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What is the week long "Train Up" that takes place between the completion of the first year and before summer leave?
USUHS Train Up
- Thread starter drnaughty
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The week long "train-up" is actually 3-6 weeks of training and/or experience.
There are four main components: "Prep" for the field, Bushmaster& Kerkesner (done in conjunction at FIG, total of ~ 2 weeks), and military medical field training.
1) "Prep": We spent about a week sitting in classes, and learning some fieldcraft (how to put together a ruck-sack, read a compass, move a fire-team, etc). Not a bad experience, but most people in my class thought the material could have been covered much more quickly, and didn't get a whole lot out of it.
2) Kerkesner: ~a week of decent field training at Fort Indiantown Gap, PA. You live in tents (sleeping on very cushy civilian cots), no AC, no showers...the stuff we army folk signed up for. The training was actually pretty good: Mass casualty excercises, 9mm familiarization, Battalion Aid Station ops/jumping (moveing from one spot to another), land nav, paintball care under fire, rapelling...overall a pretty good time. If you've never spent any time in the field, the worst part of it is the Penn. heat, and learning to stay clean without showers. The best part...it's a lot of fun if you're not the whiny b*tch type, and the training is pretty good.
3) Bushmaster: Between MSIII and MSIV, all USUHS student participate in a large scale military medical excercise for ~10 days. They are airlifted to Fort Indiantown Gap (we bus up), and deploy into battalion aid stations, combat support hospital, etc and are evaluated on operations, pt care, and all 'round hooya-ness. The asset that is most difficult to find is good patients...that's where the MSI/IIs (not sure what we were at that point); we were the patients. Kinda fun actually. We got dressed in full moulage, and acted like whatever we had was real from open skull fractures to STDs, to broken legs, to colds. More importantly, it was a very good look into what we'll be expected to do in a couple years. Learned a lot about the operations of various assets, and more importantly got to see all the "stupid" things that the MSIVs were doing. We all say we'll remember the "stupid" things they did, and never repeat thier mistakes, but we all know it's inevitable. The up-side, you live in barracks during this operation, the downside can get kinda boring waiting to be a patient.
4) MMFT: If you have no experience in the military (which does not include ROTC or the academies) then you get to go spend a couple weeks with an army unit to experience what real soldiers do. This is supposed to be non-medical in nature, several of my class mates went to aviation units and rode in helos, some went to SF groups, some went to the 82nd, some to San Diego, a couple to Germany, and some to South America. Overall, most people were satisfied with the experience. I'm not sure that 2 weeks gives a person a real idea of how the military works, but it's better than nothing.
The people with prior experience were encouraged to participate in research locally, or find some other military activity that doesn't cost the school money...we were completely unfunded.
Oh yeah...we took leave before this whole process started, and class started right after mmft.
I'm sure I was incomplete and/or included minor innaccuracies, so take it easy on me. I should be studying neuropath right now.
I hope this helps.
There are four main components: "Prep" for the field, Bushmaster& Kerkesner (done in conjunction at FIG, total of ~ 2 weeks), and military medical field training.
1) "Prep": We spent about a week sitting in classes, and learning some fieldcraft (how to put together a ruck-sack, read a compass, move a fire-team, etc). Not a bad experience, but most people in my class thought the material could have been covered much more quickly, and didn't get a whole lot out of it.
2) Kerkesner: ~a week of decent field training at Fort Indiantown Gap, PA. You live in tents (sleeping on very cushy civilian cots), no AC, no showers...the stuff we army folk signed up for. The training was actually pretty good: Mass casualty excercises, 9mm familiarization, Battalion Aid Station ops/jumping (moveing from one spot to another), land nav, paintball care under fire, rapelling...overall a pretty good time. If you've never spent any time in the field, the worst part of it is the Penn. heat, and learning to stay clean without showers. The best part...it's a lot of fun if you're not the whiny b*tch type, and the training is pretty good.
3) Bushmaster: Between MSIII and MSIV, all USUHS student participate in a large scale military medical excercise for ~10 days. They are airlifted to Fort Indiantown Gap (we bus up), and deploy into battalion aid stations, combat support hospital, etc and are evaluated on operations, pt care, and all 'round hooya-ness. The asset that is most difficult to find is good patients...that's where the MSI/IIs (not sure what we were at that point); we were the patients. Kinda fun actually. We got dressed in full moulage, and acted like whatever we had was real from open skull fractures to STDs, to broken legs, to colds. More importantly, it was a very good look into what we'll be expected to do in a couple years. Learned a lot about the operations of various assets, and more importantly got to see all the "stupid" things that the MSIVs were doing. We all say we'll remember the "stupid" things they did, and never repeat thier mistakes, but we all know it's inevitable. The up-side, you live in barracks during this operation, the downside can get kinda boring waiting to be a patient.
4) MMFT: If you have no experience in the military (which does not include ROTC or the academies) then you get to go spend a couple weeks with an army unit to experience what real soldiers do. This is supposed to be non-medical in nature, several of my class mates went to aviation units and rode in helos, some went to SF groups, some went to the 82nd, some to San Diego, a couple to Germany, and some to South America. Overall, most people were satisfied with the experience. I'm not sure that 2 weeks gives a person a real idea of how the military works, but it's better than nothing.
The people with prior experience were encouraged to participate in research locally, or find some other military activity that doesn't cost the school money...we were completely unfunded.
Oh yeah...we took leave before this whole process started, and class started right after mmft.
I'm sure I was incomplete and/or included minor innaccuracies, so take it easy on me. I should be studying neuropath right now.
I hope this helps.
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and the MSIV's sit around and remember how "stupid" the first years were.
Nothin' but love. You guys really did teach us a lot and every one of us (that I talked to) were terribly stressed with the idea that we would have to know everything that you were spitting out like it was second nature. We didn't even know what haliperidol was and it was being administered by someone 2 years ahead of us. I still don't think I'll ever get there, but I will remember not to give it to someone experiencing an atropine overdose (just took the test and still don't know the mechanism).
Again, mad props to the MSIVs, most of us did learn a ton, even if it was from a certain COL pimping you for an hour after ENDEX.
P.S. I think I got that you knew I was pokin' my finger in fun, but if you didn't this isn't an apology....unless you turn out to be my resident someday, then it might be an apology.
