Medic - Types

Types

"Medic" may be specifically used to refer to people in the following roles:

• Emergency physician, a medical doctor (M.D. or D.O.) who has specialized post graduate training in emergency diagnostics and treatment.

It does not comprise the following group of personnel within its definition though often it is understood so erroneously:

• Combat Medical Technician, a soldier with a specialist military trade within the Royal Army Medical Corps of the British Army.
• Corpsman, a sailor who is trained for providing first aid to members of the US Armed Forces,combat casualty care/trauma care on the battlefield. (This name is only used by the Navy and Marine Corps for the Hospital Corpsmen who serve in either a Navy or Marine billet; other branches use the term paramedic.)
  • "4N0X1", is an Air Force paramedic.
  • "68W", formerly 91W & 88W, the Military Occupational Specialty for the United States Army's health care specialist (combat paramedic).
• Emergency medical technician: The procedures and skills allowed at this level are generally non-invasive such as bleeding control, positive pressure ventilation with a bag valve mask, supplemental oxygen administration, and splinting (including full spinal immobilization). In some locations, the EMT-B is trained to reduce joint dislocations - they are allowed one attempt - to reduce the risk of compartmentalization. Splinting a femur fracture may involve use of a traction splint, which will reduce the fracture. Some medications (for example, epinephrine for anaphylactic shock (severe allergic reaction) administered through an auto injection device such as an EpiPen) can only be administered or "assisted" to a patient with a prior prescription. Training requirements and treatment protocols vary from area to area.
  • Emergency medical technician-basic, the entry certification level.
  • Emergency medical technician-intermediate, the middle certification level, between EMT-Basic and Paramedic.
  • Paramedic, a pre-hospital responder to medical and trauma emergencies that provides advanced emergency treatment.

• First Aider, a person who is specifically trained to give initial care or treatment to a casualty on scene before more advanced personnel arrives. Organizations such as St. John Ambulance, St. Andrew’s Ambulance Association and the British Red Cross have many trained volunteer first aiders who are often referred to as paramedics.