WHAT ARE SOME MEDICAL JOBS FOR ENLISTMENT IN THE U.S. ARMY?
Army professionals are not combated medics who risk their lives in the battlefield to treat and rescue fellow soldiers. The medic who deploys with a combat unit is part of the military occupational specialty (MOS) known as 68W. A combat medic primary responsibility is to provide emergency medical treatment limited to primary care and health protection and evacuation from the point of injury or illness.
There are various army medical specialists in this field who used to be known as Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) as they are now referred to as Combat Support Hospital that pulls from a majority of the Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals to accomplish their mission.
Field 68 is a career management used to organize and complete a functional medical system within the army on base and when deployed to a certain area abroad.
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Below are some of the medical jobs enlisted in the US army.
68A - Known as the Biomedical Equipment Specialist: These medics are responsible for servicing and maintaining all medical equipment in the base.
68D – Is an Operating Room Specialist who assist nursing staff in preparing patients and operating rooms before, during and after surgical procedures.
68E - Dental Specialists: Assist Army dentists in the examination and treatment of patients and help manage dental offices.
68M – Known as a Nutrition Care Specialist who is primarily responsible for assisting in the supervision of medical nutrition care operations.
68P - Radiology Specialist: Are technologists who operate X-ray and related equipment used in diagnosing and treating injuries and diseases.
68Q - Pharmacy Specialist: Under the direction of a pharmacist, this medical physician prepares and dispenses prescribed medicines, and maintains pharmacy supplies and records.
68S – Are Preventive Medicine Specialists that conduct preventive medicine inspections, surveys and control operations and assists with preventive medicine laboratory procedures.
68T - Animal Care Specialist whose primary mission is to take care of government-owned animals, such as patrol dogs, ceremonial horses, sled dogs sea mammals and animals used in research, but these soldiers also provide basic veterinary services to military members with pets.
68V – Are Respiratory Specialist who assists with the management of a respiratory unit or administers respiratory therapy and performs pulmonary function tests under the supervision of a physician or nurse anesthetist.
68X - Behavioral Health Specialists provide mental health treatment to patients under the direct supervision of an Army psychiatrist, social worker, psychiatric nurse or psychologist. They are part of the team that screens and interviews potential patients.
There are many medical jobs in the military than the standard and more common combat medic who is often assigned to provide emergency medical treatment limited to primary health care and protection from the point of injury or illness. These are just a few of the options available to those who want to go into a medical job in the Army, but may not be leaning toward an active combat medic role.
Army Medics help to provide emergency medical treatment and evacuation for injured soldiers in combat and training situations. They also help to prepare patients, rooms and equipment for surgery and other medical procedures, while collecting samples to send to medical labs.
What are the requirements in becoming an Army medic in an entry-level position?
An Army medic is an entry-level position. For you to become one, he or she must first enlist in the military and must meet the standards on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, or ASVAB, exam. It is a multiple-choice test to measure basic aptitude covering ten areas which include general science, mathematics knowledge, and paragraph comprehension. The total scores from different sections are used to calculate your score on the Armed Forces Qualification Test, or AFQT which determines whether you are eligible to enlist.
For one to become a medic, soldiers must score at least a 101 on the skilled technical section of the AFQT, which includes ASVAB sections word knowledge, paragraph comprehension, general science, mechanical comprehension and mathematics knowledge of the ASVAB. In addition, they must score at least 107 in the general technical section, which includes word knowledge, paragraph comprehension, and arithmetic reasoning of the ASVAB.
Medical soldiers must complete the ten-week basic combat training program that is required of all soldiers who enlist in the army. They then receive 16 weeks of advanced individual training to become a medic. The medics are trained on, patient care, emergency medical response and other basic medical training specific to treating injuries and illnesses.
Entry level army medics at the rank if private at a pay grade of E1 earn approximately $17,892 annually whereas those in the army reserve work and attend training drills one weekend each month where they receive drill pay starting at a rate of $3,081. The more time the medic serves, the higher the increment chances of their basic pay.
