RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS


      IN THE CASE OF:


      BOARD DATE:        12 October 2006
      DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20060006849


      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. John Infante                  |     |Chairperson          |
|     |Mr. Gerald Purcell                |     |Member               |
|     |Ms. Karmin Jenkins                |     |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 Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

2.  The applicant states he is eligible to receive constructive credit
which was not granted during his commissioning in the U.S. Army.  He states
that he holds two advanced degrees in different areas of medical
specialties which will make him eligible to receive constructive credit.
He states he was granted a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from the
Medical University of South Carolina in 1994.  He was also granted a Doctor
of Medicine degree from West Virginia University in 2003.  He states the
Doctor of Pharmacy required two years of study to obtain and he is,
therefore, eligible for two years of constructive credit which would change
his commissioning date.  He states the graduate medical education (GME)
office never applied constructive credit to his commissioning date when he
came on active duty in 2003.

3.  The applicant provides three transcripts, his active duty orders, and
his appointment letter.

CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE:

1.  The applicant was awarded a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in May 1994 at
the Medical University of South Carolina.

2.  The applicant was accepted into the Health Professions Scholarship
Program (HPSP) and was appointed a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army
Reserve (USAR) on 29 April 1999.

3.  The applicant was awarded a Doctor of Medicine degree in May 2003 by
West Virginia University.

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

5.  The applicant was appointed a captain in the Medical Corps of the USAR
on
17 May 2003 in primary specialty skill identifier 62B (Field Surgeon).  His
appointment letter shows he was awarded 4 years of constructive credit.  He
was ordered to active duty on 11 June 2003.

6.  Department of the Army, U.S. Total Army Personnel Command, Alexandria,
Virginia Order Number 216-004, dated 4 August 2003, determined the
applicant to have a captain active date of rank (ADOR) of 10 June 2003.
7.  In the processing of this case, a staff advisory opinion was obtained
from the Office of The Surgeon General (OTSG).  The opinion states the
applicant completed a two-year Doctor of Pharmacy degree prior to his
medical degree.  This office recommended that the applicant be granted two
years of constructive credit for the Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

8.  A copy of the advisory opinion was provided to the applicant for
comment.  He concurred with the advisory opinion.

9.  Army Regulation 135-101 (Appointment of Reserve Commissioned Officers
for Assignment to Army Medical Department Branches), effective 15 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 for additional
advanced degrees.

10.  Department of Defense Instruction (DODI) 6000.13, paragraph 6.1.2.2.2
states credit for master's and doctorate degrees in a health profession
other than medicine and dentistry, whether it is the primary degree or an
additional advanced degree, shall be awarded based on actual full-time
equivalent education up to two years for a master's degree and up to four
years for a doctorate.  Paragraph 6.1.2.2.3. states 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.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The evidence of record shows the applicant was awarded a Doctor of
Pharmacy degree in May 1994 and a Doctor of Medicine degree in 2003.

2.  He was appointed as a Medical Corps captain in the USAR in May 2003.
At that time, he was granted four years of constructive credit based on his
Doctor of Medicine Degree (qualifying degree).

3.  OTSG recommended the applicant be awarded an additional two years of
constructive credit for his Doctor of Pharmacy degree.  Although OTSG did
not state whether it believed this degree added adjunctive skills to the
applicant’s primary specialty, it appears a degree in Pharmacy would add
such skills to a Field Surgeon.  Therefore, it would be equitable to adjust
the applicant's constructive credit to show he was awarded a total six
years of constructive credit.  This correction would also necessitate an
administrative correction to the applicant's date of rank to captain.

BOARD VOTE:

JI______  GP______  KJ______  GRANT FULL RELIEF

________  ________  ________  GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION:

1.  The Board determined that the evidence presented was sufficient to
warrant a recommendation for relief.  As a result, the Board recommends
that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be
corrected by showing he entered active duty on 11 June 2003 as a captain
with 6 years of constructive credit.

2.  Upon completion of the above correction, the applicant’s ADOR to
captain should be adjusted accordingly.




                                  John Infante__________
                                            CHAIRPERSON



                                    INDEX

|CASE ID                 |AR20060006849                           |
|SUFFIX                  |                                        |
|RECON                   |YYYYMMDD                                |
|DATE BOARDED            |20061012                                |
|TYPE OF DISCHARGE       |(HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR)    |
|DATE OF DISCHARGE       |YYYYMMDD                                |
|DISCHARGE AUTHORITY     |AR . . . . .                            |
|DISCHARGE REASON        |                                        |
|BOARD DECISION          |GRANT                                   |
|REVIEW AUTHORITY        |Mr. Chun                                |
|ISSUES         1.       |112.0700                                |
|2.                      |                                        |
|3.                      |                                        |
|4.                      |                                        |
|5.                      |                                        |
|6.                      |                                        |


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