Teaching military medicine: Enhancing military relevance within the fabric of current medical training

The education of military medical students and house officers in military-relevant curricular elements is increasingly important given the greater frequency with which military physicians are deployed to field and operational settings. However, the common approaches of either expanded didactic sessions or implementation of operational rotations for trainees face competition from instruction in other aspects of medicine that are essential for all (military as well as nonmilitary) physicians. We describe efforts to integrate military-relevant education within the existing framework of medical education, including current inpatient and ambulatory care rotations. This approach complements the formal, didactic syllabus, avoiding potential conflict engendered by eliminating curricular elements to accommodate military-unique subjects.