USU Office of External Affairs

Although the Uniformed Services University is a traditional academic health center, its unique programs and training make this institution quite singular.

The University's novel approach to educating the future of military medicine is the subject of Oscar award-winning film maker Terry Sanders' documentary about combat casualty care. Among its story lines, the film, "Fighting for Life," explores the rigorous training USU students undergo on their journey toward becoming uniformed medical officers.

The film captures the School of Medicine experience by highlighting its multiservice learning environment. At USU, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Public Health Service officers attend school year round. Compared to their civilian counterparts, they pursue roughly 700 additional hours of training and education. This enhanced curriculum satisfies a two-fold mission of producing skilled medical professionals and dedicated leaders in uniform.

To gain the skills and confidence necessary to practice good medicine in bad places, USU instruction extends beyond the traditional classroom, and onto mock battlefields. In the field, students fulfill a University hallmark of "learning to care for those in harm's way."

In the vortex of a simulated mass casualty, the students must bring order out of this chaos by locating and triaging the "wounded" while arranging for their evacuation. As illustrated in the film, Operation Bushmaster prepares students for the diverse range of challenges uniformed physicians are likely to encounter.

Shortly after completing the Bushmaster exercise, the fourth-year medical students prepare for graduation and for life as residents. The film crew documented USU's 27th annual commencement ceremony. Along with their fellow alumni, this cadre makes up approximately 25 percent of active-duty military medical officers.

The University's distinguished alumni go on to hold key roles in the military and public health systems. "Fighting for Life" focused on several USU graduates working to save lives and care for injured service members on the frontlines and in military treatment facilities across the globe.

Shedding light on the very important mission of this institution, "Fighting for Life" is airing on the Public Broadcasting Service across the country.

To learn more about the University and the people featured in the film, explore the tabs below.

About USU
Airtimes for Local Listings
Downloadable University Images