Injured or wounded Soldiers need immediate treatment, so when Army physicians aren't available, the Health Care Specialist is authorized to step in to provide basic and emergency medical treatment.

The Health Care Specialist is primarily responsible for providing emergency medical treatment, limited primary care and health protection and evacuation from a point of injury or illness. Some of your duties as a Health Care Specialist may include:

• Administer emergency medical treatment to battlefield casualties
• Assist with outpatient and inpatient care and treatment
• Interview patients and recording their medical histories
• Take patients' temperature, pulse and blood pressure
• Prepare blood samples for laboratory analysis
• Keep health records and clinical files up-to-date
• Give shots and medicines to patients
• Prepare patients, operating rooms, equipment and supplies for surgery

Job training for a Health Care Specialist requires nine weeks of Basic Training, where you'll learn basic Soldiering skills, and 16 weeks of Advanced Individual Training, including practice in-patient care. Some of the skills you'll learn are:

• Patient care techniques
• Emergency medical techniques
• Methods of sterilizing surgical equipment
• Plaster-casting techniques

Helpful attributes include:

• An interest in helping and caring for others
• An ability to communicate effectively
• An ability to work under stressful conditions
• An interest in chemistry, biology, psychology, general science and algebra
• Attention to detail

Advanced level Health Care Specialist provides guidance, supervises and trains other Soldiers within the same discipline. As an advanced level Health Care Specialist, you may be involved in:

• Administer emergency and routine medical treatment to battle and non-battle casualties
• Assist with outpatient care and treatment
• Supervise field and clinical medical facilities under the supervision of a physician, nurse or physician's assistant

The skills you learn as a Health Care Specialist will help prepare you for a future with civilian hospitals, clinics, nursing homes or rehabilitation centers. With a Health Care Specialist background, you may consider a career as an Emergency Medical Technician, medical assistant, a medication aide or physician's assistant.

With continued study and experience, you may qualify for certification with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians as a First Responder.

• Operating Room Specialist (68D)
• Preventive Medicine Specialist (68S)
• Radiology Specialist (68P)

Learn more about the relationship between military training and civilian certification requirements.