Placeholder canvas

Army MOS 68W Health Care Specialist

Injured or wounded Soldiers need immediate treatment, so when Army physicians aren’t available, the Health Care Specialist is authorized to step in to provide basic and emergency medical treatment.

The Health Care Specialist is primarily responsible for providing emergency medical treatment, limited primary care and health protection and evacuation from a point of injury or illness. Some of your duties as a Health Care Specialist may include:

Administer emergency medical treatment to battlefield casualties
Assist with outpatient and inpatient care and treatment
Interview patients and recording their medical histories
Take patients’ temperature, pulse and blood pressure
Prepare blood samples for laboratory analysis
Keep health records and clinical files up-to-date
Give shots and medicines to patients
Prepare patients, operating rooms, equipment and supplies for surgery

Training
Job training for a Health Care Specialist requires nine weeks of Basic Training, where you’ll learn basic Soldiering skills, and 16 weeks of Advanced Individual Training, including practice in-patient care. Some of the skills you’ll learn are:

Patient care techniques
Emergency medical techniques
Methods of sterilizing surgical equipment
Plaster-casting techniques

Advanced Responsibilities
Advanced level Health Care Specialist provides guidance, supervises and trains other Soldiers within the same discipline. As an advanced level Health Care Specialist, you may be involved in:
Administer emergency and routine medical treatment to battle and non-battle casualties
Assist with outpatient care and treatment
Supervise field and clinical medical facilities under the supervision of a physician, nurse or physician’s assistant

Related Civilian Jobs
The skills you learn as a Health Care Specialist will help prepare you for a future with civilian hospitals, clinics, nursing homes or rehabilitation centers. With a Health Care Specialist background, you may consider a career as an Emergency Medical Technician, medical assistant, a medication aide or physician’s assistant. With continued study and experience, you may qualify for certification with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians as a First Responder.

Related Army Positions
Pharmacy Specialist (68Q)
Medical Laboratory Specialist (68K)
Radiology Specialist (68P)
Veterinary Food Inspection Specialist (68R)

See Promotion Points for MOS 68W