Does something like the Medical Corps already exist?

[sscovil]

This question has come up quite often, usually in the form of someone pointing out that something similar does exist. For example...

Facebook user Judy Segerdell Langston made this comment on July 16th:

Sorry to jump in but perhaps we already have what you are talking about Shaun: https://www.usphs.gov/

Facebook user Wiley Cox made this comment on July 17th:

Sounds like the Medical Reserve Corps. I'm a member.

Facebook user Rob Stidman made this comment on July 23rd:

A medical corps within HHS... so something with real uniforms led by a military-style commander... if only something like that had already existed since the 1880's

[Photo of Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, Acting Surgeon General]

A colleague of mine passed along this comment from a friend on July 27th:

There's already a Medical Service Corps or something to that affect, part of the army

[sscovil]

The purpose of this bill is to establish a Medical Corps that is structurally similar to the military. Three distinguishing factors are:

• Members hold a rank and are paid, like soldiers.
• Members are provided medical education and training at no cost.
• Members on active duty provide free public health care services.

There are several health-related organizations within the U.S. Government, such as:

• Public Health Service (PHS)
• Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC)
• Ready Reserve Corps
• Medical Reserve Corps
• Army Medical Corps
• Veterans Health Administration (VHA)

However, none of them match all three distinguishing features of the proposed Medical Corps.

The closest thing I've found to what I am proposing is the Cadet Nurse Corps, which operated from 1943 until 1948 to ensure the country had enough nurses to care for its citizens at home and abroad during World War II. The program was open to all women between the ages of 17 and 35, in good health, who had graduated from an accredited high school. Successful applicants were eligible for a government subsidy, paying for tuition, books, uniforms, and a stipend. In exchange, they were required to pledge to actively serve in essential civilian or federal government services for the duration of World War II. All state nursing schools were eligible to participate in the program. However, they needed to be accredited by the accrediting agency in their state, and connected with a hospital that had been approved by the American College of Surgeons.