CREATING UNIQUE LEARNING EXPERIENCES
This first-year experience is a pivotal part of the unique USU School of Medicine curriculum. It introduces learners to basic military competencies. It starts with Medical Field Practicum 101, or MFP 101, which is a four-day field experience conducted after the first two months of medical school to introduce new officers to basic military, medical, and leadership skills. The knowledge, skills, and attitudes acquired in MFP 101 are fundamental building blocks for success in subsequent medical field practicums (MFPs 102, 201, and 202), and will be vital as students immerse themselves in the culture of military medicine through four years of medical school and into future operational assignments.
MEDICAL FIELD PRACTICUM 101
MFP 101 provides uniformed medical students with an understanding of basic military field skills. The major objectives of the experience are individual discipline, effective communication, teamwork, and learning the principles behind becoming a resilient agile leader. Students rotate through a variety of activities including an overview of joint health services support, methods of casualty evacuation, map reading and land navigation, tactical movement, personal weapon familiarization, hand-to-hand combat introduction, force health protection through preventive medicine, and leading a team on a problem-solving course.
Evening activities include discussions with active-duty and retired senior military officers, most with significant combat or deployment experience, who speak with students about their experiences as commanders and the value that military medical providers, both in caring for their troops and contributing to mission accomplishment.