Military "medics"

[mrsbull]

Just a quick Question . As a military spouse . I am having trouble figuring out what the definition of a medic is .

I have met many people who are "medics" some have only skills that resemble a CNA,Techs,LPN others that come close to an RN or paramedic level some SF ,some field medics and so on , I am trying to figure out if it is one particular MOS as a medic or if it is just a general term given to most enlisted service members in a medical mos .

I hope this makes sense I am finding it difficult to relay just what I'm getting at here. Hell I'm not sure it came out right. :?:

If you don't get what I'm saying please pm me and I will try to clarify. TIA

[p3medic]

Speaking from the Army point of view only, the term "medic" is used for a specific MOS, used to be 91A then 91B, now something else....they can serve in a clinic, er, in the field with the infantry etc...skillset will depend on the type of unit they are assigned to, and its primary mission. A medic in an ER will be doing a lot more CNA/LPN type skills than a medic with a front line infantry unit. As for SF, different set of skills all together, different MOS, but still a "medic"....All the other medical MOS jobs are not "medics", i.e dental tech, xray tech, behavioral science, etc....At least thats how it was over a decade ago....

[Dustdevil]

Well, I am not exactly sure what your question is, specifically. I need some context or maybe an example of what you mean. Are you asking for official titles, or just who we personally consider to be medics?

Regardless of what your specific question is, the answer is probably complicated. This is the military way, lol.

Army and Air Force medical enlisted personnel all receive the same initial medical training. All in the Army are 68W Healthcare Specialists. Some go on to work the different arenas that P3 mentioned. Others go on to a specialty school or, in the Army's case, on to a specialisation OJT assignment to learn dental or mental health or x-ray, etc... I work with guys out here whose only job is x-ray, but they received the very same medical training as the field and ER medics. In a pinch, all of them are medics. However, none of them are officially titled "medic" in any of the services. Medic is an unofficial, casual term generally applied to all those whose primary job is to provide primary care to personnel. Most would probably say that this does not include dental techs, psych techs, vet techs, x-ray techs, etc... However, there is no official policy for the application of this term.

And incidentally, the Navy and Marines don't use the term "medic" at all, preferring the term "corpsman," which is any an of the medical corps.

[chbare]

Medic is indeed a pretty generic term when you talk about the military. Several medical MOS's exist. In the Army, the entry level medical MOS could be considered the 91W. (health care specialist on the enlisted side) I would consider the 91W to be one of the chief backbone medical providers in the Army. However, you also have several other medical MOS's such as, Nurses, PA's, Medical Service Corp officers, Doctors, Vets, and many other skilled technical medical MOS's. To muddy the water, you have your special operations medical providers, combat life savers, and something called an additional skill identifier. (ASI) For example, a 91W may complete the Army LPN program and have the ASI M6. They are still considered a medic; however, they have additional education and credentials as an LPN and may work in that role. (91WM6)

Take care,

chbare.

[SSG G-man]

CHBARE- Hey. The Army is at it again!! 91W is now 68W!!!! The chenges never end!

[chbare]

Thank you for the clarification. I see Dustdevil put that as the MOS as well. I herd that they were looking at instituting changes prior to my ETS date in April 2006. Our state was still trying to transition medics into the 91W MOS. This is the reason I picked up my NREMT-I. Is the core program still the same 16 week course, or have they instituted major changes to the curriculum? I guess I will find out in the next year in any event. I put in a packet for a commission into the ANC after my ETS date and I am currently waiting for fed rec.

Take care,

chbare.

[FormerEMSLT297]

See that,,, the NAVY and USMC don't even have "medics" they have combat Corpsman MOS 8404.

CORPSMAN Up... LOL

But i understand what you are asking the answer is a little tougher seeing how so many different military medicine people are capable and allowed to do so mant differnet skills

[Rescue0ne]

U S Navy "Medics", bka "Hospital Corpsmen"

HM-8427 (Fleet Marine Force Reconnaissance Corpsman)

Classification is awarded upon completion of all of the following courses:

1) USMC Basic Reconnaissance

2) USMC Combatant Divers

3) Army Basic Airborne School

4) USMC Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman Diving Medicine

5) Joint Special Operations Forces Trauma Medic.

HM-8491 (Special Operations Independent Duty Corpsman)

Classification is awarded upon completion of all of the following courses:

1) US Army Special Operations Medical Sergeants Course (SOMED 011-­18-D30)

2) Personnel must hold NEC 5320 or 5326 to be awarded this NEC

a) NEC 5320 - Basic Combatant Swimmer

NEC 5326 - Combatant Swimmer (SEAL)

My personal rating was HM-8401 (Search and Rescue Medical Technician)

Performs aircrew and emergency medical care functions assigned in support of search and rescue missions. Qualified in Emergency Medical Technician ‑ Ambulance A (EMT‑A), Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Triage, IV therapy, use of emergency medical equipment, patient handling, and aero‑medical evacuation techniques.

It was during this time that I obtained my NREMT-P certification, after previously being an EMT-I

[Callthemedic]

I can speak for an Army medic alone.

Even though I no longer hold the title, I am one. The difference between an Army medic that merely holds an MOS and one that can be defined as anything you think a medic should be, is defined by the soldier themselves.

Remember that.

YOU define the term "medic". When your duty calls for you, define it..........make it more than an MOS description.

If not for Sgt Leslie Brock, who is the definition of the term, I would have been just a description of an MOS. I looked for something greater than a mole skin hander-outer but it requires a leader to show the way too.

Look beyond skill sets into your soul and be what they hope is coming to thier aid when they call "Medic!!"

BTW, that is where I got the inspiration for the screename.

[AllanJGAnderson]

A medic in the Army can be doing absolutley anything in the medical field, from being in a hospital to the front lines. The Army made the 68W Health Care Specialist title to trick people into becoming medics, which in my opinion is foolish because it makes alot of unmotivated Soldiers, thinking they're going to be a nurse up until they get to Ft. Sam and learn that they won't be a practical nurse without a M6 Practical Nurse identifier. The byproduct is a large amount of low quality medics which I think is foolish.