TacticoolMedic
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Been a Medic for the Army for about 8 years now. New to Civilian EMS but I'm getting out there and trying it out on the side. Anyone Military here?
Any Military Medics out there?
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teedubbyaw
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No, but I'm tactical as hell.
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What does a tactical hipster look like?
OP
OP
TacticoolMedic
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I guess that counts. haha right on.
Rosebit78
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I just graduated 68W school in September.
A: find a place to work
B: prepare for a written and practical of they have it as part of hiring testing, I used some nremt test question apps, and took quizzes every chance I could get. Www.smartmedic.com is great too. Set it on the highest level and go through the question base a few times. Re-memorize the NREMT assessment pages as well. We both know it's a different world out here.
C: If you're not in, or haven't finished medic school yet, be prepared to be frustrated. Some people will welcome you as a resource, others will only see the EMT patch. Brush it off and continue your education.
D: Dealing with civilians every day is a culture shock. You can't curse as much, have rage attacks, or settle intrapersonal conflicts the same way out here. Give it some time to adjust.
Welcome back bro!
B: prepare for a written and practical of they have it as part of hiring testing, I used some nremt test question apps, and took quizzes every chance I could get. Www.smartmedic.com is great too. Set it on the highest level and go through the question base a few times. Re-memorize the NREMT assessment pages as well. We both know it's a different world out here.
C: If you're not in, or haven't finished medic school yet, be prepared to be frustrated. Some people will welcome you as a resource, others will only see the EMT patch. Brush it off and continue your education.
D: Dealing with civilians every day is a culture shock. You can't curse as much, have rage attacks, or settle intrapersonal conflicts the same way out here. Give it some time to adjust.
Welcome back bro!
Candice1088
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Agree with Doczilla. Civilian us different, but you will be just fine. If anything your bound to be more calm in the craziness. 
Run with scissors
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The good ole 68what ever. Do you know if your state will honor your training? I know a few people I served with that had issues with getting their state to recognize their training with the military. Or they only recognized them as basics.
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Unless you go through paramedic school through the flight medic program, the best you will ever get reciprocity for is EMT (and rightfully so). Years ago, 68W didn't take registry, so getting reciprocity was more difficult. Registry is now a part of the program, so EMT-B should be accepted as long as the state accepts NR.
Run with scissors
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Smh, would make more sense if some one offered a transition program to allow 68w to register as paramedics after ets.
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Actually I disagree. I'm one of the instructors (part time) for the army flight paramedic program. We get the 68W medics that are transitioning to the paramedic level. Most of them are very experienced, while some have done very little. Very few, if any of them, would be able to pass NR's paramedic exam. While they are very good at trauma, and many served in a clinic with a specialized area of care that they are very proficient in, the paramedic curriculum is usually quite new to them. Most of them do tend to do quite well in class, though. While I respect their experience, I don't think offering paramedic reciprocity, or even a short transition course, would be appropriate.
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If you find yourself back in class, embrace it. The ex-military guys in my program right now are sometimes prone to think that they already know what they need to, especially when it comes to trauma. That's both incorrect and bothersome to the rest of us. I try to use them as a resource but some of the things they say are unnecessarily contrary.
Rosebit78
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"Tigger" what do you mean by military medics being contrary? Not saying your wrong just curious.
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A lot of "that's not how we did it in X place." Which is fine, but explain why your way is better.
Rosebit78
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Gotcha. Thanks
Run with scissors
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Ohhhh I hate ppl like that
If I encountered people like that while I was still in, I would have crushed them. There's a reason the infantry guys nicknamed me "doczilla".
The civilian and military sectors are both behind in their own respective ways. There's only three things I've advocated since I've gotten out, and those were a) ketamine b) more aggressive hemorrhage control, and c) the fact that you can decompress a patient more than once If need be.
I do get slightly irritated when our skillet gets labeled as "trauma oriented", but I understand that some medics never grew much past their schooling. But you see that on both sides.
The civilian and military sectors are both behind in their own respective ways. There's only three things I've advocated since I've gotten out, and those were a) ketamine b) more aggressive hemorrhage control, and c) the fact that you can decompress a patient more than once If need be.
I do get slightly irritated when our skillet gets labeled as "trauma oriented", but I understand that some medics never grew much past their schooling. But you see that on both sides.