The Navy is offering a unique opportunity to all enlisted Sailors interested in a medical career with Navy Medicine.

Enlisted Sailors have the opportunity to pursue a medical degree through the Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program (EMDP2) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Science (USUHS) in Bethesda, Maryland.

The program, which convened in 2014 with a class of five soldiers and five airmen, is now seeking enlisted Navy applicants for the 2016 class.

Five slots are allotted for enlisted Sailors in the 2016 EMDP2 cohort. The application deadline is November 1 and selections will convene in December 2015.

EMDP2 is a two-year program that provides an opportunity for academically-promising enlisted service members to complete preparatory coursework that will make them competitive medical school applicants.

"I'm excited that the Navy is able to offer this kind of program to enlisted Sailors" said Lt. Cmdr. Peterson, Navy and Marine EMDP2 board president. "This program is a great addition to Navy Medicine and is a very unique opportunity for interested and qualified Sailors to play a vital role in supporting our warfighters."

EMDP2 is a partnership between the Uniformed Services University (USUHS) and the armed services. It is comprised of a 24-month, full-time academic program that includes intensive coursework, preparation, and mentoring for the student's medical school application. Once the program is completed, students will be eligible to compete for entrance into USUHS or any civilian medical school in the United States. Students are not guaranteed admission or commission upon successful completion of the program.

The program is open to all enlisted Sailors with less than 10 years of service. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited four year university. International bachelor degrees will be accepted only if the applicant has a master's degree obtained in the United States or Canada. Applicants must also be citizens and Sailors of good standing with no record of court-martial conviction, nonjudicial punishment, or civilian felony charges. For a full listing of application requirements reference NAVADMIN 174/15: http://www.npc.navy.mil/bupers-npc/reference/messages/Documents/NAVADMINS/NAV2015/NAV15174.txt .

The selection process is a collaborative approach between the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) and USUHS. Applications are vetted through a Navy and Marine Corps candidate selection board at BUMED, which carefully reviews each packet and applicant. After this review, the BUMED EMDP2 candidate selection board recommends the top candidates to USUHS, which ultimately determines who is accepted for the program. The applicants will remain on active duty while pursuing an Undergraduate Medical Certificate at George Mason University-Prince William Campus in Manassas, Virginia. Pay and benefits at current pay grade will still be allotted and all educational expenses including tuition and books are paid for by the program.

Navy Medicine is a global health care network of 63,000 personnel that provide health care support to the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, their families and veterans in high operational tempo environments, at expeditionary medical facilities, medical treatment facilities, hospitals, clinics, hospital ships and research units around the world.

For more news from Navy Medicine, visit www.navy.mil/.