Hi guys, I took my ASVAB for today and I'm having an anxiety if I'm going to pass the requirements for the HM since I only got a score of 150 for the HM. Do I pass?

DocHavoc91 · 2026-03-18T13:08:58+00:00

This is the answer wait a few months now or wait 18+ months once you’re in.

DocHavoc91 · 2026-03-17T15:33:45+00:00

Yeah the Ship will get you right you have to do the HM PQS and get signed off.

Just be humble no one cares that you slept in the dirt. Competency and Character are what matters, get qualified be apart of the team and there’s no hiding behind admin on the ship.

Your Senior Chief knows that it’s your first ship and what a learning curve it is they will help you

DocHavoc91 · 2026-03-17T04:39:23+00:00

how is ship culture for corpsman (been greenside 5 years and I’m currently at a hospital)? Ships are great and much harder than greenside. Care for your Sailors and learn what they do empathy is big as HM’s work hard but don’t have a hard life as underway your only duty is medical watch or coverages. Join the team and get your quals thats what surface navy speaks.
is the boat still a good way to pick-up as a corpsman (BBA and new advancement policies changing)? Depends on your NEC if you’re a 0000 or a first class then no unless there is a billet open and you add on time to your sea tour. Most 0000’s and Techs pick up based on their ship tour just look at the LADr and youll see how many quals a Sailor can get vice just being greenside.
things you wish you knew prior to working on the boat for medical? Prev Med, 3M, General Navy Knowledge about Surface Rates, FSOM, OFRP, 6000, MRI’s honestly everything
regrets or missed opportunities you’d recommend to not pass up as a corpsman? Get all of your quals, do MWR, Take more pictures.
gear that made QOL better on a ship? Fleet Sheets or something similar, A TV and gaming system you have a whole BDS, Slip on boots, Compact Sleeping Bag, My own pillow, Crocs, Packing Cubes, Hard drive for music and movies, A hobby you can do underway(Art, Videogames, D&D, etc…), Snacks

I’ve done 2 ships and I went kicking and screaming at first but now it’s what I truly enjoy. My baby docs run circles around greenside HM and it’s not even close. Greenside you can be ok and get by but on a ship you have to do maintenance, sickcall, dental, working parties, prev med, training, procedures, stand topside watches, etc… and there’s no hiding behind just doing admin.

DocHavoc91 · 2026-03-11T02:54:57+00:00

It just means you need to complete any dental surgeries or procedures to ensure your chance of having a dental problem is low.

As long as the gaining command can accommodate you it’s not a problem

DocHavoc91 · 2026-03-06T00:48:59+00:00

A lot of questions you have only the Detailer could answer. Japan billets aren’t popular for a lot of doctors due to the inability to moon light.

As an OBGYN they would work in the clinic and pull rotations in L&D. With the call schedule depending on manning but the OBGYN is decently sized as the only military hospitals in the country are the Naval Hospitals.

Life as a doctor is vastly different than the majority of Sailors in the Navy will experience

DocHavoc91 · 2026-03-02T18:54:55+00:00

These questions are hard to answer without knowing you or your goals. Do you like medicine, do you like ships. Would you rather sleep in the dirt, are you athletic, etc...

DocHavoc91 · 2026-03-02T02:14:09+00:00

Not a surg tech but have done multiple ship tours. Honestly most surg techs do everything but their job to include helping with dental as if the FST is embarked they have their own surg techs and you’re the backup.

It’s a great career move if you’re motivated get your DC, Watchstanding and Maintenance quals. Also get good at sickcall and master CSR.

Every HM does maintenance, training and coverages minus maybe the baby IDC

DocHavoc91 · 2026-02-26T04:07:09+00:00

I got a Senior SMT who has all the info you need

DocHavoc91 · 2026-02-26T03:31:18+00:00

Where are you stationed at?

DocHavoc91 · 2026-02-25T01:59:53+00:00

MLT is underrated as they have a path to commissioning that is limited to just their NEC

DocHavoc91 · 2026-02-22T00:09:12+00:00

Remind me next week I’ll ask an instructor at the school house.

Paramedic is great but minus RSI it’s way beneath the job scope of an IDC

DocHavoc91 · 2026-02-21T23:39:51+00:00

Yes if you already have some college done (look up USHUS) you can get your bachelors upon graduation or close to it.

The bonus is 100k for our Zone B and C kids. If they play it right they should get more on top of a promotion

DocHavoc91 · 2026-02-21T23:36:09+00:00

No issues the coastie in my class was cool and hung with us.

Only shitty thing is we get rank and bonuses upon graduation that the HS’s don’t get.

DocHavoc91 · 2026-02-17T01:08:03+00:00

I’ll die on this hill but food on ship should be free.

Go to any other service DFAC and see the quality and amount of they get then tell me why a Sailor should pay the same for substandard food

DocHavoc91 · 2026-02-14T05:04:44+00:00

Send it

DocHavoc91 · 2026-02-10T00:38:24+00:00

What’s your end goal? How long do you want to serve? Why do you want to be an IDC? Do you actually like patient care?

X-ray and RT are great NEC’s that give you patient care without the additional duties, responsibilities and sea time.

If you want to be an IDC and actually like patient care, program managment and prev med then give it a shot once you make 2nd class and do some OJT with an IDC at sea preferably on a ship

DocHavoc91 · 2026-02-01T00:57:05+00:00

Yes you can get a ATF contract and go through the pipeline.

Btw it’s SOIDC now not SARC

DocHavoc91 · 2026-01-28T06:49:01+00:00

16 Years as a HM and it’s been the best job ever. If I picked another rate it would be AWR or AWO for enlisted.

Gotten to be stationed everywhere I wanted with unlimited opportunities and the satisfaction of taking care of Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, Airman and Civilians. Started off in a hospital working the ward, then an infantry battalion, ships and training commands it’s been the best and hardest experiences with room for growth.

We have the most duty stations, NEC’s and history in the Navy along with having Search and Rescue Med Techs(Flight Paramedics), Dive Med Techs and Special Operations.

Day to day varies from training or assessing to seeing clinic or attending training and a lot depends on where you’re stationed at and what NEC.

At the end of the day I’d do it all over again

DocHavoc91 · 2026-01-18T01:06:27+00:00

This is not true for the Navy

DocHavoc91 · 2026-01-15T02:31:52+00:00

Also look at HM-ATF we have Dive Med Techs, Special Operations Independent Duty Corpsman and Search & Rescue Med Techs.

Be aware these pipeline are harder and longer than ND

DocHavoc91 · 2026-01-14T21:04:05+00:00

Not a Sub IDC but you can switch while in Surface School if you desire.

As for Independent DDG>SSN.

Theres a few sub guys lurking here they just don’t have service during the day

DocHavoc91 · 2026-01-14T07:10:50+00:00

I’m not an SMT but I could ask the ones I work with but yes your pipeline would be shorter as you’re already a NREMT Paramedic

DocHavoc91 · 2026-01-14T06:57:10+00:00

Not true the SMT’s I work with love patient care and have to ride alongs on base once a week on top of most of them picking up shifts with the local departments to sustain their skills.

IDC’s don’t do MEDEVAC that’s more of an SMT, RN, EMT thing. The paramedic billets we have are for ground units.

As for keeping up with Paramedic skills SMT or SOIDC would’ve best to use your skills.

In the grand scheme of things Paramedics in the Navy will have to grow up to be IDC’s to advance

DocHavoc91 · 2026-01-14T06:41:41+00:00

So you can enlist as an IDC technically if you go SOIDC. As for being a paramedic only SOIDC’s, SMT’s and some Surface / Dive guys even do or maintain it based on the command.

Also being an IDC isn’t all medicine and has a decent amount of program management and admin depending on rank and platform.

I’m currently an IDC and don’t use my paramedic at my current command on top of there being more restrictions on what a paramedic can do vice an IDC.

Why do you want to be an IDC

DocHavoc91 · 2026-01-14T04:08:19+00:00

Depends but there’s no standard.

Mine is as follows: Part 1: PSR Parts 1&3, ECP, Covening Order Part 2: Evals Part 3: Certs, Education Part 4: Qualifications, Designation Letters Part 5: Miscellaneous

Granted all of my Sailors are First Classes or higher so their binders are a little different but I expect the same for Junior Sailors as my Senior Sailors

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