More combat medics are men than women during war time..

allnurses Guide · Dec 29, 2007

I know that more men are combat medics than women during a war..To be a medic in the current war in Iraq and Afganstan, a person has to be a RN or a paramedic..
Being a combat medic, I guess you can consider it male profession since, you will be in black hawk helicopters, hummers, and carrying the wounded over your shoulders...
Probaby very different from the idea that nurses is a female dominated profession..

I am not sure what exactly you are talking about, but a combat medic for the Army is usually referred to a 68W these days and the highest certification they have to have is an EMT basic. The USAF medics are 4Ns and they also only get their EMT basic. I am not exactly sure about Navy corpsmen, but I believe their initial training is the same thing.

I have known quite a few females that do the job you are talking about, and no I wouldn't consider it a male profession. I haven't heard that males outnumber females either as medics, although it could be possible. There are certain jobs that females aren't allowed in as medics, such as spec op medics/pararescue/Navy Seals etc.

As nurses in the military what I have seen is somewhere around 40+% males and 60% females (not an official number just an observation).

Capt E, USAF, NC

BBFRN, BSN, PhD · Dec 29, 2007

OP- are you perhaps referring to flight nurses, and not medics?

allnurses Guide · Dec 29, 2007

OP- are you perhaps referring to flight nurses, and not medics?

I wasn't really thinking particularly about flight medics or flight nurses, but the same thing basically applies.

To be an Army Flight Medic you just need to be a 68W, have your EMT Basic, and go through another 4 weeks of training. http://usasam.amedd.army.mil/_fm_course/description.htm

Flight nurses for the AF go through a fairly short course and learn how to take care of med-surg type patients during aerovac missions. Critical Care Air Transport/CCAT nurses are USAF nurses, usually ICU nurses, that take care of the critically ill patients during flight along with a Doc and an RT. CCAT nurses also go through a speciality course to learn how to take care ICU patients during aerovac missions. Except for spec ops there are probably just as many females as males doing these jobs (guys would probably gravitate toward these jobs more just as we gravitate more towards critical care specialities).

danissa, LPN, LVN · Dec 29, 2007

My DH was a combat Medic in the British Army, was in the paratroopers first till knee injury caused a re-think. In his regiment, cant think of one woman who was a combat med tec, there were army nurses, who mostly ran the medical centres, and were female, but mostly it was a male dominated field. He did leave the army 15 yrs ago, this may have changed, but this was the experience he had. (a wee aside, this man o' mine should still be a soldier...it never leaves the man! Regimental...oh yes! :lol2: )

BBFRN, BSN, PhD · Dec 29, 2007

I wasn't really thinking particularly about flight medics or flight nurses, but the same thing basically applies.
To be an Army Flight Medic you just need to be a 68W, have your EMT Basic, and go through another 4 weeks of training. http://usasam.amedd.army.mil/_fm_course/description.htm
Flight nurses for the AF go through a fairly short course and learn how to take care of med-surg type patients during aerovac missions. Critical Care Air Transport/CCAT nurses are USAF nurses, usually ICU nurses, that take care of the critically ill patients during flight along with a Doc and an RT. CCAT nurses also go through a speciality course to learn how to take care ICU patients during aerovac missions. Except for spec ops there are probably just as many females as males doing these jobs (guys would probably gravitate toward these jobs more just as we gravitate more towards critical care specialities).

Oops, sorry- my post as directed at the Original Poster, regarding his comment about RN being the requirement.

Interesting information, though. I greatly admire combat nurses, and wish I had had a chance to do it when I was younger.

Carry on... :lol2:

Dunno? · Dec 29, 2007

I am not sure what exactly you are talking about, but a combat medic for the Army is usually referred to a 68W these days and the highest certification they have to have is an EMT basic. The USAF medics are 4Ns and they also only get their EMT basic. I am not exactly sure about Navy corpsmen, but I believe their initial training is the same thing.
I have known quite a few females that do the job you are talking about, and no I wouldn't consider it a male profession. I haven't heard that males outnumber females either as medics, although it could be possible. There are certain jobs that females aren't allowed in as medics, such as spec op medics/pararescue/Navy Seals etc.
As nurses in the military what I have seen is somewhere around 40+% males and 60% females (not an official number just an observation).
Capt E, USAF, NC

There is an agency that hire medics for Iraq..The requirments are that he medics have to be a RN or a paramedic and another option....Here is the link and discussion about it and a lot of people want in:

http://forums.firehouse.com/showthread.php?t=84807

darkblue · Dec 31, 2007

As a combat medic myself, I can say that there are FAR more male medics then there are female medics. The ER I worked in had 20 male medics and 2 female medics, 15 male RNs and 3 female RNs. It was a little weird working in a male dominated emergency room. But hey, I'm not complaining. The female patients didn't like it though.

As far as certifications for medics go...

68W medics are EMT-B certified

68WM6 medics are EMT-B and LPN certified.

RNs are almost always officers

I have my EMT-B as well as ACLS, NRP, PALS and some other obscure army medical certifications.

Paramedic trained medics are uncommon and they usually hold supervisory positions. (from what I've seen at least)

GeorgiaBoy61 · Jan 4, 2008

Dunno?

Saw your post. Many nurses here have more experience than I do, but let me give it a try anyway to answer your question. I am in the process of joining the reserves as an RN, and my contact over the navy tells me that they are full-up on female HMs (corpsmen) but need men pretty badly. Female corpsmen cannot 'go green' with FMF and serve in direct combat as docs for the grunts. However, female corpsmen and medics do a heck of a lot and many have been - from what I have seen - right in the thick of it. DOD and military policy is supposed to prevent females from serving in any capacity that would see them in combat or placed at risk of doing so. However, the army in particular has fudged on this, given their manpower needs in two theaters.

I tried to join up as a corpsman myself some years back, when they needed them so badly, but was passed over d/t being one year over the age cutoff for USNR servcice.

Ditto being a combat medic for the army or NG. I'm trying to get the army to send me to PA school instead, since that's what is open to me.

I know a guy - a major - in the army NC who has seen service in both Iraq and Afgahnistan. Also know a guy RN who did a tour in Iraq and also attended airborne school. You can also get air assualt school qualified if you can finagle a spot. active duty people get those mostly from what I understand.

I've worked with military trained medics and corpsmen and they are great people, very skilled and dedicated, at least the ones I've met. The scope of practice is pretty big for them in the services, i.e. corpsmen can suture and perform minor surgery, something that civilians RNs cannot do, to my knowledge. Of course, once they rejoin civilian life they cannot do these things anymore, as many states do not recognize military-based medical training. I know one HM who is working as a PCT while he finishes his RN, because that's all he can get. I hope someone passes some legislation so these folks can get credit for their military training ans experience in the civilian world.

Best of luck...

angel3781 · Jan 7, 2008

I know that more men are combat medics than women during a war..To be a medic in the current war in Iraq and Afganstan, a person has to be a RN or a paramedic..
Being a combat medic, I guess you can consider it male profession since, you will be in black hawk helicopters, hummers, and carrying the wounded over your shoulders...
Probaby very different from the idea that nurses is a female dominated profession..

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I'm a 68WM6 which is a combat medic and lpn. I've been in the army for 6 1/2 years and have been both active duty and reserves. From my experience, there is just as many females in this job as males. Keep in mind though that you can be just a regular combat medic which is a 68W. The medical credentials that you get is EMT-B, CPR, & BLS.

I think that you got some-what confused in that when you are in the military, you are trained and expected to have skills above and beyond the scope of whatever level of medical credentials that you may possess. As a EMT-B in the military you can do IV's, ekg, needle decompressions, etc..., where as in the civiliam world you are just an ambulance driver that can take vitals and give oxygen. Because of the additional training involved, you are technically at a higher level than what your credentialling suggest.

That said, yes there are lots of medics. Next to infantry, medics has the most number of soldiers working in that capacity. If I were to put a number out there indicating a ratio of males to females, then I'd say it's about 60%(male) compared to 40%(female). Hardly a great disparity. In fact I doubt if you'd even notice unless you are tasked to a line unit.

There are paramedics in the Army. However these individuals are known as Ranger Medics since you must be an Army Ranger first. This training is even more rigorous than the skillset mentioned above. Now Ranger Medics is absolutely a male dominated field if there ever was one. Maybe this is what you were alluding to.

supafly · Jan 7, 2008

Are you sure about the RN/Paramedic thing? I was looking into joining the Reserves for a couple branches not too long ago and the description of medic training was more along the lines of EMT.

supafly · Jan 7, 2008

Ok nevermind I didnt actually read the thread. I see you're talking about a contractor position...