Medical Careers In The U.S. Air Force

In the modern age, health care is a complicated field. Instead of just seeing a physician, patients receive care from doctors with specialties, nurses, assistants, and technicians. The Medical Career Field covers functions involved in the operations for both fixed and tactical medical facilities and sub-professionally taking care of and treating authorized staff. 

Image source: afreserve.com

Careers in this field comprises of aeromedical activities, aerospace physiology, specialized medical services which include allergy and immunology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, otorhinolaryngology, urology, optometry, nuclear medicine and cardiopulmonary techniques, physical therapy, occupational therapy, electroencephalographic studies, operating room, orthotics, mental health services, medical laboratory, radiology, histopathology, cytotechnology, diet therapy, pharmacy, medical administration, medical material, and bioenvironmental engineering. Environmental medicine includes laboratory animal techniques and medical equipment. 

All staff of the U.S. Air Force Medical Service should be knowledgeable of and proficient in military sanitation and first aid procedures, including shock management; effective respiration maintenance (mouth-to-mouth resuscitation with or without adjunct); management of fractures, burns, and injuries from chemical agents; hemorrhage control; emergency wound treatment; hand and carrier litter methods; and loading and unloading vehicles used to transport patients. 

They must also be well-informed and skillful in the operation and first echelon maintenance of all equipment used by the respective Air Force specialty and must be knowledgeable when it comes to improvisation and conversion methods of fixed types of medical equipment for tactical use. 

Breaking into the field at entry-level can be intimidating, but the excess of enlisted healthcare careers available in the Air Force offers high school graduates with lots of opportunities to be given training, certification, and experience which would make them viable candidates for significant, well-paying careers in the field of healthcare. 

Image source: medicineandmilitary.com

Dr. Arden Andersen is a family and occupational medicine physician. He is running for the position of Governor of Kansas. He is also an Air Force Reserve Flight Surgeon and Chief of Missouri Aerospace Medicine. For more information about Mr. Andersen, visit this page.