United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps - Commissioned Officers

Commissioned Officers

The members of the Commissioned Corps number over 6,600 officers in 11 professional categories:

  • Dentist
  • Dietitian
  • Engineer
  • Environmental health officers
  • Health Service Officers
  • Nurse
  • Medical
  • Pharmacist
  • Scientist
  • Therapists (including physical, occupational, speech)
  • Veterinarian

The Health Services Officer (HSO) category comprises over 50 specialties, including audiology, social workers, physician assistants, optometrists, statisticians, computer scientists, dental hygienists, medical records administrators, medical technologists and others.

The Corps uses the same commissioned officer ranks as the United States Navy and Coast Guard from ensign to admiral, uniformed services pay grades O-1 through O-10 respectively. USPHS Commissioned Corps officers are appointed via direct commission and receive the same pay as other members of the uniformed services. They cannot hold a dual commission with another service but inter-service transfers are permitted.

Commissioned officer ranks, titles and abbreviations of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
Admiral Vice Admiral Rear Admiral Rear Admiral
(lower half)
O-10 O-9 O-8 O-7
Assistant Secretary for Health Surgeon General Deputy Surgeon General or
Assistant Surgeon General
Assistant Surgeon General
ADM VADM RADM RADM
Captain Commander Lieutenant
Commander
Lieutenant Lieutenant
(junior grade)
Ensign
O-6 O-5 O-4 O-3 O-2 O-1
Director Senior Full Senior Assistant Assistant Junior Assistant
CAPT CDR LCDR LT LTJG ENS

Before reforms in the 1960s, the ranks of the service with their naval equivalents were as follows:

  • Surgeon General - Rear Admiral
  • Assistant Surgeon General, Medical Director - Captain
  • Senior Surgeon - Commander
  • Surgeon - Lieutenant Commander
  • Passed Assistant Surgeon - Lieutenant
  • Assistant Surgeon - Lieutenant Junior Grade
  • Intern - Ensign

Read more about this topic:  United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps

Famous quotes containing the words commissioned and/or officers:

    He crafted his writing and loved listening to those tiny explosions when the active brutality of verbs in revolution raced into sweet established nouns to send marching across the page a newly commissioned army of words-on-maneuvers, all decorated in loops, frets, and arrowlike flourishes.
    Alexander Theroux (b. 1940)

    Now for civil service reform. Legislation must be prepared and executive rules and maxims. We must limit and narrow the area of patronage. We must diminish the evils of office-seeking. We must stop interference of federal officers with elections. We must be relieved of congressional dictation as to appointments.
    Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)