Where every body knows your name

I was at Naval Hospital Lemoore today, doing a meet and greet to talk over some of the policies of the OpSide clinic that I’m working out of and was walking down a hall way and was recognized as the corpsman with a blog by one of the chiefs. I then gave the Master Chief a heads up that I‘m “that“ guy, which really isn‘t that bad of a thing. Guess I haven’t fallen too far off of the radar.

Most of the past couple of weeks have been spent checking in and observing as much as I can, as a first class, I’m expected to play a leadership role. And this is where I’m taking my cues off the great leaders of my past. The leaders that worked the best were the ones that took in their surroundings before making changes. The leaders that ran into problems were the ones who came in like a bull in a China shop and laid down the law without paying attention to the situation on the ground.

My job is to take what’s working and fix what’s not. Right now, we’re having a problem with organization and accountability. Two things that I have been both horrible and excellent at. We’re working out of temporary trailers while our main clinic gets remodeled, not the best situation. It’s tight and there is a certain looseness in the knowledge of where all of my people are at given a specific time because there isn‘t even enough seating space for all of us in the same room.

I’m watching the patient care, it is getting done and the paperwork is turning out right but it sort of seems like magic. No one has sat down and told me step by step on how they’re doing it. Believe me, I know how to fill out the paperwork but there doesn’t seem to be a standardized way we do it here or at least not one that someone has set me down and told me. Another tack in my book.

Talking with the leadership, as usual, there’s a power struggle between who owns the squadron corpsman. There are good and bad with working for the squadron and the clinic. I think the only way for us as squadron corpsman to prosper is to tighten up our acts and put forth a more professional front. Every place I’ve been stationed at, we have had to walk a tight rope and it makes it a harder job if we’re not running a tight ship.

Problem with being a blogger, I’m going to publish this and everyone I work with can take a look at my thoughts, both junior guys and the leadership. Oh well, at least they’re know where I’m coming from. Aren’t we trying to be transparent?

Rat in his Wheel

A piece of interactive art I took part in last weekend at a NIMBY event that we went to, the bride did an excelling job at the filming. NIMBY is a place to create anything that your mind can come up with and they rent out space to artists with a wild hair. They have shows every month that are like mini Burning Man festivals, only these people are doing it all year long. Even though I haven't been online as much, it doesn't mean life has stopped. Check out the web site above, if you're ever in the Bay area during one of their events, I promise you a show that you will not soon forget plus it's a really cheap good time, good music, robots shooting fire and things that you could not imagine.



But work is nothing like being in a cage, I'm in the process of checking in still. Corpsman out there, listen up, keep up with your NKO courses or your next command won't give you your keys! Half of my time since checking in has been doing online courses. So far, friendly people and a job that is in need of my skills, I can do this.

Tomorrow I'll be attending the local Corpsman Ball with the bride where we get to make a first impression with the local medical community.

Impressions? I enjoy being so close to the bride, after spending time at Edwards AFB and China Lake, this place is nice. Besides, it's not where you're stationed at, it's who your stationed with. I think I have some good material here. Fresh faces and fresh impressions, wish me luck.

Doc in the Box on the removing of toenails

I am a corpsman but don't really blog about medicine that much, so here’s a medical post. The most common medical problem that requires minor surgery while deployed with my Marines seems to be ingrown toenails (I don't know if that's true for others but it is for me) and here’s a video I made of me in action taking out part of a toenail (yes, I screwed up and ripped it in half, but it still came out, just wasn't as pretty on film) and there are subtitles. If you easily get grossed out, don’t click play, for me, it's just something I do at work.

For someone who has a blog called Doc in the Box, you would think that I would have more medical posts.

Update because the readers asked, I did use a nerve block and a rubber tourniquet to stop the blood flow, there are gloves on my hands, they’re just sort of skin toned, my doc was filming and did a great job at it. The wound was lightly packed with cotton for the day a 2x2 and regular 1 inch medical tape wrapped around the toe. The patient actually said it was pain free the next day. There’s no sucking it up unless bullets are flying over my head or if the patient is drunk and has just punched me in the jaw while I'm trying to sew them up (happens).

MCAS Miramar Airshow and the people I worked with

Part of being attached to Third Marine Air Wing for a corpsman is the annual airshow work drive, last year, we ran a food booth. This year, we actually did medical coverage and I was the LPO (leading petty officer) for the Mini-ambulances on the east side of the flight line. Each year, months before October, we let everyone know that they can’t take leave during that this time period. Other units get to volunteer but we’re hosting it, so in the end, it falls back on us and the clinic. Three days of getting to work at 5:30 and getting home after dark. Saturday is even worse with the night show, I didn’t get home till 11 last night. Even with the crazy hours, I’d take working medical any day over roasting hot dogs.

We’re also supported by medical commands hundreds of miles around, without them, things could have got ugly. I took some great pictures and below are the pictures of the people I had the pleasure of working with (I told them I would post some pictures so they could get copies of them). And hopefully over the next few days, I be posting the flying pictures of the show itself.