A Hospital Corpsman removes metal fragments from the eyebrow of a U.S. Marine.

Wherever the Marines go, so do Navy Hospital Corpsmen. Here, a Hospital Corpsman removes metal fragments from the eyebrow of a U.S. Marine who was injured when an Improvised Explosive Device detonated under his vehicle during Operation Mountain Storm in Afghanistan.


Medical & Dental

Job Overview:

Account tools
Classification:
√ Enlisted
√ Officer
Available in:
√ Active Duty
√ Navy Reserve

Healthy bodies and sparkling smiles make for a fit force. Sailors in the medical and dental fields help keep the fleet’s 380,000 Sailors fit for duty, in addition to providing emergency medical care for life, limb, or even the occasional molar.

Pay:

View Pay Scale


Job Description:

Navy Hospital Corpsmen and Dental Technicians not only assist physicians and dentists but rise to the challenge of rendering emergency medical or dental treatment in the field and aboard ships. Intelligent individuals who can think and act fast are in demand for this highly respected career field.

What Will You Do?

Individuals in the Navy medical and dental fields are highly regarded and generally carry more duties and responsibilities than their civilian counterparts. If you join the ranks of the Navy medical community, responsibilities might include providing routine and emergency medical treatment, transporting sick and injured personnel, or working in the field with SEALs, the Seabees, or the Marine Corps. In the dental field, you could assist in emergency dental first aid, and qualified technicians may be assigned to a Fleet Marine Force or Seabee unit. As part of this occupational specialty, you might:

  • Help prevent and treat diseases and injuries
  • Render emergency medical treatment
  • Administer medications, including injections
  • Transport the sick and injured
  • Take and process X-rays and operate X-ray equipment
  • Serve as an operating room technician for general and specialized surgery
  • Operate sophisticated medical diagnostic treatment equipment
  • Assist dentists in providing dental care to Navy personnel and their families
  • Expose and process dental X-rays
  • Render emergency dental first aid
  • Assist in oral surgery
  • Construct dental crowns and bridges
  • Maintain treatment records
  • Specialize in a number of fields, including radiology, search and rescue, and optical and preventive medicine

Skills and Training

Whether working aboard a ship or submarine, with an air squadron or the SEALs, or in a hospital or clinic, the training you could receive in the Navy prepares you for numerous specialties. The Navy offers a great opportunity to get the hands-on experience medical and dental professions require. Many individuals in these fields receive further training in subspecialties.

Your training may also prepare you for a future career as a:

  • Surgical Technician
  • Emergency Medical Technician
  • Respiratory Therapist
  • Nuclear Medical Technologist
  • Physical Therapist’s Assistant
  • Pharmacist’s Assistant
  • Dental Hygienist
  • Dental Assistant
  • Dental Laboratory Technician
  • Medical Records Clerk

Earn College Credits

Most of the training in the medical and dental fields directly translates to credit at colleges and universities. Advanced technical and operational training is also available in many specialized fields.

Career Outlook

Career opportunities in this field transfer directly to careers in the civilian medical and dental fields. As long as people need medical and dental services, individuals with skills in these areas will be in high demand.