Lt. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker

By Brenadine HumphreySeptember 6, 2020

2020 Hall of Fame Inductee

University of Michigan (1970)

Lt. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker during the U.S. Army Medical Command change of command
U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno presents the Certificate of Retirement to Lt. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker during the U.S. Army Medical Command change of command and retirement ceremony at Fort Sam Houston, Texas Dec. 5, 2011. Schoomaker was accompanied by his wife Audrey. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Teddy Wade/ Released) VIEW ORIGINAL

Lt. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan in 1970 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant as a Distinguished Military Graduate. He received his medical degree from the University of Michigan in 1975 and a Ph.D. in human genetics in 1979. He completed an internal medicine internship and residency at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina from 1976-78, followed by a fellowship in hematology at Duke in 1979.

During his 41-year career, he held many assignments including command of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, the Army’s Medical Research & Materiel Command and Fort Detrick, MD, an Army academic medical center, a community hospital, deployable medical brigade and two Army regional medical commands, before his role as the 42nd U.S. Army Surgeon General and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Medical Command.

As the U.S. Army’s top medical officer, Schoomaker was instrumental in initiating the Department of Defense’s move towards a more vigorous adoption of evidenced-based mind-body modalities for the management of pain. Today his principal interests are in Complementary and Integrative Health & Medicine (CIHM) and the shift from a disease management-focused healthcare system to one more centered on the improvement and sustainment of health and well-being leading to optimal human performance. He is also exploring the central importance of leadership education and training for health professionals in military and civilian settings.

Doctor Schoomaker committed his career to meeting the health needs of soldiers, their families and veterans through initiatives that Army Medicine implemented throughout its facilities in the U.S., Europe and the Pacific, focusing on soldier medical readiness, enhancing battlefield care, establishing a comprehensive behavioral health system of care, fostering a culture of trust, advancing comprehensive pain management, and promoting health by preventing combat wounds, injury and illness.

He is the recipient of the 2012 Dr. Nathan Davis Award from the American Medical Association for outstanding government service, the Philipp M. Lippe, MD Award from the American Academy of Pain Medicine for contributions to the social and political aspect of pain medicine, and an Honorary Doctor of Science from Wake Forest University. He currently serves as the Director of the Uniformed Service University of the Health Sciences LEAD program.

About the Army ROTC Hall of Fame

The ROTC Hall of Fame was established in 2016 as part of the ROTC Centennial celebration. The first class (2016) inducted 326 former ROTC Cadets who had distinguished themselves in their military or civilian career.

The Hall of Fame honors graduates of the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps who have distinguished themselves in military or civilian pursuits. It provides a prestigious and tangible means of recognizing and honoring Army ROTC Alumni who have made lasting, significant contributions to the Nation, the Army and the history and traditions of the Army ROTC Program.

Read more about all 16 of the 2020 Hall of Fame Inductees.