MEDICAL CORPS. The Medical De partment includes the Medical Corps, Dental Corps, Medical Reserve Corps, Hospital Corps and Nurse Corps. The Medical Corps consists of one surgeon-general, with rank of brigadier general, who is chief of the medical depart ment, 14 colonels, 24 lieutenant-colonels, 105 majors and 300 captains or first lieutenants, who have rank, pay and allowances of officers of corresponding grades in the cavalry and of the service. An applicant for appointment in the medical corps of the army must be between 22 and 30 years of age, at the time of taking the preliminary examination, must be a citizen of the United States, must have a satisfactory general education, must he a graduate of a reputable medical school legally authorized to confer the degree of doctor of medicine, and must have had at least one year's hospital training, in cluding practical experience in the practice of medicine, surgery and obstetrics. The appoint ments are made by the President, upon the rec ommendation of the surgeon-general, after the applicants have passed the prescribed examina tion, consisting of two parts—a preliminary examination, and a final or qualifying examina tion, with a course of instruction at the Army Medical School intervening. Qualified appli cants are appointed to the medical reserve corps with the rank of first lieutenant, and upon pledging themselves to accept a commission in the medical corps, if found qualified in the final examination, and to serve at least five years thereunder, unless sooner discharged, are ordered to the Army Medical School, Washing ton, D. C., for instruction as candidates for
admission to the medical corps of the army; if, however, a greater number of applicants qualify than can be accommodated at the School, the requisite number are selected ac cording to their relative standing as marked by the Army Medical Board. Graduate candi dates who are found physically qualified and who obtain a general average of 80 per cent in their preliminary professional examination, in their course at the Army Medical School, in their clinical examination and in their general aptitude, are eligible for appointment in the medical corps. Eligible candidates may, if they so desire, take a special examination in ancient or modern languages, higher mathematics, or scientific branches other than medical. Pro ficiency therein is rated by the board conform ably to instructions from the surgeon-general. The relative standing for appointment of eligi ble candidates is determined by the total num ber of points obtained in the preliminary pro fessional examination, in the School, in the clinical examination, in general aptitude, and in the special examination, if one is taken. See ARMY MEDICAL SCHOOL; HOSPITAL CORPS; MEDICAL ORGANIZATION IN THE ARMY.