3-5.
DUTIES OF MEDICAL CORPS OFFICERS
a. Professional Duties. The professional duties of MC officers are those
directly related to the medical evaluation of fitness for duty of members and potential
members of the Armed Forces; the analysis of the medical principles required for the
prevention of disease and disability and for the treatment of patients; and research of
medical professional problems in the prevention of disease and injury and in the
treatment and reconditioning of patients.
b. Staff Duties.
(1) The senior MC officer present for duty with a headquarters (other than a
medical headquarters) is the "surgeon" of a field command, the "chief surgeon" of a
major overseas command, and the DHS of an installation in the CONUS (see paragraph
1-8a). These titles indicate the medical officer's staff position rather than his
qualifications.
(2) In these staff positions, the MC Officers advise the commander and his
staff on medical matters. They exercise complete technical control within a command
over medical activities in the maintenance of health and in the care of the sick and
wounded, including those means of evacuation that are organic to the AMEDD
(3) By mutual agreement between commanders, appropriate medical staff
officers may, as an additional duty, serve as the staff surgeon to other commands that
do not have a medical staff officer assigned.
3-6.
ASSIGNMENTS OF MEDICAL CORPS OFFICERS
a. Medical Corps Officers command the medical treatment facilities and the
medical training facilities of the Army. They advise commanders and their staffs on
health matters concerning the command. They exercise technical control over health
services, including the ancillary health services and the professional officers assigned to
duty in them.
b. In addition to commanding the medical treatment facilities of the Army,
members of the Medical Corps direct and coordinate the professional elements; serve
as chiefs of most professional medical departments, services, and sections; and
diagnose and treat patients.
c. A Medical Corps Officer is assigned to the MEDCEN or MEDDAC PVNTMED
Activity as the PDVTMED officer.
3-7.
SUMMARY
Members of the Medical Corps are commissioned officers who are qualified doctors of
medicine or osteopathy. They command medical units and installation medical
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