Question about joining as a Medic

[Jarnhamar]

ohh, I'll bite FP, why are you compelled to join as a med tech than say an infantry soldier?

 

[Blackadder1916]

What civvy equivalent?  Of course it's been a couple of decades since I was a MA, but things probably haven't changed so much as to be unrecognizable.  Training and employment may be more focused initially on pre-hospital care than in the past but a recipe for a medic could be said to include one part Primary Care Paramedic, one part Licensed Practical Nurse, one part Truck Driver, one part Medical Administrative Clerk, throw in a dash of Infanteer, Signaller and Supply Tech (or a really good scrounger) and you may have the makings of a junior Med Tech.

Now when I joined, (lo those many years ago) I was the "victim" of advertising copy and my own appetites.  When I was reviewing the booklet describing the trades that were open to me the only section that had a picture of a female (a particularly fetching lass) was for the medical trades.  As I was joining the CF for "sex and travel" the choice was obvious.  In retrospect the opportunities for the latter were greater than the former.

 

[Future Prodigy]

ohh, I'll bite FP, why are you compelled to join as a med tech than say an infantry soldier?

this is not for my responses like i said above. You have misread my intentions and post. I am curious as to why others chose this branch.

 

[armyvern]

I have locked this topic up.

For obvious reasons, I will reopen shortly.

You each want to insult each other -- take it to PMs.

ArmyVern
The Milnet.ca Staff

 

[armyvern]

Unlocked.

ArmyVern
The Milnet.ca Staff

 

[Jarnhamar]

this is not for my responses like i said above. You have misread my intentions and post. I am curious as to why others chose this branch.

Have I misread you're intentions? If so I apologize, let me explain why I may have.

Instructors in the military get asked the same questions over and over and see where these questions can lead. They learn how to spot 'difficult' students and leading questions, ones that when asked end up going off topic- classes  go from learning how to strip a rifle to the ROE engagements and someone who knows a guy who saw a soldier shoot a wounded enemy who may or may not have had a grenade under him on youtube.

No doubt college and university professors deal with this same thing. Students who ask seemingly harmless questions which (as they've seen countless times) lead the class into a debate about something only slightly related to the original question.

Using this post as an example, you may be purely curious about someones choice however;
The manner in which you slipped in choosing Med tech over infantry with a side order of mysterious "I have my reasons...whats yours" naturally sends up flags with people whom have seen this type of question before. 

It's easy to see how this type of question can (and likely would have in my posting experience here) lead back to your views from the humanitarian thread.
Almost as if you tried a frontal assault and now you're going for a left flanking  . It's quite easy to see how someone in your shoes (given the nature of your recent posts) would try and connect this seemingly innocent question with your previous statements in order to approach it from a different angle. You may be new to army.ca but believe me, that tactic is a classic here.

That, Jason, is why people may "misread" your intentions. Like the military instructor or university prof, they have "seen it" before.  This is where first impressions really come into play.

Who knows maybe I'm wrong.

 

[medicineman]

I know its been asked before about why you joined the CF in general but I could not find a thread that asked why you joined the medical branch over others. I feel more compelled to join as a med tech than say a infantry solider, but i have my reasons and was wondering what yours were?

I'll circle in at someone else's behest - I originally joined with the intention of not being in the Medical Branch.  I went to the local Armouries with the intention of joining the local Military Police Platoon, but alas, the Medical Company was the only one accepting recruits still at that time.  Then my request to change trades was denied, so I ended up being a Cas Aide.  No biggy.  I went to apply for the Reg Force, again with the intention of not being a medic.  I asked for bird gunner, MP and something else - I think Med A was like 4 out of 3 choices.  But alas, my vision was on the cusp of V3/4, they opted with the 4 and therefore disqualified me for all combat arms trades and the Military Police.  So the recruiter and I literally argued for about an hour and a half - it was like being in a gold souk - I'd done well on aptitude stuff I didn't give a rat's about and he wanted me to go into and I said no, countered with what fit into those parameters but he didn't like and in the end, we came back to Med A.  He told me I had a 2 year waiting list - I said fine, since I was still in the Reserves, and was on a waiting list for nursing school (eeek - can't believe I did that :) and working on getting onto the BC Ambulance Service as an EMA.  Guess who called first.

In the end, it kind of found me and I found I was reasonably good at it.  Why I didn't go for a civvy equivalent, well at the time there weren't any (I think Blackadder mentioned that - we were jacks of all trades and masters of none) and the hoops were easier, cheaper and fewer to get through at the time.  Incidentally, I should mention that I've on occasions actually put in the OT's or started the process for trades both within the Branch and many outside of it, because I was getting fed up with alot of problems at the adult level that were affecting us the children at the working level.  In May of 06, I was at my last straw and was drafting my release memo when mysteriously I got loaded on the PA course I'm in the process of finishing - I say mysteriously because I'd been told in no uncertain terms twice that year I wasn't getting it. 

Don't get me wrong, being a medic in the CF is the best job in the service hands down - but can also be the worst one if you don't have the right mindset and expect it to be all glamour and gallantry.  It's hard work, not only on your body and mind, but sometimes even your soul, since the people you look after are your friends and coworkers - you don't just see them at their best, but you see them at their worst, you see them with their insides on their outsides, you see them as delirious crazy people and sometimes you see them dead - and you are responsible for trying to fix that.  Our civilian "equivalents" don't (often) have to deal with the friends/coworkers part of our job.

If you think you are ready for that sort of thing AND the responsibility that goes with it, by all means, join us, we need people.  If you think you are ready for that sort of thing but not the responsibility that goes with it, join the infantry or other combat arms, because they need people too.

Cheers.

MM

 

[Future Prodigy]

MM - thanks for the reply. Because of my verbal warning i can no longer modify posts, and what i was meaning to say by equivalent is - why did you chose med tech over civil paramedic.

 

[Gunner98]

FP,

When I attended WLU, we were taught to think before we wrote or in this case typed.  Responding to your query is like trying to hit a moving target.  Why don't you think for a while and then decide what it is that you want to discuss?  You have shared little of your thoughts but are demanding of others.

To remind you - your opening post in this thread stated: "I feel more compelled to join as a med tech than say a infantry solider, but i have my reasons and was wondering what yours were?"

 

[Future Prodigy]

Yes, but in WLU they don't nit pick your every word either. If the consensus of the thread is why did 'you' chose this branch, you would get a answer along those lines. I have not given my reasons yet because it seems everytime I do so it starts an argument. I truly want to know others reasons for joining. I have spent hours reading old threads about why people joined the CF in general but never any responses about the med branch in particular. I have PM'ed flawed design my personal reason and if it does not start controversy with him then i will post it here.

And I do not have the option of editing my posts anymore, like you just did now. IF i did i would remove that part, because i do want others opinions not to start a debate concerning my own views!

 

[Gunner98]

FP, In the hours you spent reading you should have read this Topic: Cannot Modify Posts
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/53191.0.html

A consensus requires more than one person.  Why do you need Flaw's permission to state your own opinion? ???

 

[Jarnhamar]

Thanks for the post FP.  I think you're starting to catch on 

Most people I would think can safely guess at the reason you will give for wanting to become a medic over an infantry soldier.(I'll let you go into details)
It's just that as I explained, it can easily be a prelude to a loaded philosophical debate (given your recent thread) as it can be pure curiosity on your part. There is nothing wrong with those debates so long as the poster is upfront about the topic and doesn't sneak in a back door if you know what I mean.

I'm getting out of my lanes with medic discussion so I'll abandon ship after this. Something to consider as I pointed out in the PM (And medics correct me if I'm in the wrong)  you won't see days of Medics refusing to carry a weapon a la "Tour of Duty" Tv series. A medic may or may not be comfortable with 'taking' a life however the very first step in first aid in the military is to shoot the person who is trying to kill you. Medics will use lethal force to protect the patients they are trying to save and also protect their own life. 
You may prefer being a medic over an infantry soldier but keep in mind as a medic you run a very big chance of being on patrol WITH the infantry guys outside the wire-you're a soldier first.

Cheers

 

[Jarnhamar]

A consensus requires more than one person.  Why do you need Flaw's permission to state your own opinion? ???

He doesn't.
I think he was just worried that his answer may have come out wrong (given he feels the tone of his thread came out wrong) so he was double checking.

 

[Gunner98]

Thanks for the post FP.  I think you're starting to catch on 
A medic may or may not be comfortable with 'taking' a life however the very first step in first aid in the military is to shoot the person who is trying to kill you. Medics will use lethal force to protect the patients they are trying to save and also protect their own life. 
You may prefer being a medic over an infantry soldier but keep in mind as a medic you run a very big chance of being on patrol WITH the infantry guys outside the wire-you're a soldier first.
Cheers

FD,

A good start.  A Med Tech must be prepared to take a life in defence of themselves, their patients and others, when required.  The first step in Combat Casualty Care is finishing the firefight and making the area safe to provide care (not in 'First Aid' per se).  Taking a turn as air sentry or manning the C6 Machine Gun must be in your comfort zone, as well.  Forget the "very big chance" - you will be trained accordingly and be expected to keep up with those patrolling outside the wire. 

 

[medaid]

What FNE said. MedTechs' primary concern is the safety of their patients and themselves. That's why we have to take SQ to be familiar with the types of small arms employed by our Cbt Arms brethren, and be proficient in their TOETs so that if need be we may either secure the weapon or employ it in our own defence.

Future_Prodigy, read about 12 (Vancouver) Field Ambulance's history. We were the first and only medical unit to ever actively engage the enemy in combat in order to defend ourselves and our patients and aid station during WWII. The brave medics and stretcher bearers not only kept themselves and their patients intact from enemy advances, but won and later captured the enemy unit that attacked the aid station.

That was during the time when none of the medics carried weapons, and heck they weren't even trained on how to operate some of the things that their Cbt Arms brethren were using at the time. However, through ability to adapt and overcome they used captured enemy weapons and our own weapons to engage and ultimately winning the battle.

 

[medicineman]

MM - thanks for the reply. Because of my verbal warning i can no longer modify posts, and what i was meaning to say by equivalent is - why did you chose med tech over civil paramedic.

Sorry - must have missed or glossed over it, so to summarize:

1)  They called back first.

2)  Lots of options that opened up after training.

3)  Get to travel to interesting places and work there.

4)  Carry a gun while doing all the above.

All the above are why - though 4 is true, you get to carry while working (in some areas anyway), that wasn't a reason I chose it ie - a joke.

MM

 

[Armymedic]

First,
there is no civilain equivelent to what we military medics do as a complete job decription throughout the CF. Paramedicine is just one small basic block of our entire knowledge base and work experience.

To answer your question more directly. I have never wanted to be a civilian "medic" (paramedic). I have done ride alongs and did not enjoy being a bus to the hospital for homeless, drunks and druggies.

I became a medic after serving 8 years as an armoured soldier because I found first aid and health care interesting and challenging, plus it kept me close to the guys in the cbt arms I really enjoyed woking with. And it helped I did all my sciences in HS so that I easily qualified for the trade.

 

[Goose]

hey guys- i;m looking for some information about med-tech. I've searched high and low- and the information available is almost overwhelming, so I was wondering if- seeing as how my question is directly related- someone could throw me a quick opinion on what my odds are of working with combat arms. I have always wanted to be a medic, and now that I'm just about done the bachelors it's time for a choice. I don't really know who'se opinion to put weight into on the forum... some people say that they are busy doing medical=stuff right out of the gate, others are telling me that they do nothing but fixing trucks and can't wait to get out of the trade. I'm not looking forward to that, so if I know that I'll be strictly maintaining vehicles or what-have-you (I am not opposed to paperwork though- as long as it's a healthy balance), I might just stay clear of the trade to begin with. I want to be able to take the 'cool' courses too- i know how childish this sounds, but hey- it's true. Infantry stuff, with the medical job... is this possible? I mean, if guys are jumping to a drop zone, they'll need a medic trained to do that too right? thanks for any help- i really appreciate it all.  8)

 

[George Wallace]

Goose

You really don't have two clues what you want to be do you? Eight posts and all the same theme.  All claiming you haven't found anything that would answer what your questions may be. 

Perhaps, you should go on Listening Silence for a while and so some Research here on the site and get a feel for what is being posted.  Perhaps something will jump out at you, and hit you between the lookers, and then you'll know what your calling may be.

I hope that doesn't hit your sensibilities too hard, but you really are giving us the impression that you are adrift in life, without a calling.

 

[Goose]

I actually laughed- you are completely right... But I do have a calling, the CF. Actually, I have already applied and have been accepted as a med-tech for Jan 08- didn't go because I wanted to finish the undergrad (which I just have) and in that few months I did some more digging, and now I'm unsure- Medic or combat arms officer... anyways, i'm sure you know the rest.