Some vessels do need it, just not really small ones.
Well I got an 87% on my test the girl got 100%. I learned some things but guys remember these classes we take or just 5 days most of the time. I liked the class and for me it was not a wast. But for others it may be
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MITAGS East class is fairly in depth if you haven’t had any previous medical training. At one time, it was a month long and you could test for an EMT certificate at the end of it. Nowadays it is 2 weeks and they also offer a 1 week refresher which I try to take every 5 years or so.
MED-PIC knowledge is stuff that we don’t think about regularly so the skills can dull. When the shit is hitting the fan and I’m trying to remember how to treat a stroke victim in the middle of the ocean, I want to have at least the basic knowledge available in my head. The certificate is required, but the ability to actually help someone in need is the end goal of taking the course in my opinion.
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I have heard good things about the MITAGS course. That course is on my short list.
It makes sense that a union school would do a much better job of a practical skills course intended to save members lives, rather than a profit maximizing school selling everybody passes USCG approved pieces of paper.
I have been trying to take Remote Medical International’s month long REMT (Remote EMT), plus Med-PIC course for several years, but it always came down to schedule, time, money, and foregoing a winter month on the beach in Mexico. That course is the medical gold standard. But at this point, I’m too close to the end of my career to make that much of an investment.
Maine Maritime’s Med-Pic Cont Ed class is excellent. It is usually taught by Professor Sarah Hudson. She is a venerated faculty member that has an MMA award in her honor “Unsung Hero” She has contributed to this study on many levels, including the IMO and standardizing the Medical Chest. I was impressed with the details provided by Sarah Hudson and visiting lecturers. For instance, a local Castine Optometrist attended and showed the class how to safely remove foreign debris in the upper or lower eye lid. The ability to confidently and calmly conduct first aid procedures like this goes a long way when your mid-ocean. This course is far more than acquiring a Certificate. MMA does not presently have a date listed but it is listed as upcoming.
I have also heard the AMO Star Center has a very good course, which includes a brief concentration on shipboard health and nutrition
ACEP First Aid Manual is a great guide to have with the ship’s Medical Chest. It provides many easy acronyms that are used by EMT’s. I keep the basic acronyms laminated in the crash kit. If you can squeeze a copy in your sea bag I highly recommend it.
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