Who am I?
Nobody special. My name is SGT Simpson and I’m a 68W with the North Carolina National Guard. I worked as a paramedic on the civilian side and recently from Duke University’s PA program. No extraordinary background in military medicine, but as I learn I try to share.
What am I trying to do?
My ultimate goal is to provide a free, online educational tool for current military medics. The idea is to create a sort of “curriculum” site that attempts to cover all of the need-to-know combat medic fundamentals. This includes tactical combat casualty care (TCCC), clinical care, procedures, pharmacology, etc. At the end of the day, I want every medic to be proficient in
Why the emphasis on “Clinical Care”?
As a medic coming out of AIT, I always felt like I was strong in TCCC, but incredibly weak in clinical medicine. I had no idea how to treat common medical conditions like cellulitis, strep throat, migraines, gastroenteritis….and I only understood the handful of medications TCCC had to offer. Why, after spending 16 weeks at Fort Sam Houston, did I not know how to treat the most common soldier complaints? After 6 years in the National Guard, 100% of my patients have all still been medical…and that probably won’t change for a while. For many weekend warrior medics today, this is the reality until the next big war pops off.
If you look at the protocols listed in the Clinical Care section, you’ll notice that they are very similar to the tactical medical protocols from a Ranger Medic Handbook or JSOM handbook. Obviously, I understand that most medics are not Rangers or Green Berets, but I find these guidelines extremely helpful and can serve as an excellent foundation for the clinical knowledge that all combat medics should strive to achieve in their studies.
Thoughts on Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC)?
Advocating for evidence-based TCCC guidelines is more important now than it ever has been before. Fortunately, we now have wonderful sites like Deployed Medicine that very clearly lay out exactly what you need to know when it comes to everything trauma-related. You won’t see me reinvent the wheel too much in this department.
Messages for the viewers?
Yes! I’m always looking for tips and guidance. I still consider myself a novice in this field so if you have any professional background in military medicine and you see something wrong that you feel needs to be corrected, don’t hesitate to let me know. As long as you have the research and evidence to back it up, I’m all ears!
- Why every medic should love Deployed Medicine - November 8, 2020
- 3 Areas Where Medics Fall Short - November 7, 2020