military medics versus paramedics

[Dustdevil]

Seaon FOUR! Just now?

Must've needed a lot of editing...

It's been out on VHS for quite awhile though.

But, with over half of the cast, producers, and creator dead now, it's gotta be a pretty big job to put together any "extras" for a DVD. There aren't any with Season 1. I haven't watched Seasons 2 or 3 on DVD yet.

[Richard B the EMT]

I beg to differ on something here. One cannot base any training on watching a TV drama or dark comedy, although one can perhaps use it as a training supplement. Also, as both Emergency! and M.A.S.H. were, respectively, set in then contemporary 1970s LA, and an early 1950s South Korea war zone, surely, some things must have changed in the way they were done, to the way they are now done.

And don't call me Shirley.

Even the training films have changed. In 1974, the emergency childbirth training film used in my training showed an early First Responder Engine Company pull up at a house, and the Captain with one fire fighter, assisted in the delivery of a baby in what appeared to be a 1950s bomb shelter! They never showed the mother and child being moved to a hospital.

In 2007, in my refresher class, the newest film shows an actual ambulance respond, and deliver the baby in a comfortable appearing bedroom.

In an "Act 2" of the newer film, they even showed the ambulance crew stopping on the way to the hospital for an "in transit" delivery.

Again, things change. What would you think of someone using the original model of stethoscope? You know, the rolled paper tube? At least it was an improvement on the original way of listening, putting one's ear directly on the chest. (Then, again, if Dolly Parton was the patient...)

[AnthonyM83]

Emergency! and M.A.S.H. were, respectively, set in then contemporary 1970s LA, and an early 1950s South Korea war zone, surely, some things must have changed in the way they were done, to the way they are now done.

Lemme check...hmmm...nope not too much...carry on.

BTW, I'm sure you realized he wasn't saying to use it as an actual medical training film for learning skills and such, Richard...

[Richard B the EMT]

Yes I do realize that. Anyone else here remember how the skin flick "Deep Throat" from back in the mid to late 1960s supposedly was a "training film" for one specific type of sex act, due to some of the activity Linda Lovelace "performed" in the movie? (If you are "Curious, Yellow", it probably is somewhere on Youtube.)

[akroeze]

I beg to differ on something here. One cannot base any training on watching a TV drama or dark comedy, although one can perhaps use it as a training supplement. Also, as both Emergency! and M.A.S.H. were, respectively, set in then contemporary 1970s LA, and an early 1950s South Korea war zone, surely, some things must have changed in the way they were done, to the way they are now done.

And don't call me Shirley.

Even the training films have changed. In 1974, the emergency childbirth training film used in my training showed an early First Responder Engine Company pull up at a house, and the Captain with one fire fighter, assisted in the delivery of a baby in what appeared to be a 1950s bomb shelter! They never showed the mother and child being moved to a hospital.

In 2007, in my refresher class, the newest film shows an actual ambulance respond, and deliver the baby in a comfortable appearing bedroom.

In an "Act 2" of the newer film, they even showed the ambulance crew stopping on the way to the hospital for an "in transit" delivery.

Again, things change. What would you think of someone using the original model of stethoscope? You know, the rolled paper tube? At least it was an improvement on the original way of listening, putting one's ear directly on the chest. (Then, again, if Dolly Parton was the patient...)

:shock:

I'm surprised there was someone who didn't see my tongue planted firmly in my cheek!

[AnthonyM83]

You mean Richard with tongue in cheek?

Didn't seem to firm to me...too long of a post for that..

[Richard B the EMT]

akroeze wrote

I'm surprised there was someone who didn't see my tongue planted firmly in my cheek!

Sorry, my x-ray vision is off line, must have been my exposure to that green kryptonite dirty bomb!

[captainstandup]

Isn't the objective of the Military Medic to "preserve the fighting force"? I, by no means, claim to be a Military Medic however I have several friends who are and they have transitioned into civilian practice nicely. I can assure you these guys NEVER complain about how hot or cold the weather is and they never make excuses for half-assed work because they are mission driven and never fail to accomplish their mission, never! Our terrain and environment can provide really difficult situations in terms of being required to hike 7 or 8 miles into the woods to the patient and then carry them out. We have even been forced to stay overnight on the trail with an injured patient due to safety issues (fog completely eliminating visibility and in an area with 800 foot sheer drops) The Military guys never uttered a syllable of complaint.

[CCMEDIC]

On 12/19/2007 at 10:39 PM, Dustdevil said:

I agree that this is a totally out of context discussion. I mean, I notice that most dermatologists suck at obstetrics too. Most wildfire fighters don't know anything about structural tactics either. Duh!

 

Turning it around, most civilian medics don't know dick about medical emergencies either, beyond EKGs (if they're lucky) and when to administer D50. I recently saw a ten year paramedic treat Shingles as an AMI. How many EMT-Ps do you know that even know where to start when trying to determine the cause of nausea, vomitting, diarrhoea, or abdominal pain? All they know is IV, O2, and transport. Does that mean they are inadequate for their job? Well, okay... you probably could make that argument. But the point is, that is not what their system deploys them for. Similarly, we don't deploy Whiskeys for practising cardiology on mostly healthy males under 30 years old. That's what battalion surgeons, nurses, and the occasional competent PA are for.

 

Turning 18 year old field medics into jacks of all trades is no more realistic than turning cardiologists into field medics. It's a preposterous propositon. They would so very rarely use their EKG skills that they would dangerously deteriorate. There just isn't enough call for that in a combat unit.

 

As for calling them "medics," they were using that name for about fifty years longer than we were in the civilian world. In fact, civilian medics stole that name from them strictly out of laziness, because it is just too much of an inconvenience to say the full word, "paramedic". I have yet to see an NR or state paramedic card that actualy says "medic" on it, so it's a little disingenuous for us to presume to lay claim to that term.

 

Incidentally, this "problem" you describe is more evident in the Army than elsewhere. I am impressed with the quality of the Navy Corpsmen I work with daily, as well as the Air Force medical specialists. They get a lot more of a clinical focus in their school. But then, you'd probably say they suck because they aren't trauma gods like Army medics.

Dust you are full of shit...you come off as the all knowing medical guru...If I am right your profile says retired...and with your statements about EMT-P's, I have serious doubts about your claim to be a retired one. A civilian medic would smoke a so called military medic even in trauma. They do it everyday day in and day out. As for medical knowledge...I want to challenge you to take a written or skills test against me. I bet I smoke your ass. People like you spout generalized blather about topics but have no real credible sources. You get off on making people think that you are the expert concerning any issue by talking negatively about others. Dust is correct, between the ears!

 

 

[Just Plain Ruff]

2 hours ago, CCMEDIC said:

Dust you are full of shit...you come off as the all knowing medical guru...If I am right your profile says retired...and with your statements about EMT-P's, I have serious doubts about your claim to be a retired one. A civilian medic would smoke a so called military medic even in trauma. They do it everyday day in and day out. As for medical knowledge...I want to challenge you to take a written or skills test against me. I bet I smoke your ass. People like you spout generalized blather about topics but have no real credible sources. You get off on making people think that you are the expert concerning any issue by talking negatively about others. Dust is correct, between the ears!

 

 

Dustdevil, he's been dead for years but even in death, he can still really really really piss someone off.

DUDE, I bet you didn't realize Dust died a number of years ago,but we won't hold that against you, I'm sure you had no idea.

But,  I'll bet you he can't make it to your little pissing match unless you want to go meet him where he is which would be quite unadvisable.  

But seriously, you angry bro?

Way to resurrect a 10 year old thread.  At least you did it in Style.  

Edited May 9, 2017 by Just Plain Ruff
the hell of it