[nc4986]

hey, i am currently a MA on the verge of enlisting. i know this is a RN thread but i couldn't think of anywhere else to post to get a good honest answer. Are there any of you who were medics before hand, i want to know more about the conditiond and how much if any help they are (some places here are reknowned for how RN's and their MA/CNA's dont get along) also wondering about trauma medics/ regular medics? is their a seperation like in the civi world?

my apologies if some of this seems to ramble.
much love
mose-

[lucky1RN]

Hi.
Just saw your post and thought might be able to give you some info. I spent 10+ years as an AF medic. Started as a 4N (Medical Technician) which I think is now called an Aerospace Medicine Apprentice. AF living/working conditions are generally the best of all services. Your working conditions will vary greatly depending on where you are stationed. There are very few AF medical centers left, mostly it's just clinics. Your opportunities for experience will obviously be best in the medical centers. Medics in the AF have much more responsibility/autonomy than MAs in the civilian world. On the floor or in the clinic you will be trained to screen, triage, assist in procedures, anesthetize and suture minor wounds, do EKGs, do occupational health physicals, give injections, start IVs, and take patient histories (among many many other skills). You will graduate your training with your EMT-B. After a few years, you can return to school to become an Independent Duty Medical Technician (what I did). As an IDMT, you will deploy to isolated areas where you will provide all aspects of medical care including diagnosing/treating minor illness , trauma management, minor surgical procedures (toenail removals, drain abscesses, etc.). There is no civilian counterpart to this job. I can't even begin to describe how awesome that kind of responsibility is! In 10 years, I travelled to Japan, Thailand, Hawaii, Laos, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Germany, Italy, and all over the U.S.

Because AF medics are so well trained, the relationship with nurses tends to be either really good or really bad. Really good is when the nurses respect your training and capabilities and allow you to make the most use of your expertise. Really bad is when they are lazy and spend 10 minutes hunting you down to empty a urinal. But stuff like that happens in the civilian world too. My favorite job in the AF was in the ER working nights where it was just the medics and the doc...no nurses on duty. In the clinic, the nurses are primarily stuck on the phones doing triage so you will work most closely with the doc/PA/NP. The providers were always very appreciative of the medics (in my experience).

Regarding "trauma vs reg medics", like I said, you'll graduate training with your EMT-B. The opportunity to advance to EMT-P will depend on where you are stationed. And even then (at least the way it was 3 years ago when I got out), you may not get the AF to support you financially in your efforts to become an EMT-P.
Hope this doesn't reach you too late!
Good luck!