narcan Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 Hey guys, Got my first deployment coming up here soon, and I'd like whatever wisdom you can share. What should I bring in my ruck that not's on the packing list, books to bring/read, best medical books for deployment, etc? Is there anything in particular that's not in the usual SKO's that I should try and get for our aid station? Thanks in advance to all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpsman2PA Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 Baby wipes, white socks, and lots of fruit by the foot. Everything else is a bonus :) Good luck over there. Nothing like that first beer after a deployment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtentis Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Narcan, I have been on two deployments and both times I brought items, like books and other projects, thinking I'd have the extra time to myself. Boy, was that dumb! haha! I served as a medic in an aid station during the last tour and one book we all found especially helpful is Orthopedic and Athletic Injury Evaluation Handbood by Starkey and Ryan. The majority of patients we saw had musculoskeletal injuries, both acute and chronic. Brushing up on that area will likely come in handy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beattie228 Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 A book called Clinical Procedures for Physician Assistants by Dehn was a staple in our aid station. I wouldn't worry too much about not packing everything. PX's are usually pretty good if you find yourself on a larger base. If not, care packages come in pretty regularly so you can ask your friends and family for particulars. As far as books and whatnot, Amazon delivers to APO so you don't need to show up with everything in hand. For your aid station, if the unit you're replacing is on their A game, there shouldn't be a whole lot you'll need to bring in addition to your units normal packing list. Most of our equipment wasn't even used because the outgoing unit was more than happy to hand receipt just about all of their medical equipment over to us. A dart board and a chess set will go a long way, though haha! Stay safe, and keep us informed with how things are going! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will352ns Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Most places will have most of what you need "medically", as long as it isn't a new location; which shouldn't be an issue given the current climate. Really, bring a lot of stuff to keep you occupied. Movies, TV series, games....stuff like that. Other than that, have the references that you are comfortable with and be prepared to treat many of the types of stuff you normally do. The majority of your time will be dealing with "the crud" and musculoskeletal stuff. Most places are set up for trauma stabalization. Familiarize yourself with their set-up and tweak it to what you want it to be. If you are Navy, learn to speak Army. I am AF and there was a learning curve on getting what I needed. If you are Army....no worries. I'm an Indepent Duty Medic, so I felt your pain during my first remote position. I could give you the advice my SP at that time gave me....which was "don't suck". It was his way of saying, you know what you are doing...remember that. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3GeronimoPA Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 iPad!!!!, the big one. Get on the "AMEDD Virtual Library" on a government computer and download books off of the web page. You'll have to do it chapter by chapter in .pdf and you will be in business there. Download the Kindle app. Download some books. Usually plenty of resourcing material over there if the people you are replacing don't suck. Be safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trout Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Contact UpToDate. They give deployed providers downloadable CD's. I used it all the time (when I couldn't access AMEDD virtual library). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d2305 Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 5 Minute Clinical Consult is the one book to have. I wish it would have been around when I deployed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uscbigdawg Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 Like most have said, unless you're out a remote FOB, you can get most anything shipped in that you need. Frankly, after my first deployment, I learned to pack as light as possible going in and coming out. If you're at a big base like BAF, USPS Priority anything only is like a week to wait. We ran a lot on my last deployment for PT and just clearing your head and went through 3 pairs of shoes. Ordered them from either Roadrunner or Amazon and got them in a week. DVD's, books, etc. no problem. As for medical shenanigans, depends on where you're going. If you're taking over an existing aid station, they'll likely have a library of what you need. Additionally...it's an aid station and while you get the occasional odd ball case, the norm is ouch's and boo-boo's. Whole different banana if you're out in the sticks, but then you should also know already what to pack for that. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.