Posted on Sep 20, 2016
Where did the tradition of calling a Medic "Doc" originate from and is this common in all Service Branches?
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Does anyone know the origin of the term "Doc" being given to Army Combat Medics, Navy Corpsman (Navy and Marines), Coast Guard Aviation Medics, or Air Force Medics?
Is it strictly out of respect?
What are your thoughts RP Members and Connections?
Is it strictly out of respect?
What are your thoughts RP Members and Connections?
Medics
Corpsman
Combat Medic
Medical
Military History
Edited 8 y ago
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 59
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I don't know the official origin but I do know that the term has been around since WW2. As a medic it is an honor to have the term doc bestowed on you. It means that the Soldiers respect and trust you completely. The first time I was called doc I was a PFC at fort Riley 20 some years ago and my best friend and I got a call to a lightning strike, we were told there was 1 casualty. When we arrived there were 2 in cardiac arrest and 3 with burns and dyspnea and desatimg on the 70's. We were both really new to being medics but we drew on each others strengths and utilized the uninjured Soldiers in the area to help treat. We stabilized and got all 5 on the 997 we had to use a mechanic to drive the lance since we were both doing CPR and rescue breathing in the back, well we got them back to the aid station. When we got to the aid station only a PA was there so we stayed by his side and help treat. After it was all over the PA started calling us both doc and it stuck. I was very proud to be a Soldier and medic that day. I am not putting this out there for kudos. I am making a point that rhe term is earned and is almost sacred. It is not a term used to describe a shit bag medic it's not given to anyone but If you have a medic that you call doc on patrol with you you can rest assured he or she will do what ever it takes to bring you home alive. Many Soldiers don't realize that when medics lose a comrade it tears us apart so we will do anything to save you, your battle, your brother or sister son or daughter, father or mother and yes even the CSM too
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SPC Douglas Bolton
And the world wonders who the heroes are today. We have them all in the military.
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SPC David Willis
Our "doc" was as crazy as us infantry guys. Few times we had to keep him from climbing into the gun or taking point on a patrol cuz well he's the medic haha.
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SPC David Willis
Also medics are perhaps the only people in the military who wake up everyday hoping to not do their job. Infantrymen wanna pull the trigger, pilots wanna drop bombs, tankers wanna blow stuff up, but medics hope not to be called. Its also the job with the highest level of personal burden. In every job you can do everything right and still not have the outcome you want, but as a medic if that happens someone dies and even though they may know in the back of their head they did everything right they probably take that loss the hardest out of everyone except the SM's family.
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I don't know about the Army, but from my time, when a corpsman reported to a Marine unit for the first time, they were called corpsman. They had to prove themselves to their units before they would earn the title "Doc". Once that mutual respect was there, you were good to go. The better you took care of your Marines, the better they took care of you. Just my observation.
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A1C Lisa Casserly
Lol. Oh, I could tell you a few stories passed on from my father in law!! He wanted to be a Marine... but, he was always a tiny little skinny man. The Marines would not take him. So he enlisted in the Navy. And promptly became a corpsman, so they sent him to Marine Basic Training. He was a tough little bird! I only got to hear the "funny" stories, the serious stuff he kept to himself. I wish I could have spent more time with him, he really was an amazing man.
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CAPT Don Bosch, EdD
CAPT Hiram Patterson - Forget? Not possible, CAPT Patterson. My Grandpa Don was a Chief Pharmacist's Mate with a Naval Construction Battalion in the Philippines, WWII.
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I did a little research on the term medic which seems to have been around since ancient times but not used the way it has been since the civil war.COL Mikel J. Burroughs
Here is a short history of medics from the site below:
"During Ancient times if a soldier was wounded, he laid in the field where he had fallen. There was no one to come to his aid.
Napoleon's Army was the first to assign people to help the wounded. They were called the litter-bearers, made up mostly of inept and expendable soldiers. The American Colonel Army lead by George Washington, also had litter-bearers during the Revolutionary War.
In 1862, due to the unexpected size of casualty lists during the battle of Manassas where it took one week to remove the wounded from the battlefield, Dr. Jonathan Letterman, Head of Medical Services of the Army of the Potomac, revamped the Army Medical Corps. His contribution included staffing and training men to operate horse teams and wagons to pick up wounded soldiers from the field and to bring them back to field dressing stations for initial treatment. This was our Nation's first Ambulance Cops. Dr. Letterman also developed the 3 tiered evacuation system which is still used today.
Field Dressing (Aid) Station - located next to the battlefield. Dressings and tourniquets
Field Hospital - Close to the battlefield (during the Civil War it would be Barns or Houses, today they are known as MASH units). Emergency surgery and treatment.
Large Hospital - Away from the battlefield. For patients' prolonged treatment.
Dr. Letterman's transportation system proved successful. In the battle of Antietam, which was a 12 hour engagement and the bloodiest one day battle in the entire Civil War, the ambulance system was was able to remove all the wounded from the field in 24 hours. Dr. Jonathan Letterman is known today as the Father of Modern Battlefield Medicine. Unfortunately, amputation was the primary method of treatment for wounds to extremities during the Civil War with over 50,000 resulting amputees.
During the Spanish American War in the 1890's Nicholas Sin stated: Fate of the wounded soldier is determined by the hand which applies the dressing. Field dressings are now applied by litter-bearers in the field.
World War I required millions of casualties to be treated at the front. Unlike previous wars, battles did not stop to retrieve the wounded or the dead. World War I saw, for the first time, medics rushing forward with the troops, finding the wounded, stopping their bleeding and bringing the wounded soldier to the aid station. In World War I medics were no longer expendable and were well trained.
After World War I, Military Medicine advanced. Training became a priority both in fighting and medical care. Medics were trained along side infantry soldiers, learning how to use the lay of the land for their protection and that of their patients. Medics were also trained in the use of pressure dressings, plasma IV's, tracheotomy, splints, and administering drugs.
During World War II a wounded soldier had an 85% chance of surviving if he was treated by a medic within the first hour. This figure was three times higher than World War I survival statistics. The red cross worn by medics on their helmet and arm bands became visible targets for enemy snipers during World War II and Korea.
Korea saw the advent of the helicopter being used to bring men from the front lines to M*A*S*H units (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital).
In Vietnam, the medic's job was to treat and evacuate. Medevac helicopters now could bring medics on board to continue treating the wounded while transporting them back to the Field Hospitals. There was a 98% survival rate for soldiers who were evacuated within the first hour. Vietnam was the first time medics were armed and carried firearms and grenades into combat. Red crosses on helmets and arm bands were no longer worn."
http://www.1stcavmedic.com/medic_history.htm
Here is a short history of medics from the site below:
"During Ancient times if a soldier was wounded, he laid in the field where he had fallen. There was no one to come to his aid.
Napoleon's Army was the first to assign people to help the wounded. They were called the litter-bearers, made up mostly of inept and expendable soldiers. The American Colonel Army lead by George Washington, also had litter-bearers during the Revolutionary War.
In 1862, due to the unexpected size of casualty lists during the battle of Manassas where it took one week to remove the wounded from the battlefield, Dr. Jonathan Letterman, Head of Medical Services of the Army of the Potomac, revamped the Army Medical Corps. His contribution included staffing and training men to operate horse teams and wagons to pick up wounded soldiers from the field and to bring them back to field dressing stations for initial treatment. This was our Nation's first Ambulance Cops. Dr. Letterman also developed the 3 tiered evacuation system which is still used today.
Field Dressing (Aid) Station - located next to the battlefield. Dressings and tourniquets
Field Hospital - Close to the battlefield (during the Civil War it would be Barns or Houses, today they are known as MASH units). Emergency surgery and treatment.
Large Hospital - Away from the battlefield. For patients' prolonged treatment.
Dr. Letterman's transportation system proved successful. In the battle of Antietam, which was a 12 hour engagement and the bloodiest one day battle in the entire Civil War, the ambulance system was was able to remove all the wounded from the field in 24 hours. Dr. Jonathan Letterman is known today as the Father of Modern Battlefield Medicine. Unfortunately, amputation was the primary method of treatment for wounds to extremities during the Civil War with over 50,000 resulting amputees.
During the Spanish American War in the 1890's Nicholas Sin stated: Fate of the wounded soldier is determined by the hand which applies the dressing. Field dressings are now applied by litter-bearers in the field.
World War I required millions of casualties to be treated at the front. Unlike previous wars, battles did not stop to retrieve the wounded or the dead. World War I saw, for the first time, medics rushing forward with the troops, finding the wounded, stopping their bleeding and bringing the wounded soldier to the aid station. In World War I medics were no longer expendable and were well trained.
After World War I, Military Medicine advanced. Training became a priority both in fighting and medical care. Medics were trained along side infantry soldiers, learning how to use the lay of the land for their protection and that of their patients. Medics were also trained in the use of pressure dressings, plasma IV's, tracheotomy, splints, and administering drugs.
During World War II a wounded soldier had an 85% chance of surviving if he was treated by a medic within the first hour. This figure was three times higher than World War I survival statistics. The red cross worn by medics on their helmet and arm bands became visible targets for enemy snipers during World War II and Korea.
Korea saw the advent of the helicopter being used to bring men from the front lines to M*A*S*H units (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital).
In Vietnam, the medic's job was to treat and evacuate. Medevac helicopters now could bring medics on board to continue treating the wounded while transporting them back to the Field Hospitals. There was a 98% survival rate for soldiers who were evacuated within the first hour. Vietnam was the first time medics were armed and carried firearms and grenades into combat. Red crosses on helmets and arm bands were no longer worn."
http://www.1stcavmedic.com/medic_history.htm
A Brief history from ancient times to present day
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MAJ Dick Farnsworth
LTC Stephen F.: Sir. Thank you for this insight, but has the UN/Geneva Convention status changed? Years ago medics and chaplains were of a Geneva Convention class of POW that was to be treated differently, and thus were not to be armed. Anyone familiar with the current status?
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LTC Stephen F.
MAJ Dick Farnsworth - that is a great question. Does anybody know if the Geneva Convention classification of medics and chaplains as POWs affords them privileges as non-combatants since they are not supposed to be armed.
COL Mark Ellis LtCol Dave Jonas LTC John Shaw SGT Darla Jarvie CW5 Charlie Poulton SSG Richard Reilly
COL Mark Ellis LtCol Dave Jonas LTC John Shaw SGT Darla Jarvie CW5 Charlie Poulton SSG Richard Reilly
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LT Aaron Pease
MAJ Dick Farnsworth - In a word -- yes the convention has changed. Some low hanging fruit: "Combat medics also receive the same basic weapons training as every other soldier. Does this mean they carry weapons? Yes, they do. While medics historically didn't carry weapons, today's combat medics are not only trained to fight, but are allowed to defend themselves if they come under attack, usually at short range and usually in response to a surprise attack while attending to or evacuating a wounded patient.
Why the change? Although the Geneva Conventions protect medical personnel, not all enemies respect the doctrine, and both doctors and medics have found themselves targets on the battlefield. The white armband with a red cross -- the Geneva Convention brassard -- is worn by medical team personnel when they're searching for, treating and evacuating wounded or sick soldiers. Once worn by all medical team personnel, the Geneva Convention brassard has been downplayed in recent wars to decrease the visibility of active medical teams. And since they have often become targets, all medical personnel carry a pistol or service rifle (M-16) at all times, to be used for self-defense only." Found at http://health.howstuffworks.com/medicine/army-medicine/do-army-doctors-and-medics-carry-weapons.htm
Why the change? Although the Geneva Conventions protect medical personnel, not all enemies respect the doctrine, and both doctors and medics have found themselves targets on the battlefield. The white armband with a red cross -- the Geneva Convention brassard -- is worn by medical team personnel when they're searching for, treating and evacuating wounded or sick soldiers. Once worn by all medical team personnel, the Geneva Convention brassard has been downplayed in recent wars to decrease the visibility of active medical teams. And since they have often become targets, all medical personnel carry a pistol or service rifle (M-16) at all times, to be used for self-defense only." Found at http://health.howstuffworks.com/medicine/army-medicine/do-army-doctors-and-medics-carry-weapons.htm
Do Army doctors and medics carry weapons?
Do Army doctors and medics carry weapons? Visit Discovery Fit & Health to learn if Army doctors and medics carry weapons.
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PO2 Paul W.
MAJ Dick Farnsworth - I was an FMF Corpsman during Vietnam. The armband and red crosses on the helmet were gone out of necessity and self preservation by 1968 when I went green. (Even our rank and caduceus were subdued or not worn on patrol) My ID card had a large red cross and the word "MEDIC" stamped on the back. I was issued a 1911A1 plus 3 magazines (21 rds of ammo) to "protect my patients". Since Corpsmen were #3 on the "hit" list (CO, Radiomen, Corpsmen) most of us made a point of taking the firearm and ammo from our first casualty to blend in. My attitude was: they are not playing by the Geneva convention, neither will I...and I don't intend to be taken alive anyway!
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