Advice thread

[captaincaptain]

Originally Posted by Tumor

I need advice.
I know a couple of you have been in the military. I was thinking of becoming a medic. From what I understand, I have to carry a hand gun for protection but it's a war crime if anyone shoots at me. I'm cool with that. I don't know if pulling bullets out of bodies on and off for four years will leave me in a decent mental state though.
I think medics go to bootcamp too. I could probably do that. I wouldn't enjoy it but I'm hardly a little bitch. If I need to go to school before this for something, I know it's not for me. I don't want to be a doctor, I want to be a human rights activist (although social work is my fallback.) I just have very little college money and I don't want to go to Bum**** University like 90% of my graduating class will.
I'm worried about the stress of being around death and sickness all the time. I've had post traumatic stress disorder before and it made me a total bitch. I came out of it alright but I'm not the most mentally stable person in the world. I have no idea if I have what it takes to do this.
I figure a couple years as a medic (3 I think?) and then a few weeks in a psychiatric hospital isn't such a bad deal for some college money, right?

As far as carrying a handgun, for the most part the only personnel that carry a handgun exclusively are officers. Also, every enlisted person regardless of what their job is, goes through boot camp, no exceptions.

[djchameleon]

Originally Posted by captaincaptain

As far as carrying a handgun, for the most part the only personnel that carry a handgun exclusively are officers. Also, every enlisted person regardless of what their job is, goes through boot camp, no exceptions.

she might have to carry more than a handgun being enlisted if she's on guard duty which as you know enlisted has to do.

[captaincaptain]

Originally Posted by djchameleon

she might have to carry more than a handgun being enlisted if she's on guard duty which as you know enlisted has to do.

You're right, my point was that officers normally do not carry more than a M9, at least in the case of medical officers.

[Queen Boo]

Originally Posted by Burning Down

They might not take you because of your prior PTSD. Anyways, don't you have to have some kind of EMS training for that position?

I wasn't diagnosed with it but I was in the psych ward for a little while. I was 13 years old though, I don't think they'd hold it against me for something that happened when I was that little.

Thanks y'all, shit be helpful.

[Dirty]

Originally Posted by Tumor

I need advice.
I know a couple of you have been in the military. I was thinking of becoming a medic. From what I understand, I have to carry a hand gun for protection but it's a war crime if anyone shoots at me. I'm cool with that. I don't know if pulling bullets out of bodies on and off for four years will leave me in a decent mental state though.
I think medics go to bootcamp too. I could probably do that. I wouldn't enjoy it but I'm hardly a little bitch. If I need to go to school before this for something, I know it's not for me. I don't want to be a doctor, I want to be a human rights activist (although social work is my fallback.) I just have very little college money and I don't want to go to Bum**** University like 90% of my graduating class will.
I'm worried about the stress of being around death and sickness all the time. I've had post traumatic stress disorder before and it made me a total bitch. I came out of it alright but I'm not the most mentally stable person in the world. I have no idea if I have what it takes to do this.
I figure a couple years as a medic (3 I think?) and then a few weeks in a psychiatric hospital isn't such a bad deal for some college money, right?

Tumor do you really wanna be a medic? Is this just a way to get money for college? There are tons of ways to get money for college if that's the reason you are thinking about joining as a medic. Hell, 2 of my friends GET PAID to go to school. Granted, one has a wife and kid but he makes like $4,000 a year by going to school and that's not including his work salary. There are seriously like a million different ways you can get grants and loans and stuff so don't do something like this just for the money because no, I don't think you can handle it. You seem as mentally solid as pudding and this would probably be one of the last things to do. Take out loans, don't stress over them, go to decent college, have a great time and get a degree doing what you want.

[FETCHER.]

I think dirtys right when he puts it in that perspective. By the bolder in that post it seems like you don't really want it and it's a massive thing to commit to. If your heart isn't really in it then don't, it's real people you'd be dealing with and not something I'd want my medic to take a gamble on. You could go into loads of other jobs! That you'd probably still not be sure about, but isn't as consequential. At the end of the day, you know what's best for yourself lass don't worry about it.

[Burning Down]

Originally Posted by Dirty

Take out loans, don't stress over them, go to decent college, have a great time and get a degree doing what you want.

This is a great piece of advice right here.

[crash_override]

Originally Posted by Tumor

I need advice.
I know a couple of you have been in the military. I was thinking of becoming a medic. From what I understand, I have to carry a hand gun for protection but it's a war crime if anyone shoots at me. I'm cool with that. I don't know if pulling bullets out of bodies on and off for four years will leave me in a decent mental state though.
I think medics go to bootcamp too. I could probably do that. I wouldn't enjoy it but I'm hardly a little bitch. If I need to go to school before this for something, I know it's not for me. I don't want to be a doctor, I want to be a human rights activist (although social work is my fallback.) I just have very little college money and I don't want to go to Bum**** University like 90% of my graduating class will.
I'm worried about the stress of being around death and sickness all the time. I've had post traumatic stress disorder before and it made me a total bitch. I came out of it alright but I'm not the most mentally stable person in the world. I have no idea if I have what it takes to do this.
I figure a couple years as a medic (3 I think?) and then a few weeks in a psychiatric hospital isn't such a bad deal for some college money, right?

Terrible idea, for more than one reason.

I personally don't think you're serious about it, considering you don't even know which branch you want to go into. That tells me you haven't done very much research on the topic, and probably aren't seriously considering it.

I don't think you have the patience, self control, or mental fortitude to make it through boot camp, let alone Fleet Marine Force (FMF) school, which is the closest thing to an actual field medic you will actually see in todays military. And honestly, even if you did have what it takes, you would probably end up pregnant within the first year, which would disqualify you from school and you would spend your days sweeping floors and picking up trash around the base.

Even if you did become a Hospital Corpsman, or Medical assistant in non-Navy branches, you would probably spend most of your time giving penicillin shots in peoples asses and making appointments for old retired veterans.

I personally joined for the same reason, to get training and free school. But after going through almost everything and seeing what the military has to offer, my advice is this. Don't believe what you see in movies, the military is nothing like you think it is. It's boring, tedious, political, hypocritical, and back-stabbing. It will eat your soul.

Just take out a few hundred thousand in student loans and go to community college.

[FETCHER.]

Why would she end up up the stick?

[Burning Down]

Originally Posted by crash_override

you would probably end up pregnant within the first year, which would disqualify you from school and you would spend your days sweeping floors and picking up trash around the base.

Was it necessary to say this? Sounds to me like an insult towards Tumor.

Originally Posted by crash_override

Just take out a few hundred thousand in student loans and go to community college.

Wow, that's a lot of money for student loans, especially for community college or something. Is tuition really that high in the US? I know I won't have to pay much more than $50 or $60 K including interest when I finish university.