1520.42A TO ALIGN WITH UNDERSEA MEDICINE AND AEROSPACE MEDICINE OFFICER CANDIDATE APPLICATION DUE DATES IN BUMEDNOTE 1524//
REF/A/DOC/ BUMEDINST 1520.42A/BUMED/31JUL19//
REF/B/DOC/ BUMEDNOTE 1524/BUMED/31JUL20//
NARR/REF A IS THE APPLICATION GUIDANCE FOR UNDERSEA MEDICAL OFFICER AND AEROSPACE MEDICINE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING. REF B IS THE 2020 JOINT SERVICE GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION SELECTION BOARD APPLICATION PROCEDURES OUTLINING THE COVID-19 UPDATED CANDIDATE APPLICATION DUE DATES. REF A MUST BE MODIFIED TO ALIGN WITH REF B.//
RMKS/1. This ALNAV announces a modification to BUMEDINST 1520.42A to align with BUMEDNOTE 1524, which describes the COVID-19 altered timeline for Graduate Medical Education Application. Undersea Medicine (UM) and Aerospace Medicine (AM) Officer candidate application due dates are now the same as set-forth in the BUMEDNOTE 1524. Specifically, the updated deadline for acceptance/declination is 20 JAN 2021.
2. Mission. Align deadlines for Navy graduate medical education selection program, Undersea Medical Officer and Aerospace Medical Officer programs.
3. Policy. This ALNAV applies to all uniformed military Navy and Marine Corps personnel submitting an UM or AM Officer Candidate application during the remainder of Fiscal Year 2020 and Fiscal Year 2021.
4. Point of Contact. Please direct all questions to CAPT Joel Schofer, Deputy Chief, Medical Corps / UM Specialty Leader, joel.m.schofer.mil@mail.mil, (703) 681-8917; CAPT Mucciarone, UM Specialty Leader, james.mucciarone@navy.mil, (808) 473-5789; or CDR Robert Krause, AM Specialty Leader, robert.j.krause.mil@mail.mil, (757) 444-3520.
5. Released by RADM Bruce L. Gillingham, Surgeon General, U.S. Navy.
BT
#0001
UNCLASSIFIED//
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