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The Defense Health Agency Graduate Medical Education Program trains more than 3,000 physicians annually, preparing the next generation of military medical leaders to deliver high-quality care to all beneficiaries and support operational warfighter medical readiness.
“Our purpose is to take graduates of medical school and produce specialists who are medical corps officers in their service,” said Col. Kent DeZee, the GME program director for DHA.
In this effort, he noted three goals, including:
· “Producing clinical experts,” measured by the percentage that become board certified in their first attempt. · “Training doctors in the scope of practice that is required in the military” — which DeZee defined by readiness to practice medicine in a deployed, operational environment. · “Helping them be acculturated into their military service and the system of care.”
“We want readiness, and for them to be ready to practice medicine in the Defense Health Agency system. We're not just producing doctors — we're producing medical corps officers” who help warfighters remain essential to the combat support mission, DeZee said.
Graduates of the program have proven to chart successful paths in military medicine, “providing vital medical care in various settings — from DHA military hospitals and clinics around the world, to remote deployed locations,” said Cmdr. (Dr.) Sarah D. Hodges, program director of the transitional year internship program at Naval Medical Center San Diego, one of 25 sponsoring institutions.
DHA’s GME program provides advanced clinical experience in a variety of areas in preparation to compete for a specialty. The program leads to board certification while training physicians to meet the demands of military operations and is coordinated across military hospitals and clinics. All of the 202 eligible residency and fellowship programs are recognized by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, noted DeZee.
Among the various rotations available to a trainee are specialties like military executive medicine, infectious disease, and operational medicine, lending a diversity to options not typically available in civilian GME programs.
“We train family medicine physicians who can function in the intensive care unit, can deploy, treat musculoskeletal injuries, can deliver babies, and have trauma training too,” said DeZee. “You're just not going to get that elsewhere.”
Graduate star takes flight
Lt. (Dr.) Imelda Muller, a transitional year intern at San Diego who previously served as an undersea medical officer, was selected as one of NASA's 10 new astronaut candidates chosen from more than 8,000 applicants. In September 2025, Muller reported for duty to NASA to begin two years of astronaut training.
“Dr. Muller highlights characteristics that we aim to foster in our residents,” said Hodges. “They come to the program with abundant potential, and we seek to catalyze their development as medical professionals and military officers.”
Muller’s rise was fueled by her academic achievements after completing the internship at NMCSD, which takes place in the first year of residency for a new medical school graduate. After graduating, she was selected as the transitional year intern chief resident, leading efforts to advance curriculum in simulation training, quality improvement, and medical resident well-being.
“Having her level of training — she can step in, on day one, ready to take care of patients in the military environment. That gives her confidence and gives her leadership confidence about her abilities, not to mention her patients and colleagues,” said DeZee. She exemplified the type of graduates the DHA GME trains to be “competent health care providers who are ready to lead and serve in the operational environment,” said Hodges.
"What truly defines a Naval Medical Center San Diego graduate is not just their clinical excellence, but their profound understanding of the sacred trust placed in their hands,” added Capt. Elizabeth Adriano, director of NMCSD. “We are not simply training doctors; we are cultivating leaders who are prepared for the most demanding environments imaginable — from the battlefield to the frontiers of space.”
Trained to carry out military medical mission
DHA’s GME program is designed with the understanding individual residents come from a variety of backgrounds and differing career goals. Aligning with DHA’s GME program’s goal of producing expert clinicians trained to the scope of practice required in the operational force, NMCSD’s curriculum is designed for flexibility — while some will continue with more graduate medical education, “many will go to the operational environment.It is with these factors in mind that we have developed a curriculum that both allows for success in the operational environment yet provides flexibility for each resident to pursue their interests,” said Hodges.
She emphasized training within a military program provides a distinct advantage.
"When we train our own physicians, they are better prepared. Being culturally competent in the military means knowing how the decisions made by the medical team affect the military’s mission."
With a focus on mentorship, the program fosters qualities like adaptability, resilience, and decision-making under pressure through “weekly academic sessions that are tailored to provide guidance on these broadly applicable skills,” said Hodges. “We emphasize training in military leadership, decision-making, and teamwork.”
Hodges explained graduates go on to provide vital medical care in diverse settings worldwide. “Their success is also a testament to the program's effectiveness,” she said. “We're proud of all our graduates, and we believe that the program provides a strong foundation for any path they choose to pursue.”
DeZee said the program delivers medical warrior currency through “enduring civilian partnerships with hospitals around the country. By establishing those relationships, DHA can influence the curriculum to make sure it meets the requirements for the military scope of practice.”
What makes graduates thrive in and after the program, Adriano said, is their dedication to provide exemplary care for all warfighters.
“Our residents learn to care for a unique population of heroes and their families, where every diagnosis and treatment directly impacts the operational readiness of the fleet and force,” she said.“We are immensely proud that our program results in such remarkable careers of service."
| Date Taken: | 03.31.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.31.2026 13:34 |
| Story ID: | 561656 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 28 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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