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I am currently a medical student. After medical school, I plan to become board-certified in Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine, or Internal Medicine. I am very interested in Civil Affairs, and I hoped to join a CA unit through the reserves.
Do Civil Affairs units have any use for physicians? What might a physician do in a civil affairs unit? What MOS would this fall under?
I have heard that physicians in civil affairs units can help with training local doctors, helping develop new health systems abroad, etc. How true is this?
Do Civil Affairs units have any use for physicians? What might a physician do in a civil affairs unit? What MOS would this fall under?
I have heard that physicians in civil affairs units can help with training local doctors, helping develop new health systems abroad, etc. How true is this?
Posted in these groups: 
Civil Affairs
Civil Affairs
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 33
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Nawap Klein Civil Affairs does the coordinating and interaction with the people and local authorities. The medical portion of a MEDCAP is done by medical staff from an available unit. There is not an organic capability within a CA unit. LTC Paul Labrador any further insight? I have seen regular Army BCTs do MEDCAPS with their assets, other assets like from the CSH, and variations there of. It depends on how 'busy' people are and what specialties are available.
Here is an article on a MEDCAP from 3rd SF Group. The Battalion Surgeon was the provider. https://www.jsomonline.org/Publications/2007139Malsby.pdf
Two different paths here
1. If you want to be a CA officer, you'll have to earn a commission (USMA, OCS, ROTC) in another Army branch, then Apply for selection as a CA Officer when you become eligible. CA is a Special Operations career field and not a direct accession branch. mOS is 38A. https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/browse-career-and-job-categories/intelligence-and-combat-support/civil-affairs-officer.html
2. If you want to be an Army Physician there are multiple MOSs that correspond with different medical specialties. Find a medical recruiter (specifically a medical recruiter) and apply for a direct commission as a Medical Doctor. Multiple MOSs. https://www.goarmy.com/amedd/physician/jobs-careers.html
Here is an article on a MEDCAP from 3rd SF Group. The Battalion Surgeon was the provider. https://www.jsomonline.org/Publications/2007139Malsby.pdf
Two different paths here
1. If you want to be a CA officer, you'll have to earn a commission (USMA, OCS, ROTC) in another Army branch, then Apply for selection as a CA Officer when you become eligible. CA is a Special Operations career field and not a direct accession branch. mOS is 38A. https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/browse-career-and-job-categories/intelligence-and-combat-support/civil-affairs-officer.html
2. If you want to be an Army Physician there are multiple MOSs that correspond with different medical specialties. Find a medical recruiter (specifically a medical recruiter) and apply for a direct commission as a Medical Doctor. Multiple MOSs. https://www.goarmy.com/amedd/physician/jobs-careers.html
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LTC (Join to see)
LTC Jason Mackay I'm not sure on the exact nature but basically the medical service Corps "lends" you out to Civil affairs. I knew a nurse, a lieutenant colonel, who had medical service Corps and psychological operations branches. She was not a direct commission so she could actually be a psyop or medical Battalion Commander. I think you pretty much covered it all. Those medical personnel who had Direct commissions probably can't command troops but definitely could be in civil Affairs to help out with their medical expertise.
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Nawap Klein
Thank you both for your responses. I think my best route would be to join Civil Affairs and bring my medical expertise in that way. I also just independently admire the goals of CA and would feel proud doing the work regardless of whether I was using my medical training all the time. However, I did not know that Civil Affairs is not direct accession - is this still true if I wanted to join the Reserve component of Civil Affairs?
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LTC Jason Mackay
Nawap Klein - your call, but if you are not credentialed through the Army, you can't practice while on duty. Sounds stupid but there it is.
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We have a few AMEDD officers in tactical CA battalions. A 60A (Preventative Medicine), 64A (Veterinarian) are positions available. These officers are busy when we get a Humanitarian Assistance or Disaster Response mission.
Most of the time if we need medical officers to support our missions, they are attached to us for the duration of the mission itself.
As to you latter question, those kinds of tasks happen, primarily in support of State Department sponsored HCA (Humanitarian Civic Action) missions. They are most common in Africa. A recent example was during the Ebola outbreak in 2014.
MEDCAPS and VETCAPS are actually pretty rare now and have fallen out of favor, as we find training and professional development partnerships are more sustainable and foster the kind of cooperation that is typically the long-term goal of CAO.
Most of the time if we need medical officers to support our missions, they are attached to us for the duration of the mission itself.
As to you latter question, those kinds of tasks happen, primarily in support of State Department sponsored HCA (Humanitarian Civic Action) missions. They are most common in Africa. A recent example was during the Ebola outbreak in 2014.
MEDCAPS and VETCAPS are actually pretty rare now and have fallen out of favor, as we find training and professional development partnerships are more sustainable and foster the kind of cooperation that is typically the long-term goal of CAO.
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Plus, I've read very extensively on bioengineering, biomathematics, and mathematical biophysics, as well as neural networks, and also computational genomics, among other areas, and was originally trained as an electrical engineer (EE), physicist, and mathematician, I also worked 11 yrs. before my disability as an EE, so, whatever research interests you have, I can assure you, I can follow any explanation you'd care to give, no matter how technical, honest.....
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