Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

The Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences ( USUHS for short) is a public higher education institution in America that first opened its doors to prospective graduates back in 1972. The university has a very good location in Bethesda, allowing students to enjoy the benefits of both urban and suburban life.

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) — a federal academy of medical professions, the counterpart of U.S. military academies. The university was established by an act of Congress on September 21, 1972, and remains the only federal university of health sciences in the country.

The university brings together several specialized medical schools whose programs emphasize military medicine, leadership, and public health. No tuition is charged — students repay their education through subsequent service.

The academic structure of the university includes four divisions:

• F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine (with postgraduate programs in biomedical sciences, psychology, and public health),
• Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing,
• Postgraduate Dental College,
• College of Allied Health Sciences.

Among the master's and doctoral programs:

• Master of Health Care Administration and Policy,
• Master of Medical Education,
• Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine,
• Master of Science in Vector Biology,
• PhD programs in Biomedical Sciences and Psychology, as well as certificate programs.

The university conducts large-scale research activities in the field of military medicine and public health. It hosts more than 15 research centers, including:

• Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine,
• Center for Deployment Psychology,
• Collaborative Health Research Program,
• Murtha Cancer Center.

The university also oversees the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) and participates in medical personnel training within the National Capital Consortium (NCC).

• The university is often called the «West Point for doctors»,
• It is the only federal health sciences university in the United States, established by Congress on September 21, 1972,
• The university has no undergraduate programs — education is conducted at the master's, doctoral, and professional medical program levels,
• The university has more than 11,500 graduates.

The university has student academic and professional associations, including:

• Alpha Omega Alpha — national honorary medical society,
• Student Section of the American Medical Association (AMA-MSS),
• Association of Military Surgeons of the United States,
• Association of Women Surgeons,
• Student Division of the American Society for Microbiology,
• American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

For the past few years, the university has been ranked in the top of the world's best universities.

At the disposal of high school students a large scientific library. An important advantage of the University of the Institute of Health Sciences is that the university provides its students with:

• Affordable housing;
• Sports equipment for leisure and active leisure in their free time.

University graduates successfully build careers in research, clinical, and academic fields — in government structures, the military, academia, and biotechnology.

Many doctoral program graduates hold positions in federal agencies, including:

• National Institutes of Health (NIH),
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
• Veterans Affairs Medical Centers,
• U.S. Department of Agriculture,
• U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Others continue serving in military medical facilities or transition to the private sector in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, policy and business.

Both local residents and international students can join the ranks of students. Tuition is paid, but students can always return part of the cost by receiving a scholarship, subject to good academic performance.

A distinctive feature of the university is the absence of tuition fees: students do not pay for their education and compensate for it through subsequent service in the federal healthcare system.

For civilian students in a number of master's and doctoral programs, education is also free and does not entail any work obligations.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision