Appointment of personnel

Except as provided in subsections (b) and (e) of this section, original appointments to the Regular Corps may be made only in the warrant officer (W–1), chief warrant officer (W–2), chief warrant officer (W–3), chief warrant officer (W–4), junior assistant, assistant, and senior assistant grades and original appointments to a grade above junior assistant shall be made only after passage of an examination, given in accordance with regulations of the President, in one or more of the several branches of medicine, dentistry, hygiene, sanitary engineering, pharmacy, psychology, nursing, or related scientific specialties in the field of public health.

( July 1, 1944, ch. 373 , title II, § 207, formerly § 208, 58 Stat. 685 ; July 3, 1946, ch. 538, § 4 , 60 Stat. 421 ; Aug. 13, 1946, ch. 958, § 3 , 60 Stat. 1049 ; renumbered § 207 and amended Feb. 28, 1948, ch. 83, § 5(a) –(d), 62 Stat. 40 ; Oct. 12, 1949, ch. 681 , title V, § 521(a), 63 Stat. 834 ; 1953 Reorg. Plan No. 1, §§ 5, 8, eff. Apr. 11, 1953 , 18 F.R. 2053, 67 Stat. 631 ; Apr. 27, 1956, ch. 211, § 3(a) –(c)(1), 70 Stat. 116 ; Pub. L. 86–415 , §§ 2, 3, Apr. 8, 1960 , 74 Stat. 32 ; Pub. L. 96–76, title III, § 305 , Sept. 29, 1979 , 93 Stat. 585 ; Pub. L. 96–88, title V, § 509(b) , Oct. 17, 1979 , 93 Stat. 695 ; Pub. L. 97–35, title XXVII, § 2765(c) , Aug. 13, 1981 , 95 Stat. 933 ; Pub. L. 97–414, § 8(a) , Jan. 4, 1983 , 96 Stat. 2060 ; Pub. L. 116–136, div. A, title III, § 3214(e)(1) , (3), Mar. 27, 2020 , 134 Stat. 373 .)