# Acadian SMS (Remote Medic)



## TransportJockey (Mar 6, 2014)

Do we have anyone who's pulled time with Acadian Ambulance's SMS division? They do remote medicine on oil rigs and the like. Just curious...


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## Medic Tim (Mar 6, 2014)

I noticed they had an office north of the border . Anyone have more info on this. My Google fu is failing me this morning .


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## Handsome Robb (Mar 20, 2014)

I'm gonna be that guy.

TTT

I'm very interested in getting with SMS...anyone out there know anything?


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## UnkiEMT (Mar 20, 2014)

I have no direct knowledge of them, however one of my classmates in a DMT course I took was an offshore guy, and I spent a bunch of time talking to him about it, he recommended them as one of the ways to break into off-shore work, they're both a training house for off-shore, and not a bad place to work.


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## Handsome Robb (Mar 20, 2014)

That's good to know. I can't do anything until the surgeon puts me back together obviously but I'm looking at options. Thinking I'm going to have to put in some more time on the ground to get in but that's something I'm willing to do. 

I've heard Acadian is a good company to work for, treats their employees well.

Any idea on salaries?


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## mpc83 (Mar 21, 2014)

We recently moved to houston for my husband to work safety for an oil company and I've heard a couple things about them. They usually work two weeks on an land/water rig and two weeks off . Most medics are contracted through Ems companies(Acadian, frontier) and don't actually work for the oil company ( shell Exxon etc). You have a higher level of practice and can do things we usually don't have to ( stitches) pay varies depending on company and what company your contracting for but all sites have to have a medic nearby or on site ( and some sites are out there). Sometimes you maybe also required to do minor safety things etc. From what i gather they make  $50-80k depending. Hadn't heard many making more than that but I can also ask around and see what else I can come up with. Also I hope ur a guy bc rig life is not easy on women... 

Last I heard Acadian had a $10k sign on bonus for Beaumont Texas and OT was Plentiful out there... Quite a few oil companies go thru there a lot to get out to LA or the gulf


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## Medic Tim (Mar 21, 2014)

mpc83 said:


> We recently moved to houston for my husband to work safety for an oil company and I've heard a couple things about them. They usually work two weeks on an land/water rig and two weeks off . Most medics are contracted through Ems companies(Acadian, frontier) and don't actually work for the oil company ( shell Exxon etc). You have a higher level of practice and can do things we usually don't have to ( stitches) pay varies depending on company and what company your contracting for but all sites have to have a medic nearby or on site ( and some sites are out there). Sometimes you maybe also required to do minor safety things etc. From what i gather they make  $50-80k depending. Hadn't heard many making more than that but I can also ask around and see what else I can come up with. Also I hope ur a guy bc rig life is not easy on women...
> 
> Last I heard Acadian had a $10k sign on bonus for Beaumont Texas and OT was Plentiful out there... Quite a few oil companies go thru there a lot to get out to LA or the gulf



I would hope the salary is more than that. That is the EMT-A / PCP salary for my company. On shore oilfield .


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## mpc83 (Mar 28, 2014)

ok so lets follow up with more info i gathered this week... I don't know alot about Acadians off site info but AMR does off site as well. Their company is call On Site ( creative I know). You have to be with the company 6 mo then you can apply to move over to the onsite side of things. You have to go thru a good amount of training (mostly company paid) but is seemed like it would be well worth it. I asked and pay was somewhere between $285-$450 a day depending on location and job. Alot of the job is doing safety stuff... Seemed like a sweet deal with the 14 on 14 off rotation... that working half a year and making 60k+...


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## RMTMedic (Nov 9, 2014)

Well since I work with SMS I'll be more than happy to answer your questions.  I started with SMS 4.5 years ago and love it.

Your assignments can range from old jack-up rigs to modern state of the art drillships to semi-subs to production platforms. It is the luck of the draw, what is open when you are coming out of training. My first assignment was a 35yo jack-up rig. I was the: Medic, Helicopter Landing Officer, Admin Clerk, Safety/Sanitation Inspector, Purser (made room assignments and induction for new arrivals), and more Admin Clerk work.  After 2.5 years of that I asked my supervisor for a transfer. I'm now on a 5yo drillship, and do nothing but: Medic, and I enter new chemicals into their database (takes about 10 minutes a day), I line folks up going home and hand them a lifejacket and tell them when to board the helicopter, and once a week I do First Aid Team Training and do the Accommodations inspection with the ship's Captain. As you can tell, I'm working hard today.

Your schedule depends on your assignment. Typically 14 days on / 14 days off, some deepwater (over 500' deep), will do 21 days on / 21 days off. If you go overseas, than it is typically 28 days on / 28 days off. Pay can vary depending on: your experience and your assignment.  Some assignments pay more.  Depending on the assignment you will either take a boat out (I've done 8 hour crew boat rides) or a helicopter.  Your assignment is what you make it. Some of them, suck and some are great though. If you get a crappy assignment, do your time and in a few months ask for a transfer. I found that the more you help out the OIM (Offshore Instillation Manager) or Captain, they better your time offshore is. That doesn't mean kiss butt.

Offshore, someone will: cook your meals, clean your room, make your bed, wash your clothes, clean your office.  Big shock when you go home and you have to do all that.

Benefits with SMS are the same with Acadian, they are dang good. The retirement, I can't complain about, I'm averaging a 20%+ return on my investments and the company stock has never gone down.  In all of Acadian's 42 years (maybe 43 now), only 2 years have they failed to give raises out.

You are it in the way of medicine. You will function more like a Family Physician than a Paramedic. I have ONE doctor that I call for orders, 24/7 and he happens to be our Medical Director. You get to know him and he gets to know you. After a while you know what he wants and what he doesn't. He does a good part of your Clinical Extension training. Your training will include a week of death by powerpoint on safety topics, a day of water survival and HUET (helicopter underwater egress trainer). Than a week of Clinical Extension, how to do assessments that you've never done, use an otoscope, how to suture, how to do an I&D (incision and drainage), how to numb an eye and do a good eye exam, dental exams, etc. You will learn what you have to call for orders on and what you don't.

Just an example for treatment I've seen in the last 18 days (I do 21/21): Tinea Pedis (athlete's foot/anti-fungal cream), upper respiratory infections (common cold/phenylphedrine, guaifenesin, APAP, Motrin, etc), Chelitis (dry lips/carmex), Otitis Media (middle ear infection/amoxicillin), Otitis Externa (ear canal infection/cortisporin otic), upset tummy (pepto bismuth), dermatitis (rash/hydrocortisone cream), furuncle (ingrown abscess hair follicle/incision and drainage, septra), bursitis (inflamed bursa/Motrin), toothache (periapical abscess/PENVK), peptic ulcer disease (anti-acid, cimetidine and evac to sure), etc, etc, etc. You get the idea, not exactly emergency medicine, more like Urgent Care/Family Medicine.

The bad part: if your assignment goes away and they don't have a place to put you. You don't get paid, no work. But the supervisors do their best to find you work a week here or a week there until they can get you back on something full time.  Usually, if you listen to what is going on, you will know about it early and can give your supervisor a heads up, so they can start looking for you a new assignment. The nice thing is SMS is the big dog in the Gulf of Mexico, so they have a lot of assignments. There are plenty of small companies that have 10 - 15 assignments. You loose one or two and they don't have a lot of room to work with. SMS has about 60% - 70% of the Remote Medic assignments in the GOM, more room to work with.

If you have questions, drop me a message and ask. I'll give you an honest answer.


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## TransportJockey (Nov 9, 2014)

If you get put on shore with no work is there a possibility of pulling ground or airmed shifts while waiting for an assignment?


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## RMTMedic (Nov 9, 2014)

TransportJockey said:


> If you get put on shore with no work is there a possibility of pulling ground or airmed shifts while waiting for an assignment?


Depends on where you live.  We have medic's from NYC, Washington state, NC, VA, OK, etc.  If you live in an Acadian covered area, and you start working part time with them, probably so.  I know some of the guys have worked a few weeks on the ambulance until they could get another assignment offshore.  We also have assignments in West Texas on land rigs.


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## TransportJockey (Nov 9, 2014)

RMTMedic said:


> Depends on where you live.  We have medic's from NYC, Washington state, NC, VA, OK, etc.  If you live in an Acadian covered area, and you start working part time with them, probably so.  I know some of the guys have worked a few weeks on the ambulance until they could get another assignment offshore.  We also have assignments in West Texas on land rigs.


Heh we have a good relationship out here in Pecos with one of your guys. Seems to be a good bunch


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## RMTMedic (Nov 9, 2014)

TransportJockey said:


> Heh we have a good relationship out here in Pecos with one of your guys. Seems to be a good bunch


I like my at sea time. Nothing like waking up in the morning and smelling the salt air, feeling the wind hit your face and not seeing land in sight. Then going down to breakfast that someone cooked for you. LOL!!!  As you can tell, I'm working real hard today. Headed outside on the deck in an hour for a walk about, check a few eye wash stations, first aid kits and talk with the guys.  Then dinner at 1715, and in my cabin at 1800 for television and sleep.


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## ShipMedic (Nov 10, 2014)

Does the company pay transportation costs or is that on you?


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## medic550 (Nov 11, 2014)

Do you get decent TV and or internet capabilities on offshore sites? Or is it a toss up depending where you land


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## RMTMedic (Nov 11, 2014)

Transportation depends on your assignment. Some, you drive to the dock or heliport, and SMS will pay you a maximum of $300.00 round trip (depending on where you live. live close by get less, live far way, get more).  Some assignments mandate you fly, in that case SMS will make the flight arrangements and bill the client.

TV depends on the assignment. Most assignments you have a TV in your room. Some older rigs/platforms, you don't (there is one in the lounge). Internet again, depends on the assignment. Some it is great, high speed, others, it is slow and narrow bandwidth.

I wish I could be more specific but it all depends on your assignment, and weather.  Lousy weather, lousy tv and lousy internet.


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## TransportJockey (Nov 11, 2014)

What are the chances of a three rural critical care medic might be able to get a gig with them? Do they use experience as a tool to figire out who goes where?


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## Handsome Robb (Nov 11, 2014)

My lady hates it but I'm really interested in this. I've been told it's very hard to get a spot if you're not from the south, any truth to that?


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## RMTMedic (Nov 11, 2014)

Nope, we have folks from NYC, WA, IN, KY, VA, NC, TX, OK, MS, FL, AL, TN, LA, AR, we even had a Canadian or two; you name it.

Your assignment is a first come first serve. Once you have been there a while and the supervisors get to know you, it is possible to move around if you get a crappy assignment.  I don't mean kiss butt, I mean show up on time, don't call the supervisor for stupid stuff, don't piss off the client daily, don't let your certifications expire and expect them to let you work; things like that. 

My supervisors will tell you, I'm an anal retentive, OCD, pain the *** to deal with. But they know I show up, do my job, keep the client happy, and so they put up with me.

We are a small division of Acadian. Our division has 663 employees as of today.  All the supervisors get to know you, your payroll clerk gets to know you, training and QA/QI get to know you.  We are a big family. If your a whinny, complainer; everyone knows, if you are a butt kisser; everyone knows. I may go 3 - 5 months and not stop by the office.  Some folks stop by every hitch. Most of our supervisors have worked offshore before, a few transferred over from the ambulance side of the house. But they all went through the same training.

I could work other companies and make more, but I'd be a number, not a person.  At SMS I am a person.


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## TransportJockey (Nov 11, 2014)

You required to hols any state certs in addition to registry to apply?


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## RMTMedic (Nov 11, 2014)

National, State, BLS, ACLS.  That is it. We don't have kids out here, and no pregos either. 

Now if you want to maintain your alphabet soup, it puts you ahead of others, and looks good on your yearly review (increases your raise).  I maintain every certification I can.  I've never gotten below maximum on the certification portion of the review (that I know of).


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## Flight-LP (Nov 14, 2014)

Got an issue with pregnant medics? Or pregnant oil workers?


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## RMTMedic (Nov 17, 2014)

You won't typically see pregnant oil field workers because of the danger of not being able to get them to shore if they go into labor.  There may be days, when due to weather you can't get a patient in for 3 or 4 days.  I've had to spend a extra 2 days at work because of weather.  Imagine keeping a newborn or neonate alive for 2 days and no help because of weather.

Another point, most companies won't allow pregnant folks on the rig/ship/platform for liability issues.  Also, most don't carry any pediatric/infant resuscitative equipment or OB kits.


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## jpotter (Mar 18, 2015)

How are the insurance benefits, expensive? Say I've been a medic for 5 years (civilian), prior to that a combat medic for 6 years to include a stint in Iraq (doing the exact same thing that you do on the oil rig....maybe a bit more).... am I likely to be offered the high side of the pay scale? Some companies start everyone at the same pay; I'm trying to make sure I don't get jacked on my experience.  Also, what's the new hire training like (how long) and how do they pay you the same while going through new hire training? BTW....thanks for all of the honest info you've given us all here, it's been very helpful.


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## RocketMedic (Mar 19, 2015)

Acadoan has BC/BS. Not terrible, but better can be had.


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