Combat Medical Technician

The role of the Medical Corps is to look after the health and well-being of soldiers. You will be treating illness, injury, and other medical conditions, in a camp environment and overseas on operational deployments and exercises. As a medic, you will be trained in first aid and emergency care skills, diagnosis and treatment of disease. Out in the field, you will be ensuring a high level of health and hygiene is adhered to in order to prevent illness and injury. This means checking on issues such as sanitary conditions and food preparation to prevent the spread of disease.

Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps

Post Initial Training

On completion of your initial training, or at a later date if you cannot immediately commit to further training, you will attend a two week Combat Medical Technicians Course. This course will teach you basic and advanced first aid and life support skills as well as patient care and casualty evacuation methods. At the completion of this course you will be qualified as a Combat Medical Technician within the Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps.

Promotion

Once you have gained a suitable level of experience and demonstrated leadership potential, you will have the opportunity to progress through the Non Commissioned Officer Ranks. The first course you will do is a Junior Non Commissioned Officers course (JNCOs) which will foster and develop your leadership and instructional abilities in order to give you the skills to lead and train a small team of soldiers.

RNZAMC Medical Section Commanders Course

This course is designed to give RNZAMC Corporals the skills and ability to lead and command a medical section. This course is four weeks long and designed for Regular Army Medics progressing from the rank of Corporal to Sergeant, but Army Reserve Medics are eligible to attend if able.

Further Promotion

Promotion in the RNZAMC is dependent upon the attendance of further Trade and Promotion Courses. These include the Senior Non Commissioned Officers Course, and Warrant Officers Course.

Overseas

Army Reserve Combat Medical Technicians are not currently eligible to deploy overseas in the medical role unless they are able to complete further training through the Joint Services Health School or are qualified former Regular Force Medics. However, Army Reserve CMTs have and are eligible to deploy as Combat Lifesavers within an Army Reserve Infantry Platoon, provided that they have attended the Initial Training Module Four course which teaches the skills of Infantry soldiering. Recently, CMTs have deployed to the Solomon Islands in this role.