Long-term Health Education and
Training: Do’s and Don’ts
MAJ Michelle Colacicco-Mayhugh, PhD
Outline
• What is best for me?
– Is this the right thing for me?
– What are the consequences on my career?
•
•
•
•
•
LTHET application process
Application to school(s)
Surviving a program
My experience
Questions
What is best for me?
• Is LTHET the best thing for me?
– Do I really need this to meet my personal &
professional goals
– How will this affect family, etc.
• What are the potential consequences on my
career?
– Timing of promotion boards
– Opportunity for other assignments
LTHET Application Process
• LTHET MILPER Message comes out approx. 18 months
prior to school start
• Follow LTHET directions explicitly
• Requires:
–
–
–
–
–
–
DA Form 3838
Commander’s memorandum
Transcripts (not in IPerms)
DA Photo
GRE
Consultant’s endorsement
• If you plan on applying, plan ahead for the GRE
Application to School(s)
• Try to visit schools and meet potential major professors
early in the process
– ID potential projects early in the process
– Make sure there is research funding in advance
– Try to find a major professor who has experience getting
military entomologists through a program successfully
– Do not wait until you are already in your program to start
seriously thinking about research
• Be proactive with the admissions office
– An RFO cannot be generated without an acceptance letter
– If possible, ask for advanced consideration of your
application
Surviving a Program
• Expect to work harder than you have in any previous
position
• Limit distractions
– The mission is clear and simple…earn the degree
– Try to avoid over committing yourself:
• Committee memberships
• Side projects
• Remain proactive
– If the program permits, try to test out of courses for which
you already have experience
– Complete qualifying exams, defend proposal, etc. as early
in the program as possible
My Experience
• Attended USUHS
– Dual military considerations
– Ability to tie into research programs at WRAIR
• Started working with people at USUHS and
WRAIR before I started school to identify
potential research projects
Spring 04:
Applied to LTHET
Fall 04:
Selected for LTHET
Applied to Schools
Jan 05:
Received acceptance
Mar 05:
RFO received
Orders cut
Credits
Elective Courses
Credits
Biostastics I, II, and III
13
Epidemiology II
4
Changing Patterns of Arthropod Borne Disease
4
GIS in Public Health
2
Environmental Health
4
Remote Sensing Methods for Public Health
3
Epidemiology I
4
Acarology
4
Malaria Epidemiology and Control
3
Epidemiology and Control of Arboviruses
2
Medical Parasitology
3
Biosystematics
2
Principles and Practices of Tropical Medicine
6
Physiological Parameters of Vector Competence
4
Ethics
1
Sand Flies and Disease
3
Scientific Writing
1
Journal Club
5
Total Credits
39
Total Credits
29
Core Courses
My Experience
• Qualifying exams (written and oral): 12 – 24
months after beginning program, after coursework is
complete
• Proposal defense: After qualifying exam, before
research begins
Jul 05:
Started at
USUHS
Mar 07:
Qualifying
Exams
(oral and
written)
May 07:
2nd Child
Born
Jun 07:
Proposal
Defense
Jul 07 –
Dec 08:
Research
&Writing
Feb 08:
Spouse
deployed
Feb 09:
Thesis
submitted
to grad
school
Jan 09:
WRAIR
Feb 09:
Spouse
home
Mar 09:
Private
Defense
Apr 09:
Public
Defense
My lessons learned
• Be proactive in the application process
• Communicate with advisor and committee
regularly
• Write proposal and plan research early to
allow for a fast start once all blocks have been
checked
• Accept that you have limits and learn to
recognize them
• If you need help, ask early
• Make the most of any free time available
Acknowledgements
• Thanks to MAJ Anthony Schuster, MAJ Brian
Evans, and CPT(P) Jeff Clark for insights into
their experiences
Questions?
Disclaimer:
Material has been reviewed by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. There is no objection to its presentation and/or
publication. The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the author, and are not to be construed as
official, or as reflecting true views of the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense.