Posted on Jan 8, 2018
SPC Line Medic
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I got picked up for flight medic and have my course date. I'm trying to get some information about the day to day life of the job and what to expect down at JBSA any information would be greatly appreciated.
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SPC Healthcare Specialist (Combat Medic)
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Hi. Are you going to Fort Sam for the CCT Flight Paramedic Program and then going to Rucker for the Aviation training? Just want to make sure we are on the same page.
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SPC Healthcare Specialist (Combat Medic)
SPC (Join to see)
7 y
OK. I am at JBSA right now and am about to test NREMT-P in a few weeks. I'll give you my experience but certain things may change.
I got here a few days before report date and stayed at a long-term hotel for about a week while I looked for an apartment. If they are letting you handle your own living arrangements, I would recommend that you find an apartment or house that is close to University Hospital, on or near Medical Dr.. I spent a few days in-processing at JBSA. It wasn't too bad--the cadre mostly just told us what we needed to get done at which offices and left us to accomplish it on our own.
After in-processing for a few days I started class at the University of Texas Health Science Center, which is close to University Hospital, and about 30 min. from JBSA. My class was assigned a classroom and the first day was just orientation. There are about 25 soldiers in my class, with about an even mix of active and reserve component soldiers. Also some of the soldiers in class are seasoned flight medics who are just going to the school to keep their slot, and others are brand new to aviation. And some have college degrees, and others have never taken a college class. So there's a lot of diversity and different people have different strengths, which makes helping each other important.
The paramedic program, which is about 6 months long, is made up of several condensed classes (for each of which you will receive college credits) and each lasts 1.5-2 weeks. The modules are: Intro, Pharmacology, A&P, Airway, Cardio, Medical, Spec. Populations, Trauma, Operations and then two more classes that involve review, pre-registry testing, and getting your ACLS, PHTLS, PALS and AMLS cards. They have us take a bunch of in-house review tests in the weeks leading up to the registry exam and then take it. Each class is run by a different instructor.
Our day is 9 hours including an hour lunch. We wear our uniform to class and the program cadre elect in-class leadership. We frequently will see the program cadre come to the school house in the morning before class, but I don't have too much contact with them or Big Army in general. They mostly leave us alone and I go to the class leadership (E-6's) with issues. Occasionally we have to go to JBSA in the morning before class for a PT test or UA, but it's not a big part of our life here. The program cadre don't want to take up too much of our time because they realize how much time the academics take.
Our classes are condensed, so often times we will have a test or quiz every day, which means studying outside of class.
My day usually involves going to class for 9 hrs, then hit the gym (we get a free membership to the Golds Gym on UT campus) and then go to the UT library to study for 1-3 hrs with other soldiers. Again, I recommend finding people that you get along with and who compliment your strengths and weaknesses so that you can help them and they can help you. Everyone struggles at some point with some subject matter. Every class that we take has a lecture portion and a skills portion, so some days we will be sitting in lecture for 8 hrs straight, others days it will be a split, some days it's all skills. UT brings in local paramedics to help teach us skills.
We also have around 500 hrs of clinical requirements, which are usually scheduled for a period of days between the end of one class and the beginning of another--but not always. The first set of clinicals occur at a local hospital. A small group of soldiers will show up to the hospital and a preceptor from UT and you will rotate around the hospital wings. The second set of clinicals are with the FD. A single soldier will go to an FD station and ride with an ALS crew for the day.
I've been here for about 6 months and it's been difficult but a ton of fun and we have learned a whole lot in a short amount of time. This is a time-intensive program and as such the single people have tended to have an easier time than that married w/ kids folk. After the paramedic program is finished and we pass registry, we will go one to the CCT portion that last about two months and is taught in the same place by the same instructors. I will start this portion in a few weeks so I don't know as much about it, but I'll tell you my understanding. For the first two weeks we will be in lecture everyday. For the next 6 weeks we will spend half of the day doing independent study (e.g. reviewing all the info we got in the first two weeks and reviewing books that they give us), then the other half of the day we will spend doing rotations in the hospital, learning from doctors and nurses. At the end of this part of the program we will take a few in-house tests and take the national Flight Paramedic (FP-C) exam. Our program has an excellent success rate for the the NREMT-P and FP-C exams.
The final part of the Program takes place at Fort Rucker and I believe that it lasts about 5 weeks. I know very little about this program but my understanding is that it is an introduction to aviation and involves some aviation-related medical knowledge. Some of the more experiences flight medics in my class do not have to go to this portion.
When you get here you should go to the school house and pick up your paramedic books and start studying before the program starts. If you are married or are bringing your family I would recommend talking with them ahead of time about how busy you will be. UT will give you scrubs for your hospital clinicals and a Polo for your FD clinicals. You will have to buy EMS pants, either black or blue, decided by your class. The attrition rate isn't too bad--my class lost 3 but they were all early on and only one was for academics. You will be told when you get here that you need to read the book to do well. I would say that that may or may not be true for you. I am a visual learned so the book works for me, but I know that other strategies work better for others. You will need to figure out what works best for you, and I think that each class lends itself better to a different studying strategy. It can be easy to slip out of shape because of the stress, good mexican food and busy schedule. I would recommend finding time everyday to keep up your PT. For me it works well to go to the gym after class to destress before studying that evening.
Please feel free to message me with any more questions.
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SP5 Peter Keane
SP5 Peter Keane
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SPC (Join to see) - You my friend are an inspiration.
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SPC Healthcare Specialist (Combat Medic)
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SP5 Peter Keane - Thanks! Hope that's helpful.
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SP5 Peter Keane
SP5 Peter Keane
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SPC (Join to see) - Well not for this old fart, but you really put it out there showing you really care about your fellow soldiers.
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Does anybody know how they decide if you get to keep bah or get put in the barracks? I’m dual military with no kids so I’ll be a geo-bachelor.
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When is your class date?
SGT Flight Medic
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I'm also headed down there, I'll probably be in your class. I'm interested in how it'll go as well.
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1px xxx
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For the first 2 months it will be strictly academic (although every class is slighty different with the specific schedule). You will be in class from 0800 to 1700 M-F. The Schoolhouse is 20 minutes north of post taught by civillians. You will get a Golds gym membership for sled PT (do yourself a favor and don’t be one of the shit heads that doesn’t so PT, go at 0500 and get it in). You will do clinical rotations at the hospital, then ride outs with San Antonio Fire. When not on clinicals you’ll be back in class. After you graduate Paramedic, you’ll go onto critical care (8 weeks) and then you will “graduate”. After that is 5 weeks at Rucker. Let me know what questions you have. Currently 4 months into the course.
SGT Healthcare Specialist (Combat Medic)
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what are my chance of being accepted to the course if put a packet?
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1px xxx
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Every Active Duty Soldier in this course re enlisted for this training (unless they were already F3 in an aviation Unit and had to come to this course to keep the ASI).

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