Posted on Apr 16, 2018
Do Prior Service Enlisted have to attend AMEDD DCC (Direct Commission Course)?
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I just spoke with branch and they advised me that all AMEDD direct commission officers have to attend DCC. When I asked if this applied to prior service, I didn't really get an answer. My understanding is that other branches count BMT/BCT as a substitute for this. Does anyone have feedback or comments? Thanks in advance!
Army Medical Department Basic Officer Leader Course (AMEDDBOLC)
70B: Health Services Administration
Direct Commission
AMEDD C&S
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 30
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It’s a new requirement that everyone goes. I am cool with it because I would rather be somewhat educated than have 0 formal training as a new Army Officer.
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CPT (Join to see)
Yeah there’s an update comment from me somewhere on this thread from when I attended in July.
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CPT (Join to see)
1LT (Join to see) go with a spirit to learn and contribute being prior service. There’s a lot that you probably didn’t learn as an NCO, but a lot will be repetitive.
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I just found out about this change for FY18... I started my commissioning process back when I would have BOLC phase 1 online. My recruiter never told me about the change, even though I asked. My unit has no idea and I’ll get to inform them next month at drill.
I understand my employer can’t say no, but being gone for two 4-week courses is going to really affect my co-workers, patients, and family. I don’t know that I would have commissioned had I been updated. Too late now. So now in planning mode.
Anyone have the dates for AMEDD DCC for FY19??? I have to start planning this thing out in order to make the least possible negative effects on others...
I understand my employer can’t say no, but being gone for two 4-week courses is going to really affect my co-workers, patients, and family. I don’t know that I would have commissioned had I been updated. Too late now. So now in planning mode.
Anyone have the dates for AMEDD DCC for FY19??? I have to start planning this thing out in order to make the least possible negative effects on others...
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MAJ(P) (Join to see)
Crystal, I understand your frustrations, but what is the difference between going to drill for 2 weeks vs DCC? Also what about deployment? Eventually being a Reservist is going to take you away from your civilian employment at different periods. Honestly the recruiter should have told you, but at the same time, DCC came out of nowhere for most of recruiting and did not find its way down to the recruiter level until applicants like yourself commissioned and all of a sudden were finding out from MODs that you were going to DCC.
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CPT (Join to see)
The difference??? Literally 2 weeks. 2 weeks versus 4 weeks. If I ever get deployed it’ll be handled, but since I see patients I have to still provide them with quality care. I cannot have an appointment with a patient one day and have them wait 4 weeks to follow up with me, when best practice dictates seeing some patients 2 weeks later for best outcome. My co-workers cannot pick up the slack otherwise their patients wouldn’t be getting the care they need.
So for a 4 week class I’ll need to restrict the type of patients I see for 2 weeks before... this ultimately will mean some people who have Acute issues will need to wait, which sometimes changes their prognosis. This was somethink my boss and I were ready to handle for BOLC, but by then we planned on having additional staff.
In the days of the internet, there is zero reason why recruiters shouldn’t all have real time access to changes as they are approved. There were 5 months between the change implementation and when I commissioned. Plenty of time to have been informed. Obviously it is what it is what it is at this point... but it isn’t what was presented to me. Integrity matters to me. Ive been told it matters to the Army as well. Giving recruits accurate info before enlisting or commissioning shouldn’t be optional. At the end of this all, once I’ve attended schools and this in the past, I will still believe that the recruiting process should be honest and performed with integrity.
So for a 4 week class I’ll need to restrict the type of patients I see for 2 weeks before... this ultimately will mean some people who have Acute issues will need to wait, which sometimes changes their prognosis. This was somethink my boss and I were ready to handle for BOLC, but by then we planned on having additional staff.
In the days of the internet, there is zero reason why recruiters shouldn’t all have real time access to changes as they are approved. There were 5 months between the change implementation and when I commissioned. Plenty of time to have been informed. Obviously it is what it is what it is at this point... but it isn’t what was presented to me. Integrity matters to me. Ive been told it matters to the Army as well. Giving recruits accurate info before enlisting or commissioning shouldn’t be optional. At the end of this all, once I’ve attended schools and this in the past, I will still believe that the recruiting process should be honest and performed with integrity.
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2LT (Join to see)
I have the same gripe- On top of DCC they just expanded BOLC from distance learning + short course to TEN WEEKS. I'm simply just gonna have to resign my commission- there is NO way I can make that work. 14 weeks?!
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Navy Chaplain here - so I don't have a lot to chime in on the specifics of training Army Medical or Nursing Officers. However, I am a direct commission with no prior service. There were prior service (enlisted) in my DCO Indoc course (which was NOT designator specific so we had chaps, docs, nurses, JAGs, Intel, etc. all learning together!) and they were an invaluable asset to the rest of us. I gather that some of the material was redundant to them, but you are part of a team. Teamwork means that you are there to help your teammates (in this case, the non prior service DCOs) succeed! I would encourage you to bring your A-game and a positive attitude. If you do, you will make a positive difference for your classmates for whom this is their first go-round in the Army. Thank you for your service.
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Yes, because you've never been an AMEDD officer before. you will be a peer leader since you have experience as a soldier
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LT if you are referring to something like BOLC. Whereas an NCO upon completing something like nursing school then YES. I have several friends that I want to 68C school and they all did the ECP and obtained their BSN. Then had to attend the next BOLC course at FT Sam. As for the IPAP (Inservice Physician Assistant Program), I am not sure about that since it is being taught in-service. I would assume that is part of the course.
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I was prior service when I got my direct commission into the nurse corps. Did OBC THE FOLLOWING SUMMER.
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CPT (Join to see)
Yessir. This is a newer addition on top of that requirement. I got an O6 Letter confirming mandatory attendance. Looking forward to picking up something new!
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This is news to me, must be some kind of new requirement. I rec'd my Direct Commision in the Army Medical Department in 1999 after 16 years as an Enlisted.
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CPT (Join to see)
MAJ (Join to see) sadly not sir. It’s for all DC. There’s one for each branch that accepts DC I believe. I don’t think there’s APFT and height weight at end of DCC but it’s mandatory to report to BOLC.
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MAJ (Join to see)
CPT (Join to see) - In 1999...you didn't have to meet the standard for PT & HT/WT until the final APFT which was usually in the final week of OBC...I remember this vividly b/c I was one of the candidates that didn't have a very good initial PT Score and had to train 6 days a week while others that did well had PT 3 days a week...In AOAC (2004), we had the APFT in the first week (which was considered a record APFT) if you passed you didn't have to worry about taking it again and had PT 3 days to maintain, if you failed 6 days a week and a APFT every week until you passed. For those that had "Remedial" PT it basically ruined your weekends off b/c you had PT on Saturday Morning...PT for me was a lesson in pain and I never really liked it much...I tried to like it b/c it is necessary for performance and general health, especially in the field.
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1LT (Join to see)
MAJ (Join to see) - I loved that city and I find myself comparing every other city to San Antonio.
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MAJ (Join to see)
1LT (Join to see) - Not only that, Texas is very military friendly, especially for us disabled combat veterans.
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1LT (Join to see)
CPT (Join to see) how about someone who is a prior service officer and completed bolc?
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Yes, I think I was one one of the last bunch of folks who didn't have to go through before I went to BOLC in the Fall of 2016. I had did a 2 week "Gentlemen's Course" at Ft Sam before BOLC started but it was very informal and pretty much had banker's hours, including weekends off. I think the DCC started back up in in Jan or so of 2017. The prior enlisted in the class below me in my current program definitely had to go when they arrived last fall.
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CPT (Join to see)
That sounds about right. I was in the last class of 2016 so I barely missed the cutoff. I was actually talking to a former SP Corps chief at a dinner last year (I believe they were also prior enlisted many years ago) and they thought sending PS to DCC was a waste of resources, but someone way up the chain feels otherwise for some reason.
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CPT (Join to see)
I’ve never understood the concept of courses like that...like dude, if it’s a 15 day course, keep me here for 15 days, not 21. I get the instructors want weekends off but dang...
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CPT Enrique M.
CPT (Join to see) - Some desk cruncher that decided it maybe?
I mean its TRADOC what do you expect :)
I mean its TRADOC what do you expect :)
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