The Hospital Corps is a "hands on" rating - I don't know how anyone could have ever conceived that by clicking on the picture of a BP Cuff you could learn how to do a manual BP.
On the negative side, while the school instructors are outstanding, the level of BS over on the berthing side is unbelievable. Frankly, you have a whole bunch of egotistical PO3's and PO2's that are completely out of control with no meaningful oversight.
They will do everything they can to make everyone miserable. I'm not talking about correcting problem sailors either (which needs to be done of course), but a systemic issue that the school really needs to address. The biggest problem is that those attitudes are being passed down to the most junior sailors and sent out to the fleet.
In short, do the best you can in school, keep your head down and remember that you'll be away from all those jerks in NMT soon enough.
Embrace the suck! In the end it is what it is! You won't regret anything once you are out. Pick an NEC that you'll enjoy and stay focused. Hard work has it's rewards! A *****in' sailor is a happy sailor! Have I said it well enough?? Good luck!
definitely pick an NEC! i was the motivated FMF type and did all of the cool stuff, got certified with EMT, ACLS and stuff but after i got fet up with the BS (non-stop training, double CAX field excercises to 29 stumps, afghanistan, iraq, west pac deployments), i got out and everything i did was a waste. i was nationally certified as an EMT but where i was at, you needed a state and county cert to use it. Since i couldn't be an EMT, my ACLS was useless. FMF is great duty but not for everyone.
to add on picking an NEC, there are plenty that have bonuses and are in demand in the civilian world.
Originally posted by 17895977: definitely pick an NEC! i was the motivated FMF type and did all of the cool stuff, got certified with EMT, ACLS and stuff but after i got fet up with the BS (non-stop training, double CAX field excercises to 29 stumps, afghanistan, iraq, west pac deployments), i got out and everything i did was a waste. i was nationally certified as an EMT but where i was at, you needed a state and county cert to use it. Since i couldn't be an EMT, my ACLS was useless. FMF is great duty but not for everyone.
to add on picking an NEC, there are plenty that have bonuses and are in demand in the civilian world.
I've actually done a bit of homework on a few fields like biomed equipment tech, respiratory therapy tech and even in the deep end like Search and rescue med tech. All seem like something I would be interested in and have applications in the real world. The question is how hard is it to get the NEC that you want?
I am also hitting basic on June 4, 2009 with a contract for HM A School. Maybe I'll see ya in Great Lakes, but I'm hoping to God I can get in way, way sooner!
haha corps school was pretty fun, but their were some *******s that ran the barracks!!! room inspections were unbelievable in 129... haha i was on my hands and knees every weekend scrubbing the deck!!! haha but i enjoyed and now miss chicago... 5 bucks for the whole weekend and the train takes you right in the middle of downtown... couldn't ask for anything better
Originally posted by mdnew: What about dental techs, do they go to the same A school in Great Lakes as the HM guys that are going to the medic rating or is it in Texas.
They are the same, Dental Techs are no more, they are all combined with Hospital Corpsman. What will happen is, you will go through Corps School with everyone else, the only difference is while you get to wave goodbye to everyone as they leave for their 2 week leave after grad. you stay in Great Lakes and go to Dental "C" School. Once that is done then you can go on leave. lol but they get to pick cool places for their first duty station, more over seas as dental than regular corpsman
you stay in Great Lakes and go to Dental "C" School.
I thought it was follow on training. I don't think it is a "C" school unless something has changed. Advanced lab and dental hygiene are examples of "C" schools.
The 8701 classifier was just so detailers could identify who had dental training when issuing orders.
It used to be like that, I don't know if it has changed though.
