Wolf Pack MedTechs: Trained, ready to respond

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Roy Lynch
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  It happens to all of us, sitting at the doctor's office, waiting for someone with your medical file to call your name. Finally, an aerospace medical technician calls you back and takes your vital signs. Just in that brief time the technician has done so much, and yet this is only a fraction of their primary duties and responsibilities.

Besides assisting the doctors by taking the patient's vital signs, medical technicians also provide inpatient and outpatient care. Inpatient care is where a patient receives medical treatment and requires at least one overnight stay. Outpatient care doesn't require an overnight stay after treatment.

Aerospace medical technicians also provide emergency medical services, which is out-of-hospital medical care and transportation of patients, for medical emergencies. Most commonly recognized as an ambulance, but also includes planes and helicopters.

"We also assist in medical evacuations," said Senior Airman Chanel Kendrick, 8th Medical Operation Squadron aerospace medical technician. "We help in transporting patients to other hospitals with helicopters."

Emergency medical services is very important in a deployed environment. A technician has to be mentally ready and highly trained to assist doctors in the varying treatments of battle-damaged patients.

"You have to mentally prepare yourself, for what you might see," said Senior Airman Isaac Adimora, 8th MDOS aerospace medical technician. "Someone's life could be in your hands."

In a deployed environment aerospace medical technicians perform more emergency response duties, than normal clinic functions.

"There is a lot of immediate care while you're deployed," said Airman Kendrick. "That's when your skills are really put to use."

Besides inpatient care, outpatient care and emergency response, technicians also complete preventive health assessments. They also, perform duties on the orthopedic floor, where patients go post-surgery and try to advance their training by specializing.

Aerospace medical technicians can advance their current skills and be re-classified from a basic skill level to intermediate level. Technicians could also advance their emergency response training to become a certified Paramedic and be able to administer drugs and learn advanced cardiac life support.

The ultimate advancement would be to become an enlisted Physician's Assistant. A physician assistant can write prescriptions and take the place of a doctor when needed. In other words, they are like enlisted doctors.

This is especially important, as all aerospace medical technicians must go through a rigorous seven month long technical training  course at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas to start them on their career path.