Currently working towards a STCW >3000GT Chief Mates ticket. My sea service towards this endorsement started prior to 3/24/14. I hold a 1600GRT/3000GT Masters in addition to a 2/M Unlimited/OICNW. I have chosen to follow the new NVIC 10-14 assessment regime just in case I can’t get finished before 12/31/16. (I also used my one “raise-in-grade after 3/24/14” on my 1600/3000 Masters, which I think voids the 2019 deal with the old assessments.)
On to the actual question. NVIC 10-14 tasks 19.1.A, 19.2.A, and 19.3.A refer to a required course - Management of Medical Care. These are also “Note 1” assessments not required for holders of a 3000GT Masters (like quite a number of the others). NVIC 10-14 and the NMC STCW checklist for >3000GT Chief Mate state that I can opt to use either assessment regime (04-02 or 10-14), and the new course schedule is a separate check box listed under the heading “If sea service started after 3/24/14”. The issue I see is that the assessments and courses are intertwined in NVIC 10-14.
So, is Management of Medical Care required for me? And under what rule does that answer follow?
To date, I have received 3 conflicting answers from NMC:
- One “no” it’s not required, since my service started before 3/24/14 (supposedly confirmed by a supervisor). But this implies I can use the 10-14 assessments and not take ANY courses, which seems… odd),
- One vague “yes” it is required,
- One ‘since your service was before 3/24/14, you HAVE to use the old assessments’ (which is easily refuted as wrong).
Side note: I’ve already taken all the other new classes except one scheduled next month, and my tasks are otherwise complete. If MoMC was widely available I’d gladly take it, but only Star Center offers it as a stand-alone, and quite rarely at that. The only resort to get it before 12/31/16 (and avoid BT and Adv FF) would be to plunk down $2k + lodging + travel + 10 days of my off time for Med-PIC – an extreme overkill substitution for the 4 hour MoMC.