No two Commissioned Corps officers will have the same professional goals, training, or experiences. Because of this, each officer will be responsible for choosing his/her own career track. A Career Track is a distinct direction an officer chooses to go professionally. The six Career Tracks established within the PHS Commissioned Corps include:

1) Clinical/Clinical Management: Professional activities that relate directly to patient treatment ranging from hands-on care to consultation and/or guidance of other patient care staff.

2) Epidemiology/Public Health Practice: Professional activities that involve the study, analysis, and/or recommendation of health measures based upon the incidence, distribution, and control of disease in a population.

3) International Health: Professional activities to address the influence of the global health environment on the PHS domestic mission.

4) Program Management: The application of control in directing the day-to-day operation of Agency programs requiring planning, development, budgeting, assessment, supervision, and/or coordination.

5) Regulatory Affairs: Professional activities related to implementing, enforcing, controlling, directing, evaluating/inspecting, developing policy, and/or regulations designed to safeguard public health.

6) Research: Investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery of new knowledge for the revision of existing theories or the development of new theories related to public health (basic research), or investigation or experimentation aimed at evaluating or mitigating potential risks to public health (applied research).

There are many career choices possible for a commissioned officer depending on the professional category an officer is assigned, the skills and competencies an officer maintains, and/or the professional choices he/she makes while advancing through a PHS career. It is also recognized that a commissioned officer may elect to work in more than one career track and functional area during his/her PHS career. The career track and functional area designated as “primary” is that which reflects the officer’s principal responsibility and is reflected in his/her billet. No matter which direction or track an officer chooses, mentoring from his/her category or assistance from the Office of Commissioned Corps Operations (OCCO) Career Development officer is encouraged. Knowledge and good communication are the keys to success in this area.