Posted on Mar 8, 2014

Medics, do you get more training in the hospital or Out on the line? if you had a choice would you work in a hospital or out on the line?

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This question goes out to all the Hospital medics and Line medics. and I use the term"hospital medic and "line medic" separate because there seems to be a difference between the two. Almost everything about the two seem to be as if they are two different MOS's. I feel that on the Line you trade up training for brotherhood but sometimes you don't get the deep medical training, compared to the medics that work up at the BSB. And at the hospital you trade the "army experience" ,because lets face it when you are a medic working at the hospital your basically a civilian, for deep medical training in whatever department you work in. And why is that Personnel see medics at the hospital and think less of them?

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Posted 11 y ago

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Responses: 10

SGT (Join to see)

Posted 11 y ago

I spent my entire career as a "line medic," and in my opinion it's completely possible to get the best of both worlds on the line, but it depends on certain factors. If you're a line medic, and you have a PA that is approachable and is willing to take some of his time (highly valuable time at that) to train you up then you can become one BAMF of combat medic.

The vast majority of my medical training and knowledge came to me after I arrived at my first unit, not at AIT. Combine an awesome PA with CMAST and BCT3, and you can have a line medic that will be able to perform drastically above and beyond their normal scope of practice/68W10 skill set.

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SSG (Join to see)

11 y

Couldn't agree more SGT Kenneth Thanks

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LTC (Join to see)

Edited >1 y ago

Posted 11 y ago

I worked with 66W(Medics) mostly in the hospital. They are mostly of use in the ER. Problem with fixed facilities like Brooke Army and Walter Reed is they are credentialed by the Joint Commission so the scope of medics working in CONUS is very limited vs working in the field. This is the number one frustration voiced to me by the medics I've worked with. It is a legal thing so there is no getting around it. Working in the hospital they will get exposed to a greater variety of things, and it serves as a better teaching (Knowledge) environment. That being said, the field allow medics to do their actual job. A medic's job is to be with their troops and to care for them. I think fixed facility is just where you keep them between wars or to give them a break between deployments. Most of the medics I know would rather be in the field.

The Army did our medics a favor vs the other braches. Every Army medic (68W) is an EMT (Emergency Medical Tech). The next step up, the 68WM6, have gone to addition schooling to become LVNs (Licensed Vocation Nurse) - The LVN has much more use in a hospital because the hold a license from a state nursing board. The LVN has a bridge to RN, which allows them to get a commission later.

The medics I've met from both the air force and navy, after they got out of the military had no civilian recognized training. Which was an area of frustration for them, they were qualified to be a nurse's aid as far as hospitals were concerned.

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SSG (Join to see)

11 y

yes sir I kind of figured

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LTC Paul Labrador

>1 y

MAJ Zuckero, I agree. TJC and licensing/certifcation issues are what hamstrings training in CONUS. Another is that, for line medics, working in an ER or clinic is fine for exposure to patients, but that is not what their job is going to be downrange (unless they are with a CSH or Med CO). I wish the Army could find a way for medics to train with local EMS/Fire Rescue. THAT is more along the lines with what medics will be doing downrange.

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LTC (Join to see)

>1 y

Our reserve unit in Houston has an agreement with a local EMS that lets our medics ride along for training. We also send our nurses and medics to a local level 1 trauma center for training. That was our solution to the problem. Still one weekend a month is only minimal exposure.

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LTC (Join to see)

>1 y

SSG Nicholson, I stand corrected on the 66W, it is 68W, typo, you are correct, I actually corrected myself a few posts later when I typed 68C. At a TJC (The Joint Commission) Certified Facility, the Standards of Practice for the hospital and scope of practice for the medics at that facility limit practice. The provider can not chance facility practice. Each place is different. Each skill need certification and validation.
My comment about civilian validation has mostly do with the air force. There enlisted medical personnel did not receive EMT certifications or LPN/LVN licensure. When they left the military, they had no civilian transferable certifications to fall back on.

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LTJG Robert M.

Posted 11 y ago

I was fortunate to be able to serve in a Clinic, Hospital and IDT.  I believe each has its own benefit, Hospital, we served in the ED and saw anything that came through the doors, put 84 sutures in a kids back one night. Clinic exposes you to the longer term illness environment, and IDT was a whole different book, we took things to the ED/Clinic that they never saw.  Crushing injuries (ammo hoist), fractures, broken teeth  from davits impact, penetrating eye injuries, diseases brought back from overseas/OutConus deployments.  One better than the other? No, combination of all three provided rounded experience.<br>

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SSG (Join to see)

11 y

Thanks Sir I appreciate the in put.

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Medics, do you get more training in the hospital or Out on the line? if you had a choice would you work in a hospital or out on the line?

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