Prospective Undersea Medical Officer
HOOYAH and thank you for your interest in joining the Navy's undersea medical community! As an Undersea Medical Officer (UMO), you will have the opportunity to
challenge yourselves physically and professionally, to travel and experience all that the Navy has to offer, and to develop rewarding associations with some of the Navy and Marine Corps’ finest. You will be charged with the supervision
of Medical Departments and Independent Duty Corpsmen, and providing quality healthcare to some of the military’s most elite warfighters in every clime and place.
UMO Prerequisites
- Be a citizen of the United States
- Must be a volunteer
- Pass all three parts of national boards (USMLE or COMLEX) before reporting to NUMI
- Have successfully completed medical or osteopathic degree plus at least one year of medical internship at an accredited medical training facility
- Hold a state medical license or have applied for a state medical license (while meeting all requirements to have one issued)
- Complete a hyperbaric
pressure test performed to 60 feet of sea water equivalent and have it documented
on the NAVMED 6150/2 (Special Duty Medical Abstract) (this may be completed at NUMI if facilities
are not available prior to detachment from previous command)
- Be currently Dive Duty and Submarine Duty qualified. This requires a current, complete physical exam specifically designated for the purpose of Dive Duty and Submarine Duty (MANMED 15-102 & 106). Applicants will also need to meet the MANMED Section 3 Standards for Enlistment and Commissioning. Any disqualifying condition will require a waiver, even if one has previously been received for the same condition. The Submarine and Diving Duty physical examination must be properly documented on a form DD 2807-1 and form DD 2808 and signed by an Undersea Medical Officer. A NAVMED 6150/2 must document your status as either PQ or NPQ for Diving and Submarine Duty by a UMO.
- Be able to pass minimum physical requirements per MILPERSMAN 1220-410 prior to the class reporting to NDSTC for CIN A-6A-0010.
- Hold Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) certification. Certification must remain valid until 1 month after graduation.
- Students must have a SECRET security clearance to attend the Undersea Medical Officer course.
- Report for training with a full uniform sea bag to include: Service Dress Blue, Service Dress White ("choker whites" for men), Summer White, Khaki, NWU and appropriate outerwear. Physical training uniforms consist of short-sleeved white t-shirts, UDT shorts (issued by NUMI or bought at a local uniform store), Navy PT shorts, Navy sweatshirt and sweatpants.
- Physical requirements restrict pregnant service members from eligibility per OPNAVINST 6000.1 series
- For more info contact NUMI UMOC POC HERE
How to Apply
In order to make your application process easier, we have created an easy to use checklist to guide you through the
application procedures.
Application Procedure
The application process is described fully in BUMEDINST 1520.42 - guidance for student flight surgeon and student undersea medical officer training applications. The required documents for UMO training application:
- Sample Letter of Application
- NAVMED 1520/18, Program Director/Senior Medical Officer (SMO) Recommendation form
- NAVMED 1520/21, Demographic Information request form
- Curriculum Vitae
- A brief statement by the applicant stating his or her reasons for wanting to enter the field of Undersea Medicine
- Command endorsement (active duty applicants only). In the case of interns, the endorsement should simply state, “Forwarded, recommending approval,” or “Forwarded, not recommending approval,” unless the commanding officer desires to
add substantively to the endorsement.
- Two letters of recommendation. Qualified UMO recommendations are preferred, but not required.
- Current, complete physical exam specifically designated for the purpose of Submarine and Diving Duty (MANMED 15-102 & 106). The Submarine and Diving Duty physical examination must be properly documented on a form DD 2807-1 and form
DD 2808 and signed by an Undersea Medical Officer. Any physical examination that identifies a disqualifying condition and recommends a waiver of the physical standards must be accompanied by the appropriate specialty evaluation and
supporting documentation. Waiver requests should be submitted via the electronic Special Duty Waiver system as early as possible, but no later than the 30 October deadline for application submission.
- DD Form 2807-1 –boxes 1-29 are completed by the applicant
- DD Form 2808 – this can be completed by any Navy physician, but the applicant must be examined by a UMO. Please note all laboratory test results and ancillary study
findings must be within 3 months of the date of exam and will be recorded on the DD Form 2808.
- NAVMED 6150/2
- Applicants must submit their best timed Diver Physical Screening Test: 500 yard swim, push-ups, curl-ups, pull-ups, and 1.5 mile run. The test should be administered by a Navy diver (to include UMOs), whenever possible.
Submitting your application
- Go to AMRDEC SAFE
- Log in using your CAC(select the certificate with "EMAIL" in the name. If this does not work, you can also log in under Non-CAC Users
- Fill out the requested information (name and your military email)
- Send your document to HMC Haberzettle at derek.a.haberzettl.mil@mail.mil.
- Upload relevant files and check "Privacy Act Data" if it applies to the files you are sending
- Type in a description of the files (it will not allow you to send the files without a description)
- Check "Encrypt email message when possible"
- Click on FOUO and select Protected by Privacy Act
- Click Upload and I agree
- You will then receive a verification email
- Open the email and click on the hyperlink provided (or cut and paste it into a web browser)
- Then copy and paste the password provided in the verification email and click submit
- You will receive an message stating "Email address verified. The package has been sent."
- Your files are now submitted
- If you wish to see when they are downloaded, you can reenter AMRDEC SAFE and look at the "User Status"
Acceptance and Accepting your Selection
- The GME office at each training hospital will be notified of selections by message on or about 15 December of each academic year and will notify interns of their status (selected, alternate, or non-selection status).
- Applicants selected for UMO training must notify the UMO Specialty Leader or BUMED-M95 via the UMOC Mailbox by the second Monday of January of their decision to accept or decline UMO training.
Local Resources
UMO mentors will give presentations at each of the Intern Operational Medicine orientations (aka the "Intern Roadshow") scheduled at each major residency training site in July or August. They are your best local resource to complete your application successfully in a timely manner. Your UMO mentor can assist you in: bottom-lining your Submarine/Diving Duty physical examinations, obtaining a waiver of physical standards (if needed) via the Special Duty Waiver program, identifying UMOs from who to request letters of recommendation, scheduling a Diver Physical Screening Test (PST) or a hyperbaric chamber test.
Points of Contact
- For information regarding the course of instruction at NUMI or help finding a UMO mentor, please send an email to NUMI-POC
- For other questions about the application process, the status of waivers, or the status of your package, contact the UMOC Mailbox
- UMO Specialty Leader: CAPT Jeff McClellen at jeffrey.h.mcclellen.mil@mail.mil or (703) 681-9286
- General Medical officer/GME Assignment Officer (PERS-4415) (901) 874-4045