Medics, RDF and PDF: Peoples opinions of

[The real Jack]

Tell him not to join a RDF medical unit they're a complete waste of space that are going to get the DF sued on a biblical scale at some stage.

[luchi]

Tell him not to join a RDF medical unit they're a complete waste of space that are going to get the DF sued on a biblical scale at some stage.

Tell us more????

[AnSciath]

A lad I know bust open his knee on camp and the RDF medics did a stitch up and clean job on it before he was sent off to hospital. The staff there took several blades of grass out when they opened it back up again, so obviously he doesn't have alot of faith in them anymore.

I've never had to have any real dealings with them, even though I've met a few who seemed to have their heads screwed on, so I can't speak from first hand exprience.

[The real Jack]

Tell us more????

Because al lot of them are part timers with no qualifications and training worth talking about. Fair enough some are apparently nurses and EMT's I haven't met any in a medical unit if there is any qualified healthcare professionals they should be attached permanently to their PDF counterparts. They are simply under trained and some day they will endanger someone's life with their incompetence, how many times have you seen a useless RDF 3* medic just out of recruit training do something stupid when treating their infantry cousins? I have seen on several occasions RDF medic not carrying out basic tasks correctly like changing their ****ing gloves between "patient". How many times have they taught you very basic first aid courses skills dont even compare to civilian ones?. How many times have you had to shout for the Fat RDF medic to get up of his/her fat arse to do something whereupon they cant run and are ****ing Useless? What would happen if god forbid if someone was shot while training? Luckily in my unit we have two qualified EMT's so if anything happend we can rely on them. I think they should disband the whole RDF medical corps and all bods with the relevant qualifications should be transferred to a PDF Medic unit.

[Duffman]

Because al lot of them are part timers with no qualifications and training worth talking about.

I could not disagree more...I know some lads in Medical Coys(RDF) that are EMTs/Nurses in civie street. And in my humble opinion these people would be far more capable than the PDF counterparts as they deal with real life trauma's and emergencies on a daily basis. And nowadays these people are even dealing with gunshot wounds more frequently than your average PDF medic!

In saying that I'm fully aware that alot of the bods making up the medical coys are bags of ham and not all of them are EMTs in civie street, but hopefully the trickle down effect might come into play and the experience of the professionals will rub off on the rest.

[The Joker]

Because al lot of them are part timers with no qualifications and training worth talking about. Fair enough some are apparently nurses and EMT's I haven't met any in a medical unit if there is any qualified healthcare professionals they should be attached permanently to their PDF counterparts. They are simply under trained and some day they will endanger someone's life with their incompetence, how many times have you seen a useless RDF 3* medic just out of recruit training do something stupid when treating their infantry cousins? I have seen on several occasions RDF medic not carrying out basic tasks correctly like changing their ****ing gloves between "patient". How many times have they taught you very basic first aid courses skills dont even compare to civilian ones?. How many times have you had to shout for the Fat RDF medic to get up of his/her fat arse to do something whereupon they cant run and are ****ing Useless? What would happen if god forbid if someone was shot while training? Luckily in my unit we have two qualified EMT's so if anything happend we can rely on them. I think they should disband the whole RDF medical corps and all bods with the relevant qualifications should be transferred to a PDF Medic unit.

I was going to type out a big long response to this thread, but decided that it wasn't worth it. I have to say that you arguments and comments sound very well thought out. Perhaps you should put together a proposal to D/Training outlining how, in your personal opinion, the RDF Medical Corps is lacking. Christ, you should just walk in to Willies office and tell him how things are going to change! But seriously though, in relation to the fatty's you dead right. I suggest we send them off to a secret establishment in the bowls of the curragh for a bit of PT & wing action, bring them back in a few weeks and they should be brand new!

Just bringing up the point of not changing the gloves, it's a very serious matter, however I would suggest that you look a bit harder, it can be difficult for someone to tell pairs of gloves apart from each other, especially since they all tend to look the same anyway.

Once again you are dead right...PDF Medics are a hell of a lot more qualified than their RDF Medic counterparts. All those years spent perfecting their tea drinking skills is not something to be laughed at (Sorry lads! ). If only we could send our young troops to develop their skills in a similar way.....actually no perhaps the wing will incorporate that into their training.

Thank you for your contribution to Irish Military Online....


Oh yeah...If you should ever wind up in the Glen of Imaal needing first aid, be sure to let me know. I would hate to ruin any ideas you have about the RDF Medical Corps...I will of course welcome you with open arms!

[rod and serpent]

Are there any good reserve medical units around the Dublin area. A friend of mine is hoping to study medicine in Dublin and wants to join the army reserves too.

Thanks in advance

Iv`e opened a big can of worms here

[Goldie fish]

I have nothing but good things to say about RDF medics.

[trellheim]

Finally learned your lesson then.

[turbocalves]

i'm just gonna say this... there are some medics in the reserve i wouldnt want giving me the last rights, let alone fisrt aid, but that said the few times i've had to see the medics they were very professional, and well up on what they needed to do...

[Goldie fish]

If by lesson you mean a trip to Cork University hospital in the back of a Land rover ambulance, strapped to a spinal board, accompanied by a wholly good humoured RDF medic, Yes.
I can't thank them enough for their professionalism that day. Their calmness stopped me thinking about being paralysed from the neck down. When you are involved in an accident like what I was,(falling ten feet, landing on my head) you seem to fear the worst immediately. However when those around you are not in a flap, you realise, "hey, maybe I'm not that badly hurt after all".

[spudula]

For my 2 cents, Ive never had any trouble with RDF medics.

Sure, they can be a bit quick to put skivvers on LD or ED but so what?

I personally know one medic whos done more then their fair share of time workin in various A+E depts. around dublin and if i had a choice of being treated by them or a PDF doctor/medic, I know which one I'd choose.

I know absolutely nothing about their training so I cant comment on it but I have seen the results of it and thus far Ive been impressed.

Ive witnessed first hand the action of an RDF medic who, in the words of the doctor that eventually got the patient in hospital, saved their live. (Im not gonna go into specifics or obvious reasons).

As for scrapping the RDF units and attaching them to the PDF ones, why??? So they can learn to do f**k all during the day and then turn around and say "no. i cant do any audiograms tonight cause i finish work at 4", or " i can only do 4 medicals in one day".

[madmark]

the medics are like all units train very hard and then you meet 1 or 2 of them and they let the side down from my time with the medics i can say they train hard on medical skills you should not judge a book by its cover

[hptmurphy]

the medics are like all units train very hard and then you meet 1 or 2 of them and they let the side down from my time with the medics i can say they train hard on medical skills you should not judge a book by its cover

Lol.. thats very rich..which page of the book did you read as your time as a medic..and you certainly didn't learn to shoot with them..

If you did you are the only medic who won an all army falling plates..must count for some thing.

In fairness you became a far better soldier once you forgot all you medical skills and we all felt far safer...even if you do now carry a weapon.

[luchi]

Because al lot of them are part timers with no qualifications and training worth talking about. Fair enough some are apparently nurses and EMT's I haven't met any in a medical unit if there is any qualified healthcare professionals they should be attached permanently to their PDF counterparts.

I only know a few medics personnally. All of them are well trained. One is a doctor. Last time I was talknig to her she worked in A&E Tallaght. But I am sure that a PDF doctor would be better experienced than her.

They are simply under trained and some day they will endanger someone's life with their incompetence, how many times have you seen a useless RDF 3* medic just out of recruit training do something stupid when treating their infantry cousins?

Never actually. Actually I did see a PDF sargent medic tell a lad that the pain in their back was nothing. The above mentioned RDF medic mentioned that she was a fourth year med student and in her opinion it might be a little more serious. The Sgt sarcastically told her she was a cpl and he was an "experienced sgt". On the way home from that camp poor pte was in so much pain that the officer decided to stop at Cashel hospital. The young lad didn't get out for 5 days.

I have seen on several occasions RDF medic not carrying out basic tasks correctly like changing their ****ing gloves between "patient".

Amazing....brought 2 cas to Curragh Hospital. PDF Medic examined both without wearing gloves.
After removing the blood soaked bandages from one lad he then said with authority "I think you will have to go to Naas". He left it up to the RDF medic to re-apply the bandages.

How many times have they taught you very basic first aid courses skills dont even compare to civilian ones?.

The First Aid and Health and Safety Course that was run by 2nd Medics was excellent compared to the one run by IBEC.

How many times have you had to shout for the Fat RDF medic to get up of his/her fat arse to do something whereupon they cant run and are ****ing Useless?

You got me there. But I must mention that the fattest RDF person I know is in the Infantry.

What would happen if god forbid if someone was shot while training? Luckily in my unit we have two qualified EMT's so if anything happend we can rely on them.

Strangely enough there is rarely a medic around when doing ARPs. On excercise chances are there is no live firing so the risk of some one getting shot is minimal. But in fairness your EMT buddies can only do so much. The job of the medic in the field is to sustain life, patch and ship out.

I think they should disband the whole RDF medical corps and all bods with the relevant qualifications should be transferred to a PDF Medic unit.

Form what I have seen of PDF medics??????????????

But really I am sure like in all units there are people with different skill sets and abilities. It is very unfair to tar all medics with the same brush!