Civilian Medic to Corpsman

[firstdue52]

I currently work for a large FD in California as a FF/EMT and will be receiving my NREMT-P (hopefully) in a few months. Joining the Navy Reserve as a corpsman has been a thought for awhile now. I had a few questions that I'm sure you guys could help out with. I plan on meeting with a recruiter but would like to know more before I go in.

-How long would the training consist of? (Boot, AIT,etc.)
-What would I enlist as and would it make any difference because I am a NREMT-P?
-Difference between corpsman and 68w?
-Any advice from your own experience

I tried looking if these questions were asked already on the forum because I know its annoying as hell re-answering questions. Thanks for the help.

 

[Akulahawk]

A friend of mine is a USN Reserve Corpsman, passionate about medicine, and a good guy to boot. Unfortunately, I don't think he knows what the path would be for someone who is a Paramedic to become a Corpsman outside the typical educational pathway. I can say that he's been deployed in the past and had to provide care while under fire and deal with casualties afterward. He's very, very good at providing trauma care, as most Corpsmen are that do that kind of work.

You'll want to ask about all the different assignments that a Corpsman can get...

 

[hk531971]

As a full nremt paramedic you can go in as a HM, depending on if the Navy needs them, they are quite overloaded with HM's right now. In the Reserves you can just go to boot and then take book courses on your own time over the month to gt caught up on USN medical stuff. If you get stuck doing anything but a FMF unit, then it will blow you will be doing medical records and BS like that. But every now and then there is sick travel to exotic places.

 

[dstevens58]

I can provide a little insight on this (I hope).

I am a former Navy Hospital Corpsman, having spent 13 years of active duty, ending my time as an Independent Duty Corpsman on a ship of 200 people as the only medical department representative aboard (one junior corpsman with me).

Boot camp is in Great Lakes Illinois, 7-9 weeks in duration.

Hospital Corpsman "A" School is presently under a joint command at Ft. Sam (Houston, Texas). Don't quote me on this, but I believe it is about 8-10 weeks long right now. The rating is overmanned right now and you might have to go in a delayed entry program. Stick to your guns, if you want Hospital Corpsman, get it in your contract.

As a reserve, you can guarantee Field Corpsman school (either in North Carolina or California) before you get back to your reserve unit. This is an additional school that will teach you to perform medical duties in the field under hostile fire.

There is quite the difference in scope of care within the military community. I worked on a civilian rescue squad for a bit and I continually had a difference in what I could do as a civilian, versus what I could do within the military environment.

All-in-all, I wouldn't trade anything that I have done. As a reserve, you do your thing one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer (although now, reserve units are deploying). The experience cannot be matched, the travel (the reason I joined back in 1976) was awesome and I saw a lot of places I would have never had the opportunity otherwise.

Good luck in your choices.

 

[DBK]

Just a minor correction...it's Ft. Sam Houston, and is actually located in San Antonio, TX. Had a lot of fun there during 68W school.

 

[EMT11KDL]

Just a minor correction...it's Ft. Sam Houston, and is actually located in San Antonio, TX. Had a lot of fun there during 68W school.

o yes, gotta love the drunk nights on the riverwalk haha... Honestly if you want to be a Corpsman than make sure you get it in your contract.. I do now know what the training is exactly like for the navy but i can tell you the army side... I have heard rumors but i do not know if they are true or not that even with your NREMT-B/A/P you will not be able to fast tract through the course.. unlike the army which cuts off about 8 half weeks..

 

[Fish]

Firstdue52 this is an interest of mine as well, please keep us updated and informed as to how this process went. I am very interested.

 

[joeshmoe]

If you are looking to get additional medical training by being a Corpsman, I doubt you're gonna learn much more than a Paramedic would know. I think the level of training a Corpsman has is more like an EMT Intermediate, minus the ECG stuff. Of course my experience was with Corpsman who served with Marine units, so maybe it varies and working in say a Naval hospital you would get to do more. If you were going to serve with the Marines youd also have to go through Field Medical School, which is 2 months and gives Corpsman a real basic familiarization of Marine Corps weapons and tactics and living and operating in a field environment.