Newswise — Bethesda, Md. –

More than 330 uniformed professionals and their guests will receive their long-deserved medical, graduate nursing, dental and biomedical science, public health and clinical psychology degrees on May 20 – Armed Forces Day – at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) 38th commencement exercise at the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.

This year’s commencement speaker will be Ronald R. Blanck, D.O., chair of USU’s Board of Regents.

Dr. Blanck spent 32 years in the military, beginning in 1968 as a medical officer and battalion surgeon in Vietnam.  He held a number of distinguished assignments throughout his career, chief among them as Assistant Dean for Student Affairs at USU and later, as Commander of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and North Atlantic Regional Medical Command, and culminating as the 39th Surgeon General of the United States Army.  Following his retirement, he served as the President of the University of North Texas Health Sciences Center at Fort Worth.  He is now Chairman and Partner of Martin, Blanck and Associates. 

During one of the nation’s most unique graduation ceremonies, USU students will enter DAR Constitution Hall to “Pomp and Circumstance” performed by “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Corps Band. The graduates are a mix of military and civilian students. The uniformed students are active duty officers in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force or Public Health Service and will walk across the stage, wearing their academic regalia. They’ll receive their diplomas, leave the stage, and then change back into their military uniforms. Graduating medical students will return to recite their respective Service commissioning oath, led individually by each Surgeon General or his/her representative, and will then be promoted to their next rank.

Graduates from USU’s F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine include:

159 Doctor of Medicine degrees

34 Masters degrees

15 Doctor of Philosophy degrees

2 Doctor of Public Health degrees 

The Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing at USU will confer:

55 Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees

3 Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science degrees

The Postgraduate Dental College will confer:

69 Master of Science in Oral Biology Degrees

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About the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, founded by an act of Congress in 1972, is the nation’s federal health sciences university and the academic heart of the Military Health System. USU students are primarily active duty uniformed officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Public Health Service who receive specialized education in tropical and infectious diseases, TBI and PTSD, disaster response and humanitarian assistance, global health, and acute trauma care. A large percentage of the university’s more than 5,800 physician and nearly 1,000 advanced practice nursing alumni are supporting operations around the world, offering their leadership and expertise. USU also has graduate programs in biomedical sciences and public health committed to excellence in research, and in oral biology. The University’s research program covers a wide range of clinical and other topics important to both the military and public health. For more information about USU and its programs, visit www.usuhs.edu.