RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS


      IN THE CASE OF:


      BOARD DATE:        25 October 2005
      DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20050004554


      I certify that hereinafter is recorded the true and complete record
of the proceedings of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in
the case of the above-named individual.

|     |Mr. Carl W. S. Chun               |     |Director             |
|     |Ms. Beverly A. Young              |     |Analyst              |


      The following members, a quorum, were present:

|     |Mr. James Anderholm               |     |Chairperson          |
|     |Mr. Jose Martinez                 |     |Member               |
|     |Ms. LaVerne Douglas               |     |Member               |

      The Board considered the following evidence:

      Exhibit A - Application for correction of military records.

      Exhibit B - Military Personnel Records (including advisory opinion,
if any).

THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST, STATEMENT, AND EVIDENCE:

1.  The applicant requests, in effect, that he be awarded additional
constructive credit based on his Master of Science Degree in Pathology.

2.  The applicant states that, in accordance with Army Regulation 135-101,
section 3-4, he should have received 6 years of constructive credit for
active duty grade determination instead of 4 years for his Master of
Science Degree in Pathology.

3.  The applicant provides a copy of his active duty orders and his
transcript from the University of Florida.

CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE:

1.  The applicant completed a Master of Science Degree in Pathology at the
University of Florida in August 1998.

2.  On an unknown date, the applicant was accepted into the Health
Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP).  His Officer Record Brief shows he
was awarded a Doctor of Medicine Degree in General Medicine in 2002.

3.  He was appointed a Medical Corps captain in the U.S. Army Reserve
(USAR) on 19 May 2002 in specialty 61F (Internist).

4.  The applicant's original DA Form 5074-R (Record of Award of Entry Grade
Credit (Medical and Dental Officers)) is not available.

5.  Department of the Army, U.S. Total Army Personnel Command Orders A-03-
290950 dated 15 March 2002 ordered the applicant to active duty on 9 June
2002 at the Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.  These
orders show the applicant was awarded 4 years of constructive credit for
active duty grade determination.

6.  In the processing of this case, a staff advisory opinion was obtained
from the Office of The Surgeon General (OTSG).  The opinion referenced
Department of Defense (DOD) policy under DOD Instruction (DODI) 6000.13
which states that the additional degree must add adjunctive skills to the
primary specialty and must contribute directly to performance in the
anticipated position in the military service concerned.  As a trainee in
the specialty of internal medicine, an advanced degree in pathology does
not tangibly add any value to his primary
specialty of internal medicine, nor reduce the expected length of training
to meet specialty board requirements.  The opinion did not recommend that
the applicant be granted additional constructive credit.

7.  A copy of the advisory opinion was forwarded to the applicant.  The
applicant disagrees with the review from the Chief, Graduate Medical
Educational Division stating his Master of Science Degree in molecular
pathology and immunology has no bearing on his career in internal medicine.
 He states the core principles learned during this course of study was an
understanding of disease processes at a cellular level and the development
of a skill set that allows critical assessment of medical and scientific
literature.  Current advances in medicine are based on understanding
disease at the cellular and molecular level.  By understanding how these
advances occur, a physician can provide better care of their patients.  In
this case, a Master of Science Degree in molecular pathology and immunology
obtained through the University of Florida's College of Medicine has direct
benefit on a career as an Army physician.

8.  Army Regulation 135-101 (Appointment of Reserve Commissioned Officers
for Assignment to Army Medical Department Branches), effective15 February
1984, provides policy for the appointment of reserve commissioned officers
for assignment to Army medical branches.  In pertinent part, it states that
the grade and date of rank upon original appointment and assignment to an
Army Medical Department branch will be determined by the number of years of
entry grade credit awarded.  Except as limited by maximum credit limits,
entry grade credit granted will be the sum of constructive service credit
and the credit for prior active commissioned service.  Additional credit
may be granted in unusual cases based on special education or professional
experience in the specialty in which assigned when experience is accrued
after qualifying degree and licensure, if applicable.  For Medical Corps
officers, four years of constructive credit will be granted for completion
of a doctorate degree and one year credit for each year of additional
advanced degrees.

9.  Table 3-1 of Army Regulation 135-101 states that Medical Corps officers
will be granted one year for each year credit for additional advanced
degrees as listed in Table 3-4.  The degree must add adjunctive skills to
primary specialty and must contribute directly to performance in
anticipated duty position.
Table 3-4 does not list Pathology as an advanced degree that may qualify
for additional constructive credit.

10.  DODI 6000.13, paragraph 6.1.2.2.1 states that four years of
constructive service credit shall be granted for completion of first
professional degrees that include medical (M.D.), osteopathy (D.O.), dental
(D.D.S. or D.M.D.), optometry (O.D.), podiatry (Pod.D. or D.P.), veterinary
(D.V.M.), and pharmacy (Ph.D.).
11.  DODI 6000.13, paragraph 6.1.2.2.6 states that additional credit in
unusual cases, based on special education or experience, can be granted by
the Secretary of a Military Department, or designee.  As determined by
Service needs, the additional credit applies to individuals with unique
qualifications that are beyond normal requirements for appointment as
commissioned officers.  The amount of credit shall be one year for each
year of special education or experience.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The evidence of record shows the applicant was awarded a Master of
Science Degree in Pathology in 1998 and a Doctor of Medicine Degree in 2002
prior to his appointment in the Medical Corps.

2.  He was appointed as a Medical Corps captain in the USAR in May 2002.
At that time he was granted 4 years of constructive credit based on his
Doctor of Medicine Degree (qualifying degree).

3.  Based on Army Regulation 135-101, Medical Corps officers may be granted
additional credit in unusual cases based on special education or
professional experience in the specialty in which assigned when experience
is accrued after qualifying degree.  The degree must add adjunctive skills
to primary specialty and must contribute directly to performance in
anticipated duty position.  Department of Defense Instruction 6000.13
states that the additional credit is determined by Service needs and
applies to individuals with unique qualifications that are beyond normal
requirements for appointment as commissioned officers.

4.  OTSG determined that the applicant's Master of Science Degree in
Pathology did not add adjunctive skills to his primary specialty (61F-
Internist) and does not appear to be a unique qualification.  He has
provided insufficient evidence to show his Master of Science Degree is
contributing directly to his performance in his duty position and thus
there is insufficient evidence to overturn the OTSG's determination.  It
appears the applicant was given all constructive credit due to him.






BOARD VOTE:

________  ________  ________  GRANT FULL RELIEF

________  ________  ________  GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

JA______  JM______  LD______  DENY APPLICATION

BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION:

The evidence presented does not demonstrate the existence of a probable
error or injustice.  Therefore, the Board determined that the overall
merits of this case are insufficient as a basis for correction of the
records of the individual concerned.




                                  James Anderholm_______
                                            CHAIRPERSON



                                    INDEX

|CASE ID                 |AR20050004554                           |
|SUFFIX                  |                                        |
|RECON                   |YYYYMMDD                                |
|DATE BOARDED            |20051025                                |
|TYPE OF DISCHARGE       |(HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR)    |
|DATE OF DISCHARGE       |YYYYMMDD                                |
|DISCHARGE AUTHORITY     |AR . . . . .                            |
|DISCHARGE REASON        |                                        |
|BOARD DECISION          |DENY                                    |
|REVIEW AUTHORITY        |Mr. Chun                                |
|ISSUES         1.       |112.0700                                |
|2.                      |                                        |
|3.                      |                                        |
|4.                      |                                        |
|5.                      |                                        |
|6.                      |                                        |


-----------------------
[pic]