Civilian and Military Medical School Graduates' Readiness for Deployment: Areas of Strength and Opportunities for Growth.

Introduction: Past research has examined civilian and military medical schools' preparation of physicians for their first deployment. Most recently, our research team conducted a large-scale survey comparing physicians' perceptions of their readiness for their first deployment. Our results revealed that military medical school graduates felt significantly more prepared for deployment by medical school than civilian medical school graduates.

Novel Pharmacotherapies for Hyperlipidemia.

The link between elevated LDL-C, low HDL-C, elevated triglycerides, and an increased risk for cardiovascular disease has solidified over the past decades. Concomitantly, the number of agents to treat dyslipidemia proliferated in clinical trials, proving or refuting their clinical efficacy. Many of these agents' role in reducing cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality is now clear.

Leading Graduate Medical Education in the Face of Uncertainty.

Leading through uncertainty poses significant challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic, the Afghanistan withdrawal, and the implementation of a new electronic medical records system led to massive shortages of health care workers throughout the Military Health System (MHS). This case describes the leadership challenges of a surgical residency program director during uncertain times.

A Comparison of Uniformed Services University and Health Professions Scholarship Program Graduates' First Deployment Readiness.

Introduction: Military physicians must be prepared to lead health care teams across complex landscapes of war during future small- and large-scale combat operations. This preparation optimally begins in medical school so that early career physicians are fully ready for their first deployment. Past qualitative research has suggested that military physicians who attended civilian medical school are not as well prepared for the operational environment as physicians who attended the Uniformed Services University (USU), our nation's military medical school.

The Retention of USUHS Military Physicians: An Exploratory Study.

Background: Previously, researchers investigated the career accomplishments of USU medical graduates using the data from a USU alumni survey. To better understand if such accomplishments are related to military retention, the current study investigates the relationship between accomplishments (such as military career milestones and academic achievement) and military retention.

Methods: Utilizing the responses to the alumni survey sent to USU graduates in the Classes of 1980 to 2017, the researchers investigated the relationship between a series of survey items (e.

A Comparison of HPSP and USU Graduates' Preparation for Residency.

Introduction: Military medical students enter residency through two main pathways: (1) The Uniformed Services University (USU) and (2) the Armed Services Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP). The purpose of this study was to compare how these two pathways prepare military medical students for residency.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 experienced military residency program directors (PDs) in order to explore their perceptions of the preparedness of USU and HPSP graduates.

Reflecting on LTCOS Scholarship and Implications for Educational Practice.

The Long Term Career Outcome Study is a central program of research in the Center for Health Professions Education at the Uniformed Services University. The overarching goal of Long Term Career Outcome Study is to perform evidence-based evaluations before, during, and after medical school, and as such, it represents a form of educational epidemiology. In this essay, we highlighted the findings of the investigations published in this special issue.

Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: Prevention Through Control of Medical Risks.

Diabetes, hypertension, tobacco use, and obesity each substantially increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and must be controlled as part of CVD prevention. Among patients with diabetes, the reduction of CVD risk from lower A1c goals must be balanced against the risks of hypoglycemia. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends an A1c goal for adults of less than 7% if hypoglycemia can be avoided.

Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: Pharmacologic Prevention.

Several drugs have shown benefits in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Aspirin should be used routinely for the secondary prevention of CVD. Low-dose aspirin should not be used for the primary prevention of CVD in adults ages 60 years and older.

Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: Lifestyle Interventions for Primary Prevention.

The fact that up to one-third of the 800,000 yearly cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths in the United States may be preventable by diet and physical activity makes a compelling case for lifestyle interventions as a primary prevention strategy. The U.S.

Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: Risk Assessment.

As part of the approach to primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), adults should have their CVD risk estimated using a population-appropriate risk equation. In the United States, the atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) pooled cohort equations are recommended by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) to estimate risk in patients ages 40 to 79 years. A 10-year ASCVD risk estimate of 20% or higher is considered high, and patients having this level of risk should be offered and counseled to receive statin therapy.

Care of the College Student.

Approximately 19 million students attend college in the United States. Although they are generally healthy, about 20% of youth have special health care needs, including asthma, diabetes mellitus, and learning, mental health, and substance use disorders. Physicians can facilitate the transition of a youth to an adult model of health care by using structured processes to orient the youth to self-care before entry into college.

Curricular Change and Resiliency in the Era of Coronavirus (COVID-19): The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) Experience.

Introduction: The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has presented a myriad of organizational and institutional challenges. The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, like many other front line hospitals and clinics, encountered a myriad of challenges in fostering and sustaining the education of students enrolled at the nation's only military medical school. Critical to the function of any academic medical institution, but particularly one devoted to the training of future physicians for the Military Health System, was the ability to rapidly adapt, modify, and create new means of keeping medical students engaged in their core curricula and progressing toward full and timely attainment of established educational goals and objectives.

Henoch-Schönlein Purpura (IgA Vasculitis): Rapid Evidence Review.

Henoch-Schönlein purpura, now called immunoglobulin A (IgA) vasculitis, is a systemic, immune complex-mediated, small-vessel leukocytoclastic vasculitis characterized by nonthrombocytopenic palpable purpura, arthritis, and abdominal pain. It is the most common vasculitis in children but can also occur in adults. Diagnostic testing is required only to exclude other etiologies of purpura, to identify renal involvement, and, if indicated, to determine its extent with biopsy.

Developing the Next Generation of Physicians.

To improve health care, the USA needs to create a longitudinal medical education system that will develop physicians able to lead the transformation of health care toward a focus on the promotion of healthy behaviors aimed at preventing disease. The development of patient-centered care has been an important step in promoting healthy behaviors. However, to truly develop a meaningful relationship with a patient, a physician must first see them as a person, not as a list of diseases.

Uniformed Services University Women's Enrollment and Career Choices in Military Medicine: A Retrospective Descriptive Analysis.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine Uniformed Services University (USU) women graduates in terms of percent of graduates', specialty choices and practice choices as compared to civilian women who graduate and practice medicine in the USA. This is a perspective that is currently not well understood.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all USU women graduates (1980-2015) using the 2016 American Medical Association (AMA) Physician Masterfile that included data from the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS).

Untying the Gordian knot: remediation problems in medical schools that need remediation.

This position paper discusses on-going academic remediation challenges within the field of medical education. More specifically, we identify three common contemporary problems and propose four recommendations to strengthen remediation efforts. Selecting or determining what type of remediation is needed for a particular student is akin to analyzing a Gordian knot with individual, institutional and systemic contributors.

Staying Power: Does the Uniformed Services University Continue to Meet Its Obligation to the Nation's Health Care Needs?

Introduction: The Uniformed Services University F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine just passed its 45th anniversary, opening in 1972. A goal of the medical school, like those nationally, is the production of high-quality physicians.

Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States and worldwide. Prevention of cardiovascular disease is an achievable goal. A rigorous 2010 analysis by the World Health Organization suggests that reducing risk factors in young adults and maintaining an optimum risk profile through age 50 could prevent 90% of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events.

Pleuritic Chest Pain: Sorting Through the Differential Diagnosis.

Pleuritic chest pain is characterized by sudden and intense sharp, stabbing, or burning pain in the chest when inhaling and exhaling. Pulmonary embolism is the most common serious cause, found in 5% to 21% of patients who present to an emergency department with pleuritic chest pain. A validated clinical decision rule for pulmonary embolism should be employed to guide the use of additional tests such as d-dimer assays, ventilation-perfusion scans, or computed tomography angiography.