Aerospace Med Tech

[HA_LaChance]

I just graduated HM A school SEP 01 and am heading down to Pensacola on the 16th for Aerospace Med Tech C school. I've been told that its alot of paper work, med records, physicals, etc. Has anyone recently been through that can tell me a little bit about the school and job. Thanks.:D

[puckmedic]

Yes yes I can. You will learn two things inside and out. Health records first and foremost. If you handle records properly, track them propoerly and document EVRYTHING properly, you will never run into a problem. Properly means in a timely manner as well.

You will know every form and a few they no longer use, but occasionally you will find an old form in a record. You will know what it loooks like, it's nomenclature and where in the record it belongs.

You also will learn how to conduct many of the tests we do in regards to physicals. Pay attention, because anthro chairs in real world are far and few in between. You'll do more anthros against a bulk head than a real chair. Be particular picky with vision requirements for pilots NFOs and especially your flight deck folks.

You will never become an expert in the regulations but you better learn where to look up the answers, especially in the relm of waivers, because you will be telling the flight surgeon the rules. It's not he or she that will get the call from P'cola it is you.

Having had more than my fair share of those calls (you screw up they call, it's the only time you hear from them). You want to impress upon the flight surgeons that CD is always CD but a waiver can be asked for in only a few cases.

If you go to a carrier based squadron, you will need to work with other AVTs to get your two to four cruise boxes down to medical. Always try to get them off the conveyerr belt and staged in the hanger. The other squadron guys got their own shops to fix so ask for help or do it yourself. I used to walk backwards with the box resting against my hips down the ladders. At the base, I would unlock, grab a stack, re lock then put stack in medical come back and repeat til done.

Once on board you may work where ever the senior airwing HM assigns you. Treatment room and sick call, xray, pharmacy, AVR (physicals), PMT, DC, Dental now, or even the flight deck. Your squadron may also assign you to mess decks. Your CMC will tell you where and when to go to medical or another TAD assignment.

Remember you will be TAD to the medical dept onboard or ashore. They can not TAD you elsewhere ONLY your parent command. I had medical try to send me TAD and I blew a gasket. MY CMC shut them down and I worked last two months in the squadron spaces (yes I held sick call, yes my flt surgeon backed me up and hell yeah it pissed off the HMCS in medical but she got over it).

Any questions shoot em, I'll answer them all.

I have said this before on active duty and I'll say it again. If you go after every area and learn all you can at sea, you will be more exposedthan many IDC's. Where they're strength lies is program management and patient care, they lack over all exposure to many of the ancillary services and there fore are like Texas Hold em players who can't play a quality game of Razz or seven card stud.

You the AVT on the other hand arelike the playerable to play all three games well and even have knowledge of other areas like Omaha Hi-low or can play pot limit instead of no limit just as well.

Just never argue with an IDC it's like yelling at a dog. All they hear is Blah blah wrong blah blah blah" and everyone of them I ever met hates to allow anyone tell them they are wrong. It's a chip they install at IDC school I think. Met some real arrogant rookie IDC types.

I still say the IDC on the small boy who gave anthrax ID was WRONG even if I was ordered to stop telling him he was. So I stopped, and I told his boss over at Mayport NSRSG:cool: "DON'T Yell at me! I'm trying to help you and your crew. Try reading the package insert moron! " were the last words I said to him.

I remember the response well. It had words like NJP, mast and insubordination. I'm still waiting and I think he lost his NEC. Guess the then HM2 (me) knew what he was doing and saying. Ya try to help folks and they want to get pissy, go figure.

EGOs have no place in patient care or crew safety and rank doesn't make any one right in those two areas either.

[diamond_doc]

wow!!! i just read this and i am having major flashbacks!

besides the school work we had major pt we had to do. i went to avt school in 96 and then i went back to pcola in 2000 for apt school.

[dustmans]

One of the good parts is if you get attached to aMarine squadron and go to Iraq, you'll likely spend most of your time in the middle ofa big base. The job is what you make of it, generally we're a bunch of somewhat happy folk.

[Da-Chief]

Err... Shuffle Shuffle..

AVT School, 1988

;-)
Da-Chief

[dustmans]

Chief, do you work with Mike Mertz? Don't believe half the stories he tells about me, well maybe not 10 percent of them.

[Da-Chief]

Speaking of Aviation Medicine..

:P

Flatulence Forces Plane to Land (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2006/12/05/national/a180726S63.DTL)
-
Tuesday, December 5, 2006



(12-05) 18:12 PST Nashville, Tenn. (AP) --

It is considered polite to light a match after passing gas. Not while on a plane.


An American Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing Monday morning after a passenger lit a match to disguise the scent of flatulence, authorities said.


The Dallas-bound flight was diverted to Nashville after several passengers reported smelling burning sulfur from the matches, said Lynne Lowrance, spokeswoman for the Nashville International Airport Authority. All 99 passengers and five crew members were taken off and screened while the plane was searched and luggage was screened.


The FBI questioned a passenger who admitted she struck the matches in an attempt to conceal a "body odor," Lowrance said. She had an unspecified medical condition, authorities said.


"It's humorous in a way but you feel sorry for the individual, as well," she said. "It's unusual that someone would go to those measures to cover it up."


The flight took off again, but the woman was not allowed back on the plane. The woman, who was not identified, was not charged in the incident.


URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2006/12/05/national/a180726S63.DTL

[hm1park]

OK, So maybe some of you experienced AVT's or experienced other's can give me some career ideas. After thisdeployment in Iraq I have about a year to PRD. What's an AVT to do? I don't relish the idea of working at a hospital/Branch clinic. I'm a year old first class with 13 plus years of service and I'd like to see chief before 20. I've never done anything twice in those 13 years. PN/PS for 3 1/2 years, Grunt HM with 2d Mar Div, POMI ata Naval Hospital, AVT School, and now with aSkid squadron. I know I need that challenging assignment, leadership, diversity, SSP. I've thought of AVT or HM "A" school instructor,recruiting, and once again curling my lip up in disdain at the thought of a clinic. Any ideas, special programs, little niches of duty that would keep me competitive and be, maybe a little ...enjoyable? I sure do miss JAX Florida too. HA!!

HM1 / 8406

[Da-Chief]

You don't have being LPO of a "CLINIC" on there. This honestly was what made me Chief in 1998 after several operational tours.

Sometimes you have to show you can "SWALLOW" It, and do all the Navy is asking of you. I know what your saying as the "BUMED" side can drive one nuts, but they are takig care of our families and our shipmates. If you don't like it, be a culture changer! This is what I did, I gave a sense of pride etc.

You have to show prior though that you are ready for the responsibility, If you come in with the "OPERATIONAL" chip on your shoulder, you will go no-where fast.

Be a team player for that year, then get instructor duty, maybe in P-cola at NOMI, or come up here in NHCS. We are always looking for good qualified people, but understand, if you come here, you are coming with the best of the best on our staff. A ranking board here is a bloody thing, "P's" here are EP's at most places.

Hope this helps..

Da-Chief.

[Kaymanism]

Hey chief...for those of us keeping score at home...dont forget we dont know all the acronyms...:( and try doing a google search on LPO :P


LPO
BUMED
P
EP

i think thats all i need for this anagram ;)

[Da-Chief]

LPO=Leading Petty Officer (usually E-5/6)

BUMED=GOD! Buereau of Medicine and Surgery

P=Promotable (You do your job, 9-5 nothing more nothing less)

MP=Must Promote (Do a bit more, recognized)

EP=EARLY PROMOTE (Best Ranking SHIT HOT only 10% of E5 and above get this!)

Sorry..

;-)
Da-Chief.