Med Tech Retention

[medicineman]

I think at one point or another, anyone who has been a medic longer than lunchtime have looked in the mirror and gone "WTF am I doing this to myself for??!!"  If you haven't, you've been self-medicating a bit too much.  I'm hoping to stimulate some ideas for keeping the new troops in and scraping some of the crust off of us old cynical types.  Though this is primarily for Reg Force, I know the Reserve people are just as torqued, if not more so, than the Regulars.  Please feel free to add something CONSTRUCTIVE to the discussion.  With any luck, if nothing else, we can take things away that can be done at least at a local, if not Group wide level to make things more interesting for the troops.

TTFN.

MM

 

[Dale Turner]

Where do I begin?!!! :
   
    After being a reserve Med A or Med tech for four years I've had the opportunity to watch my part time passion grind to a screeching halt. I've learned that every single year the reserve Fd Ambs are so concentrated on getting the MCSP completed and the BTLS now PHTLS courses done and then all the IBTS finished that there is no time for any interesting training. I posted a comment not so long ago about how the CSS unit are more apt to be ambushed and that we don't have any SOP for such an event. Guess who felt like a complete idiot when someone on the Reg force side of things advised me that there IS an SOP for ambushes, and it IS practiced by Reg force Fd Ambs. WHAT!!   I didn't even know these existed. Neither did the rest of my unit, save a few officers. This is just one example of the reserve Fd Amb training falling short and cheesing off those who know better. I understand that on a limited time table that you can only do so much. And things like MSCP, IBTS, PHTLS are important an need to be completed to maintain an air of readiness. But come on! Year after year it's the same thing, only the dates are different. I've talked to my Ops O and he agrees. Guess what else he said. Get used to it because it's not going to change any time soon.

    I understand that the new reorg of CFMG and the whole "being more clinical" thing is a good thing for the Regs but to be honest I think its killing the reserve Fd Ambs.  How are you going to get civilian paramedics, nurses, even docs, to join the army and then give them the basic army medic courses and then expect them to want to stay in the army when you force feed the boring, monotonous training I mentioned above? ???

    I love being in uniform and I love the idea of serving and providing medical care to my fellow soldiers and possibly the civilian population but unfortunately the "system" has drained all the enthusiasm I once had for being a medic down the proverbial drain.

    Just my drivel.

 

[Fraser.g]

If there is a concern within your unit and your Ops O agrees then take a look at ways to change it not just snivel in the corner and Oh poor me.

Currently the Ops Cells from 11, 12, 16, and 17 are looking at a way to get the majority of the MCSP out of the way in 7 training days. This involves co-ordination of qualified instructors and a detailed and well structured field ex at the end.

If this can be accomplished and satisfies the requirements then there will be lots of time and money for the more advanced stuff.

The group has dictated that some training is mandatory (Thank God Someone did) and now we have to figure a way to achieve themission and get on with the rest of training.

This will require allot of thinking outside the box and allot of imagination but it is possible.

If you or your ops o wants a copy of the working doccument I would be glad to send it off to all that are interested. Just send me a PM

Be a part of the solution, not the self pity.

GF

 

[retired@23]

I can not speak on the current situation, However it does sound like ehat is old is new again.
The training schedule has change so much so often that it can be difficult to come to terms with the new training evironment when it changes again and you deam to be in that endless do loop. for the older DOS fans
10 Print "First aid training"
20 Goto 10
30 do other stuff
    field craft
    reppeling
    helicopter drills
    Skill at ARms (Shoot to live)

 

[retired@23]

sorry i accidental hit post (Tab enter) I use excel too much

once upon a time we had a two year training cycle (LCol Hessler CO)
year one Basic Soldier and first aid
Year Two Advanced First Aid or BTLS

Year 3 Help teach Year one and advance your own skills
year 4 Help teach year two. ''                              '' go on CLC

Year 5 Teach Year one . . . .

see the pattern for this to work there has to be a reasonably predictable budget and training requirment. Sorry

we actually came in second place and than third place in a Skill at arms compition. beating infantry units. boy did they ware egg on there face.

Than the training change (warrior over and over and over again) budgets were slashed and than re-badged again.

but i digress

I have faith in 12 - 15 years all the reserve Medics will be re badged again because somebody somewhere will think it is a good idea.

They will all be Casualty Aids R719 ; )

 

[Dale Turner]

RN RPN,

     You are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the medical branch and I appreciate all the good advice that you've given in the past.   How ever I don't appreciate being accused of being part of the problem when it comes to training at my unit.    The thread asked for ways and reasons how to retain medics in the CF or in the medical branch.   All I did was illustrate some of the problems at my unit regarding lack lustre training, and the underlying attitude many of our medics have.

     You stated that I should be proactive and try to be part of the solution. You know as well as I do how info and suggestions get passed up the chain of command, if my memo's and requests for audiences are not actioned I am no longer part of the problem or the solution.

     This may be a unit problem but I doubt it. But if other units are doing all their mandated training plus some worthwhile practical training I'd like to hear about it so I may be able to pass this along my COC.

     Again I'm not trying to be argumentative, you seem to have a bead on all the training and initiatives that are" coming down the pipe" but nobody around hear has even seen or heard anything.   So how can I and some of the other medics at my unit be at fault for being a little misguided and bored?


     

     DT

 

[medicineman]

To take things one step farther, there are often people at senior levels that (1) take a great deal of offense that a void is pointed out in training - these are the one's that spew out the "Who the (add your own expletive/s) do you think you are??!!" crowd or (2) those that go by the "We can't afford to lose someone for that course or training (even if it's useful or needed by the unit) - this is a favorite in the Reg Force - or (3) we're too busy planning stuff but not doing it because when it gets planned, all of a sudden there is massive deconfliction that needs to be done - and that's for MANDATORY training - or all of a sudden it costs too much, it wasn't in the budget, etc.  From the point of view of an Ops guy, polite words escape me when confronted with that attitude.  It sort of reminds me of that bit of the PER that says "Leading Change" - nobody wants to anymore or "rock the boat" as it were.  The box is there to be looked at from the inside AND the outside - not just the inside.  My rant for the day.

MM

 

[JAFMA]

(1) take a great deal of offense that a void is pointed out in training - these are the one's that spew out the "Who the (add your own expletive/s) do you think you are??!!" crowd or (2) those that go by the "We can't afford to lose someone for that course or training (even if it's useful or needed by the unit) - this is a favorite in the Reg Force - or (3) we're too busy planning stuff but not doing it because when it gets planned, all of a sudden there is massive deconfliction that needs to be done - and that's for MANDATORY training - or all of a sudden it costs too much, it wasn't in the budget, etc.

MM

As for retention I think making it intresting and keeping it so starts with the sub unit IE the med section, med platoon, med company then the unit.  What is stopping the section i/c from sitting down and getting a little interactive discussion going remember to involve everyone and not just the streamers. It can be on anything just so long as it profession and army related.  Remember it is the corporal that is the first link in the CoC and the training element.  As for the unit and their training plan well if you want to have input into what is to be included then find some way of putting you ideas forward.  There are a whole slew of ways to get this done.  Just remember to use the CoC and make sure it is in black and white.  Nothing down on paper and you have nothing.  Like the old saying goes if your not part of the solution means your part of the problem.

 

[Fraser.g]

RN RPN,

     You are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the medical branch and I appreciate all the good advice that you've given in the past.   How ever I don't appreciate being accused of being part of the problem when it comes to training at my unit.    The thread asked for ways and reasons how to retain medics in the CF or in the medical branch.   All I did was illustrate some of the problems at my unit regarding lack lustre training, and the underlying attitude many of our medics have.

     You stated that I should be proactive and try to be part of the solution. You know as well as I do how info and suggestions get passed up the chain of command, if my memo's and requests for audiences are not actioned I am no longer part of the problem or the solution.

     This may be a unit problem but I doubt it. But if other units are doing all their mandated training plus some worthwhile practical training I'd like to hear about it so I may be able to pass this along my COC.

     Again I'm not trying to be argumentative, you seem to have a bead on all the training and initiatives that are" coming down the pipe" but nobody around hear has even seen or heard anything.   So how can I and some of the other medics at my unit be at fault for being a little misguided and bored?


     

     DT

It was no aimed at you and I appologise if it was taapologiseay. That is why I did not quote you in the responce.  It was more a frustration at those who are not part of the solution or want to rock the boat. Believe me the Group needs some rocking!

Heck, put your sig block on the docs and send it up your chain so that it comes from your chain and not down from on top.

GF

 

[Armymedic]

Heck, put your sig block on the docs and send it up your chain so that it comes from your chain and not down from on top.

And ensure you keep a copy yourself as well....

As long as we as a military do not do the "dangerous" things like actually getting into combat roles (not peace support like we are doing now), continue to oversaftey everything, and rely on outsourced medical services (CDT/CDUs vs unit medical, and civ amb services on bases), you will find fewer med techs willing to do all the other "farm team work" for a long time with no real shot at doing what they were recruited to do. Esp as we do more civ oriented training and get moved farther away from the interesting enviromental things like army fd time, sea tasks, etc.

We are putting more emphasis on clinical training at the lower levels, and this is a right step...but when your only play with dolls, some days you wish you could get your gloves bloody once in a while.

note: As a det Comd we used to joke that the Fd Amb is the "Farm Team" where you learn and develop all the skills (comms, BTLS, D&M, Med Supply, etc) before they sent you up to the big leagues at the UMS. While this is accurate for a Pte in the Reg force, I doubt the reserves treat it the same way.