mos.directory

Army MOS · Medical

72A Nuclear Medical Science

Current service use not established

This code is listed in the directory. Inclusion alone does not confirm current service use.

Browse Army

Overview

Nuclear Medical Science officers plan, direct, and participate in medical NBC defense, health physics, medical physics, radiation biology research, and laser or microwave physics activities related to military operations. They serve in staff and instructor assignments involving fields that affect personnel health and the environment in NBC and other settings.

Core Skills

  • Health physics and radiation protection
  • Ionizing and nonionizing radiation biology research
  • Medical nuclear, biological and chemical defense planning

Civilian Career Paths

Career associations are editorial assessments of the cited evidence, not an official crosswalk unless the evidence explicitly says so. O*NET supplies civilian occupation information, not proof of a military match. Related experience does not confer civilian qualifications. Tasks and tools below describe civilian work, not military training.

Health Physicist

Military health-physics work transfers directly to civilian radiation-hazard assessment and radiation-protection programs.

How to prepare: Compare your transcripts and documented health-physics experience with a target employer's education and credentialing requirements; for federal positions, check the OPM 1306 basic-qualification routes, including the natural-science or engineering degree route with 30 semester hours in specified subjects and the related education-and-experience route. OPM 1306 is a federal framework, not a universal employer requirement or authorization for specialized clinical medical-physics practice.

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

Military ionizing and nonionizing radiation-biology research provides a relevant foundation for civilian research into radiation's biological effects and medical applications.

How to prepare: Compare your research record and education with radiation-biology research openings, identifying whether doctoral study is your next step; medical scientists typically hold a Ph.D. or medical degree. Research alone typically does not require licensure, but treating patients requires licensure as a physician or other appropriate healthcare practitioner.

What the civilian work involves
  • Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings to the scientific audience and general public.
Civilian tools and software (examples)
  • R

Notes & Sources

Evidence for this guidance (5 documents)
  1. Army COOL MOC feed: 72A Nuclear Medical Science

    [1] data/authority/army-codes.json entry 72A (OSD COOL feed, fetched 2026-07-25); DB rank officer, authority codeType officer

    Supports: Health physics and radiation protection, Ionizing and nonionizing radiation biology research, Medical nuclear, biological and chemical defense planning, Health Physicist, Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists (O*NET 19-1042.00)

  2. Health Physics Society: Careers in Radiation Protection

    [2] What Is Health Physics, What Do Health Physicists Do, Medical Health Physicists and Military Health Physicists

    Supports: Health Physicist

  3. OPM: Health Physics Series 1306 qualification requirements

    [3] Individual Occupational Requirements, Basic Requirements

    Supports: Health Physicist

  4. O*NET: Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

    [4] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists (O*NET 19-1042.00)

  5. Bureau of Labor Statistics: medical scientists

    [5] How to Become One; retrieved 23 September 2026

    Supports: Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists (O*NET 19-1042.00)

Defense contractor jobs for 72A

Descriptions may be summarized for clarity. Verify all information with your branch career counselor or official military documentation before making career decisions.

Report an error on this page