Any ex or current army medics here.

[surfbumwith96taco]

looking to sign up after emt school. Positive or negitive advise will help.

[TRD4ME / PARKSOFFROAD.COM]

looking to sign up after emt school. Positive or negitive advise will help.

If you go active then maybe. Otherwise you are given crap and expected to work miracles.

On a side note, the militarys training that works out somewhere between emt and paramedic is not recognized in some states, including CA.

[surfbumwith96taco]

Iam hopeing more for experiance. I think know you can challenge the state boards. One of my instructors mentioned something. Thats why i'am asking. Plus my goal is to be on a medevac chopper somewhere. figured that would help me write my ticket.

[surfbumwith96taco]

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[81tacoma]

looking to sign up after emt school. Positive or negitive advise will help.

Wasn't a medic but knew a ton of them. Most didn't like their job and wanted to do more instead of taking tempatures and what not. I suggest you look at the Air Force's PJ course. Good luck

[TRD4ME / PARKSOFFROAD.COM]

Wasn't a medic but knew a ton of them. Most didn't like their job and wanted to do more instead of taking tempatures and what not. I suggest you look at the Air Force's PJ course. Good luck

It wasnt what we had to do, it was how it worked, the politics and BS.

Example:

We were at Fort Irwin doing desert training for the first desert storm. For the medics, this was mostly what we always did, watch the dumb engineers that we were attached to squish their fingers and such in the folding bridges they play with, and dropping like flys from heat stroke because they dont drink enough water.

So here we are, with guys all around us for a mile plus in any direction basically on a patrol waiting for the next victim. We have only our packs and such, because of budget cuts and politics in the unit, we dont have a vehicle.... great planning. So finally one guy drops from heat stroke that is critical enough that we need to transport him. We end up commandeering a truck to carry us and him for the 10-15 mile drive to the local hospital. (cross country, in the desert, with 100+ heat)

When we get back, the CO for the engineer company we are attached to starts dressing us down saying we are not allowed to commandeer vehicles. The head of our medical section is standing up for myself and the guy I was with, finally taking off his rank and throwing it at the CO saying "I quit, you dumb asses are on your own" and walking away.

In the end every one makes happy and shakes hands. We are finally able to get it through the CO's head that if he wants medical support he needs to support his medics a bit. This is the type of crap that gets old when you have to go through it day in and day out.

I'm sure the active duty guys in Iraq dont have to play these games, at least I hope not!

[WallyP226]

I was a Navy Hospital Corpsman stationed with the Marines. A Hospital Corpsman is expected to do anything and everything medical under a physicians supervision.

It is probably not said often, but the schools that the Navy has are by far the best. Compare the amounts of time and money that each branch spends on training and the Navy comes out on top. The Navy paid for and sent me through EMT 1&2, I paid for my own national certifications. They also sent me through EVOC, ie ambulance driving school. Along the way, I also got certified in ACLS and ATLS. I also got a second specialty, went to OR tech school, got a national certification out of that as well.

I spent two years with the Marines in Adak Alaska, loved it! IF I ever get called back, which I doubt unless all heck breaks loose, I want to go back to a field unit with the Marines. I had their respect and they had mine. Only one chopper ride on a Chinook.


IMO the Armed Forces is what you make of it, I loved it, and the life skills I learned helped make a transition back into the civilian sector easy. Its also a great place for a young person to be, lots of people your age to hang with, you get decent direction, and the opportunity to educate yourself if you so choose. IMO it should be mandatory part of the American experience.

Wally