What does a combat medic do?
Combat medic responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real combat medic resumes:
- Manage chart completion (ICD-9-CM and CPT coding/abstracting), chart assembly and analysis, patient admission and patient information privacy/security.
- Regulate & enforce fire safety procedures, current CPR & BLS requirements for all40+ staff members.
- Preform proper triage procedures on patients accordingly.
- Receive extensive medical training and EMT-B certification.
- Learn and perfect BLS techniques.
- Train hundreds of troops in BLS prior to deployment
- Train in combat and also school in EMT-B procedures to treat field wounds of soldiers.
- Train African military in CPR, wind care, setting up of field hospitals and shock treatments.
- Conduct daily triage operations during urgent care clinical rotations.
- Work to update confidential patient records following HIPAA regulations.
- Perform immunization administration and phlebotomy for infants-18 years of age.
- Maintain patient privacy and confidential patient information in accordance with HIPAA.
- Collaborate with all disciplines and review documentation to ensure Medicare funding.
- Follow infection control and safety procedures in carrying out daily phlebotomy functions.
- Decontaminate ambulances interior following treatment of patients with infectious disease and report case to proper authorities.
Combat medic skills and personality traits
We calculated that 17% of Combat Medics are proficient in Patients, Emergency Care, and Triage. They’re also known for soft skills such as Integrity, Compassion, and Listening skills.
We break down the percentage of Combat Medics that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 17%
Prepare patients for examination, drawing blood for laboratory analysis, administering IV fluids and documenting trauma room operations and outcomes.
- Emergency Care, 11%
Teach and oversee non-medical personnel basic life-saving emergency care.
- Triage, 7%
Conducted daily triage operations during urgent care clinical rotations.
- Medical Care, 5%
Worked alongside Medical Doctors and Physician Assistants directing, supervising and providing medical care in clinical and tactical environments.
- IV, 4%
Administered emergency and routine medical treatment to casualties including surgery IV fluids under a physician.
- CPR, 4%
Received an Emergency Medical Technician Basic certification, CPR certification and a Government Secret Security Clearance.
Most combat medics use their skills in "patients," "emergency care," and "triage" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential combat medic responsibilities here:
Compassion. Another essential skill to perform combat medic duties is compassion. Combat medics responsibilities require that "emts and paramedics must be able to provide emotional support to patients in an emergency, especially patients who are in life-threatening situations or extreme mental distress." Combat medics also use compassion in their role according to a real resume snippet: "demonstrated high standards of performance communication and compassion. "
Listening skills. combat medics are also known for listening skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to combat medic responsibilities, because "emts and paramedics need to listen to patients to determine the extent of their injuries or illnesses." A combat medic resume example shows how listening skills is used in the workplace: "communicated treatment plans between physician assistant and patients. "
Physical strength. A big part of what combat medics do relies on "physical strength." You can see how essential it is to combat medic responsibilities because "emts and paramedics need to be physically fit." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical combat medic tasks: "provide services as a medic in a medical clinic responsible for the physical & mental health of nearly 5,000 soldiers. "
Problem-solving skills. Another common skill required for combat medic responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." This skill comes up in the duties of combat medics all the time, as "emts and paramedics must evaluate patients’ symptoms and administer appropriate treatments." An excerpt from a real combat medic resume shows how this skill is central to what a combat medic does: "oversee medical care of 150+ personnel ensuring that all issues are resolved timely and effectively. "
Speaking skills. Lastly, "speaking skills" is an important element of what a combat medic does. Combat medic responsibilities require this skill because "emts and paramedics need to clearly explain procedures to patients, give orders, and relay information to others." This resume example highlights how combat medic duties rely on this skill: "led sick call, presented patients to provider after making a treatment plan. "
The three companies that hire the most combat medics are:
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Compare different combat medics
Combat medic vs. Emergency responder
Health care specialists are medical professionals working in the health care industry. These medical specialists handle their subordinate corpsmen while maintaining their administrative records during deployment. They work hand in hand with patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's, paralysis, and dementia. It is part of their job to provide nursing care to patients, which may include immunization and medical examination. They need to develop skills and knowledge in patient care, military health care, and routine medical treatment.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a combat medic are more likely to require skills like "triage," "emt-b," "inpatient care," and "blood pressure." On the other hand, a job as an emergency responder requires skills like "emr," "emt," "ems," and "life support." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
The education levels that emergency responders earn slightly differ from combat medics. In particular, emergency responders are 1.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a combat medic. Additionally, they're 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Combat medic vs. Emergency doctor
A driver/technician's responsibility mainly focuses on driving heavy equipment like forklifts and loaders while ensuring that the equipment is in good condition by doing systematic maintenance and repair. They also perform quality checks on new equipment to ensure they are in good condition and are safe to use. They recommend maintenance, repair, and replacements of machinery and equipment. They are also trained to monitor deliveries and evaluate staff for their performance.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, combat medic responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "patients," "emergency care," "triage," and "medical care." Meanwhile, an emergency doctor has duties that require skills in areas such as "medical services," "emergency services," "infectious disease," and "medical assistance." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Emergency doctors tend to reach similar levels of education than combat medics. In fact, they're 1.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Combat medic vs. Health care specialist
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from combat medic resumes include skills like "platoon," "trauma care," "medical clinic," and "nco," whereas a health care specialist is more likely to list skills in "rehabilitation," "lawn care," "social work," and "patient education. "
Health care specialists typically earn similar educational levels compared to combat medics. Specifically, they're 1.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Combat medic vs. Driver/technician
Types of combat medic
Updated January 8, 2025
