【英语趣味课堂】军医-The Medic

Todd: So Meg, you are talking about being in the military, and you said you were a medic. Can you explain what that is?

 

Meg: Yeah. So a medic, which now I believe is called health care specialist, is – I always say it's kind of similar to being like a paramedic where it's not a full nurse job. I think nurses have more training like in civilian¹ side nurses, but similar to paramedic where you have certain, like, minor² procedures that you're trained to do and high-level things than just an EMT like doing IVs and giving shots and stitches and things like that.

 

And you're trained – because it's the military, you're especially trained for emergency situations, and how to treat someone who has maybe some serious life-threatening wounds. So that's a medic.

 

Todd: Wow. That sounds like a really difficult job. I mean, it's not your typical, just soldier job. You must have had a lot of schooling³ and education.

 

Meg: I had – well, everyone goes through the initial, about two and a half months like basic training. And that's more kind of basic combat skills and physical training that kind of thing. And then I had four months past that to train to be a medic. So we went through like emergency medical technician course just like civilian side. I got certified⁴ with that. And then we had additional training for the military skills like IVs and emergency procedures, that kind of thing.

 

Todd: Right. Can you explain what IV is?

 

Meg: IV is an intravenous – like getting fluids into your body. So if you've been injured and you've lost a lot of blood or maybe you're dehydrated and you need some fluid in your body quickly, then we stick a needle into your vein⁵ and then the fluids go in. And the needle comes back out but a little tube stays in. And then you can get fluids quickly that way.

 

Todd: So anybody that's been to the doctor knows that's always kind of the anxious moment when the nurse or the person who's going to stick the needle in. Were you good at doing that?

 

Meg: So once I learned how to do it, I think I was pretty good. And I actually enjoyed doing it, not in a creepy way but, you know, it was – I guess, because I was decent at it that it was a part of my job that I enjoyed.

 

But for myself, before we went through that training, I actually became dehydrated and needed to get an IV myself. And I was terrified because I really hadn't had that before in my life. And so, the nurse was going to come, you know, put the needle in my arm and I was like, "No, isn't there another? I'll just drink a lot of water." And she was saying, "Aren't you going to be a medic." And I was like, "Oh, I haven't trained yet. Don't do it." So yeah.

 

Todd: Oh, that's cool. Yeah. I was recently in the hospital and they had me strapped⁶ up for both blood and for the water, the intravenous drip. And it's annoying because you can't really move, like if you want to get up and walk anywhere, you're strapped with all these tubes. And it's not very convenient.

 

Meg: Yeah, yeah. Or at least you have to careful. When I was getting the IV, I didn't know that the needle doesn't stay in your arm. Now, for some things, it does. For blood, maybe it's different, I'm not sure. But yeah, so I was trying to be so careful too but you still want it to go well so you don't want to move very much.

 

Todd: Right. So what percentage of people would you say freak out when they get the needle?

 

Meg: Probably 90% or 95%.

 

Todd: Oh really?

 

Meg: Yeah. Even, you know, tough Army guys would come in and be – and they'd be like, "Oh, I'm fine. I'm fine in a bit." "Well, we need to give you an IV." And they'd be like, "Oh…"

 

Todd: Right. Yeah. Nobody likes that.

 

Meg: No.

 

Todd: So you transitioned. You were in the medical profession and then you moved to education. Why did you leave the medical profession for education?

 

Meg: Yeah. That's interesting because I became a medic in the military because I thought after I – when I could continue college that I would be a nurse or a doctor. But my time serving as a medic helped me learn that that was not what I wanted to do for my career after all.

 

So I definitely am glad that I had those skills and the things that I learned and was able to experience. But I had – English had kind of been on the back burner. And so then I said, "Okay, let me revisit this," and it led to English education.

 

Todd: Wow. Have you ever thought about being like an English specialist for people in the medical fields like teaching doctors and nurses?

 

Meg: I guess I haven't thought about that specifically. Sometimes I thought about going back to military. They do have something like English schools in the military. And so, I guess that would be related. Also it could be – yeah, so that would be interesting. Something to think about.

 

Todd: All right. Great. Thanks, Meg.

 

[End of Transcript]

 

 重点词汇：

Learn vocabulary from the lesson below.

 

paramedic

 

A health care specialist is like being a paramedic.

 

A paramedic is a health specialist who gives emergency aid to people outside of the hospital. Notice the following:

 

Paramedics often work in an ambulance.

The paramedic helped the injured man.

minor procedure

 

You are trained to do minor procedures.

 

A minor procedure is a small operation or quick treatment to a health issue. Notice the following:

 

I went to the hospital for a minor procedure. Nothing serious.

She had a minor procedure done for her knee.

dehydrated

 

If you are injured, maybe you become dehydrated.

 

When you are dehydrated, your body needs fluids and water. Notice the following:

 

If you run in the sun, you can get dehydrated.

Dehystration is a serious health concern.

strapped up

 

They had me strapped up to tubes.

 

A person on a hospital bed can be strapped up by having lots of tubes and monitors attached to them. Notice the following:

 

He was strapped up to a heart monitor.

He was strapped to the bed, so he could not get out of bed.

they'd be like

 

They'd be like, "Oh, I'm fine."

 

When we say 'They'd be like' we mean 'they would say'. Notice the following:

 

I told my story and they'd be like, 'No Way!'

I would get mad and my mom would be like, 'Go to your room!'

on the back burner

 

English had kind of been on the back burner.

 

When something is on the back burner, it is postponed⁷ for later. We put food on the back burner to keep it warm. Notice the following:

 

I need to save money, so college is on the back burner now.

They plan to get married but it is currently on the back burner.

1 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

2 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

3 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

4 certified   

a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的

参考例句：

• Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
• The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。

5 vein   

n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络

参考例句：

• The girl is not in the vein for singing today.那女孩今天没有心情唱歌。
• The doctor injects glucose into the patient's vein.医生把葡萄糖注射入病人的静脉。

6 strapped   

adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。