All Commissioned Corps officers in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) must meet basic qualifications: you must be a U.S. citizen, be less than 44 years, 00 months, 00 days of age, and pass a physical examination and extensive background check.
Therapists in the USPHS include the following professional disciplines;
Occupational Therapy
To be an occupational therapist officer you must meet these professional and academic training requirements.
- A current, unrestricted, and valid occupational therapy license from a U.S. State; the District of Columbia; Commonwealth, Territory or other Jurisdiction.
- Certification from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) is required.
An occupational therapy candidate must possess one of the following to be considered for a commission as a therapist officer in the USPHS
- A bachelor's degree in occupational therapy accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
- A master's degree in occupational therapy (MOT or MSOT) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
- A doctoral degree in occupational therapy (OTD) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
If you are an occupational therapy student or therapist interested in the Commissioned Corps, take the next step! Call us at 800-279-1605 or e-mail us your questions. For additional information about USPHS student programs click here.
Physical Therapy
To be a physical therapist officer you must meet these professional and academic training requirements.
A current, unrestricted, and valid physical therapist license from a U.S. State; the District of Columbia; Commonwealth, Territory or other Jurisdiction.
A physical therapy candidate must possess one of the following to be considered for a commission as a Therapist officer in the USPHS
If you are a physical therapy student or therapist interested in the Commissioned Corps, take the next step! Call us at 800-279-1605 or e-mail us your questions. For additional information about USPHS student programs click here.
Speech Language Pathology
To be a speech language pathologist officer you must meet these professional and academic training requirements.
A current, unrestricted, and valid speech-language pathology license from a U.S. State; the District of Columbia; Commonwealth, Territory or other Jurisdiction.
A speech language pathologist candidate must possess a master’s degree in speech-language pathology from a school accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to be considered for a commission as a Therapist officer in the USPHS
A PhD in Speech-Language Pathology is not recognized as a qualifying degree, but rather a professional education that is granted after a candidate has obtained a qualifying speech-language pathology degree.
If you are a speech language pathology student or therapist interested in the Commissioned Corps, take the next step! Call us at 800-279-1605 or e-mail us your questions. For additional information about USPHS student programs click here.
Audiology
To be an audiologist officer you must meet these professional and academic training requirements.
- A current, unrestricted, and valid audiology license from a U.S. State; the District of Columbia; Commonwealth, Territory or other Jurisdiction.
- All audiologists are required to achieve and maintain national certification from either the American Board of Audiology (ABA) (i.e., Board Certification in Audiology) or the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) (i.e., Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology).
An audiology candidate must possess one of the following to be considered for a commission as a Therapist officer in the USPHS
A Research PhD in Audiology and Transitional Doctor of Audiology are not recognized as qualifying degrees for this category, but rather a professional education that is granted after a candidate has obtained a qualifying audiology degree.
If you are a audiology student or audiologist interested in the Commissioned Corps, take the next step! Call us at 800-279-1605 or e-mail us your questions. For additional information about USPHS student programs click here.
Respiratory Therapy
To be a respiratory therapist officer you must meet these professional and academic training requirements.
- A current, unrestricted, and valid respiratory therapist license from a U.S. State; the District of Columbia; Commonwealth, Territory or other Jurisdiction.
- A Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).
A respiratory therapy candidate must possess one of the following to be considered for a commission as a Therapist officer in the USPHS
- A Bachelor’s degree in respiratory therapy accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Respiratory Care (CoARC) or its predecessor, the Joint Review Committee for Respiratory Therapy Education (JRCRTE) and approved by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
- A Master’s degree in respiratory therapy accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Respiratory Care (CoARC) or its predecessor, the Joint Review Committee for Respiratory Therapy Education (JRCRTE) and approved by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
If you are a respiratory therapy student or therapist interested in the Commissioned Corps, take the next step! Call us at 800-279-1605 or e-mail us your questions. For additional information about USPHS student programs click here.