Dental Technician and Hospital Corpsman Job Ratings Unite

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Subject: Dental Technician, Hospital Corpsman Job Ratings Unite

http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=19476


Dental Technician, Hospital Corpsman Job Ratings Unite

Navy News Service
August 8, 2005
By Christine A. Mahoney
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Public Affairs


WASHINGTON (NNS) -- In order to provide Sailors and Marines with the finest in medical operational readiness, the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) announced the merger of Dental Technician (DT) and Hospital Corpsman (HM) job ratings into the HM rating.

The approval was signed by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen July 25.

“The DT/HM merger combines forces to better meet the demands and needs of our changing Navy. When the merger is completed, it will allow us to better support our operational forces by ensuring all enlisted medical personnel have the same baseline of training; by improving flexibility in the utilization of all enlisted manpower, and by improving career opportunities for all our Sailors," said Force Master Chief (FORCM) (SW/AW) Jacqueline DiRosa, director, Hospital Corps, BUMED. "Our most important consideration throughout this whole merger process is the professional development and career enhancement of each and every member of the Hospital Corps."

Nearly 3,000 DT and 24,000 HM active and reserve personnel will be affected by the ratings merger. BUMED has been proactive in preparing these two Navy Medicine communities.

“In September 2004, BUMED hosted a Hospital Corps Summit in conjunction with the Naval Medical Education and Training Command to review the current HM and DT ‘A’ school curriculums to plan for needed changes and develop an implementation strategy,” said DiRosa. “I made certain I had a lot of our junior sailors and senior enlisted in both the DT and HM communities involved in working groups. They, in turn, took the message out to the fleet, and that has proven to be very successful in helping communicate the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ of the merger.”

Training for Sailors newly recruited into the hospital corpsman field will combine both HM and DT job ratings skills.

“There will be changes starting with the HM and DT “A” schools. The revised HM ‘A’ school training plan incorporates foundational dental knowledge, skills and abilities such as dental fundamentals, emergency care and treatment, instrumentation and other basic knowledge topics. These classes will be added while keeping the HM ‘A’ school length to 14 weeks,” said DiRosa.

“Upon completion of HM ‘A’ school, designated personnel will attend a follow-on dental assistant school to train in specialized dental assisting skills. Upon graduation from this follow-on course, the member will earn an HM-8700 series NEC (Navy Enlisted Classification)," she added. "The course length is anticipated to be five to six weeks, with a proposed two week clinical rotation. This change in basic training will greatly enhance the baseline knowledge of hospital corpsmen and ensure that BUMED meets the intent of the merger. Hospital corpsman training and education will continue at our Great Lakes, Ill., medical training facilities until otherwise decided."

Current DT- and HM-rated Sailors and their commands are responsible for conducting education and training on each respective medical field to ensure they achieve operational readiness.

“As part of this merger process, there is going to be a requirement for difference, or bridge, training - bridging the gap between the two ratings. Our dental techs already have access to online training by completing the HM ‘A’ School Web-based program available through Navy E-Learning and NKO (Navy Knowledge Online). Several of our medical reservists designed and implemented this course primarily for the NPS-HMs, but it has proven to be a great tool for our DTs in “bridging the rating knowledge gap,” DiRosa said.

“Current DT and HM Sailors need to review the DT and HM rate training manuals and learn from them," she added. "Some DT and HM basic skills training can be conducted at the local command level. Commands should make certain these Sailors know what they need to know concerning DT and HM fundamentals and basic skills.”

Current DT personnel will not be required to attend HM “A” school as part of the difference training.

The DT/HM ratings merger is expected to take place over the next two years. Once complete, the Hospital Corps will be once again unified but better equipped, with greater flexibility to meet the Navy’s mission.

A NAVADMIN message will be forthcoming, officially announcing the actual effective date of the ratings merger and the specifics regarding combined advancement exams, selection boards and rating badge change requirements.

For related news, visit the Naval Medicine Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/mednews
Contributed,
YNCS Don Harribine, USN(ret)