Medical Care Technicians

Background

The military provides medical care to all men and women in the services. Medical care technicians give patients the care and treatment required to help them recover from illness or injury. They also prepare rooms, equipment, and supplies in hospitals and medical clinics. Medical care technicians work with teams of physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals to provide treatment to patients.

What They Do

Medical care technicians in the military perform some or all of the following duties:

Feed, bathe, and dress patients
Give medication to patients under the direction of physicians and nurses
Make casts, traction devices, and splints according to physicians' instructions
Prepare patients, operating rooms, equipment, and supplies for surgery
Provide bedside care in hospitals, including taking the body temperature, pulse, and respiration rate of patients

Physical Demands

Some specialties in this area require sufficient strength to lift and move patients. In addition, some specialties require a normal skin condition to guard against infection.

Special Requirements

No information available.

Helpful Attributes

Helpful attributes include:

Ability to follow directions precisely
Ability to work under stressful or emergency conditions
Interest in helping others

Helpful School Subjects

Helpful school subjects include:

Biology
General science
Psychology

Helpful Fields of Study

No information available.

Work Environment

Medical care technicians work in hospitals and clinics on land or aboard ships. In combat situations, they may work in mobile field hospitals.

Services offering this career:

Air Force
Army
Coast Guard
Navy

Hiring Practices

To serve in the military, a person must be at least 17; the maximum age for enlistment varies. To enlist, a person must pass a physical exam and an aptitude test. An enlistee must also meet military standards of discipline and be a US citizen or permanent resident alien.

This position is for enlisted personnel.

Wages

The military is competitive with the civilian world when it comes to pay and benefits. All branches offer the same basic pay and benefits.

Pay depends mainly on rank or grade as well as length of service. Bonuses and the situation in which the person is serving (for example: flight duty, sea duty, hazardous duty) also affect pay.

Cost-of-living increases usually occur every year, based on inflation. The military also pays allowances for food, clothing, and housing. All these factors combined are called Regular Military Compensation (RMC). They should all be considered when comparing military pay to civilian pay.

There are two main parts to RMC: basic pay and allowances. There are also additional incentives for special abilities, training, or hazardous duty.

Check out the RMC Calculator to calculate your RMC based on your inputs.

Training Provided

Job training consists of seven to 52 weeks of classroom instruction, including practice in patient care. Training length varies depending on specialty.

Course content may include:

Emergency medical techniques
Methods of sterilizing surgical equipment
Patient care techniques
Plaster casting techniques

Further training occurs on the job and through advanced courses.

Civilian Counterparts

Civilian medical care technicians work in hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, psychiatric hospitals, or physicians' offices. They perform similar duties to those performed in the military. They may be called nurses aides, orderlies, operating room technicians, orthopedic assistants, or practical nurses.

Related Civilian Careers

Employment and Outlook

In peace time the services have about 10,000 medical care technicians. In times of military action the number may be different, depending on the type of specialties required. Each year the services need new technicians due to changes in personnel and the demands of the field. After job training, new technicians are assigned to hospitals or medical units where they work under close supervision. In time, they may advance to supervisory positions and help train others.