Results 1 to 10 of 19
Discuss RFA Medical Technician in RFA on Navy Net; Ladies and Gents
I have been looking for a job I would love to do for a very long time and thanks to the now updated RN and RFA website there is more information available ...
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks- 22-01-12, 11:20 #1Junior Member
- Join Date
- Jan 2012
- Posts
- 5
RFA Medical Technician
Ladies and Gents
I have been looking for a job I would love to do for a very long time and thanks to the now updated RN and RFA website there is more information available than there was before. I have now seen the Medical Technician role and this is something that I would love to do. Everything about the RFA and that particular role appear to be everything i'm looking for.
However, I am not naive enough to think that glossy brochures and internet adverts always accurately reflect what the job is really like (a bit like my current job which only promotes the good bits!)
So I was wondering if there is anyone who can tell me what life is really like in the RFA and also if anyone could tell me more about the role itself. I understand there is no current recruiting for this role but if anyone could advise what I could do to improve my chances of getting the post in the meantime I would be most grateful.
I have tried the TOOTP forum, but its offline (I was hoping to speak to the RFA recruiter who I believe frequents the forum). I called the local AFCO and they said they can give me brochure and DVD but their knowledge of the RFA is somewhat limited.
Thanks
22-01-12, 12:09 #2Member 
- Join Date
- May 2006
- Posts
- 76
Do you have a medical background of any sort? The RFA do not recruit raw, untrained people off the street to become Med-Techs. You must have similar experience either as a naval MA or military medic or whatever the appropriate civilian equivalent might be.
22-01-12, 15:41 #3Junior Member
- Join Date
- Jan 2012
- Posts
- 5
Thanks for your reply.
I work in the emergency services but not in a medical role. The advert made it sound like no previous experience was needed...gutted!!
24-01-12, 08:51 #4Member
- Join Date
- May 2006
- Posts
- 76
Having now read the glossy brochure, it does indeed sound like they are prepared to employ and train applicants with no previous experience, though I have never heard of this actually being done. Ex-MAs and similar will still have something of an edge in the recruitment process.
Originally Posted by Y_A_S 
The advert made it sound like no previous experience was needed...gutted!!
I'd take anything in those brochures with a pinch of salt as I spotted several amusing inaccuracies in the other RFA examples, often where they have simply cut and pasted from the nearest RN equivalent.
24-01-12, 15:54 #5Senior Member 
- Join Date
- Aug 2011
- Location
- 50.463458N, -1.401207W
- Posts
- 1,724
Last time I was on an RFA (OK it was 1973) ... as a Doc life was
Smoko!
Saturday night in the crews mess watching the cross dressers!
Plymouth Gin (still can't stand the smell)
Things may have changed now!Smother me in chocolate and throw me to the lesbians!
25-01-12, 04:07 #6Junior Member
- Join Date
- Jan 2012
- Posts
- 5
Cheers for the replies. Looks like i'll have to give up on the idea or turn up at an AFCO and see if begging will work! Lol!
Are you able to tell me what the inaccuracies are? Just in case it is one of these inaccuracies that led me to think this was my ideal job.
25-01-12, 09:16 #7Member
- Join Date
- May 2006
- Posts
- 76
The Med Tech brochure doesn't look too bad to me, but I'm not an MT so I might have missed something. The one item that did stand out was: Originally Posted by Y_A_S
Some years back there were a few CPO(MT) kicking about the fleet, but I haven't seen one other than in a shoreside staff post for many years. Despite what it says in the brochure, do not expect promotion beyond [PO]MT.After successfully completing the Offshore Medics Qualification and the other qualifications you need, you’ll then be promoted to Chief Petty Officer, Medical Technician (Q)
All the new style RFA brochures I've looked at rather overrate promotion prospects. In most branches it is currently very slow and very, very far from automatic regardless of what qualifications you gain.
25-01-12, 14:10 #8Member 
- Join Date
- Nov 2011
- Location
- Guzz
- Posts
- 69
Nope- I was on Argus in 2010 and Fort George in 2011- it's still pretty much the same! Originally Posted by MG Maniac
---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=53.552913,-2.120247
25-01-12, 22:34 #9To be accepted as a RFA Medical Technician, a Military Medical background is prefered - RN Medical Branch, though we have an ex-RAMC and 1 or 2 ex-RAF medics. We do have a Med Tech with no miltary background (Nurse), but has a lot of offshore experience.
RFA Medics are accepted in the grade of Med Tech (PO pay scale) and after a minium of 2 years and if holding all the required medical/clinical qualifications (FAI, Offshore & Remote Medic Cert, AED Inst, Noise Assessor,etc etc etc), then the Med Tech is advanced to the pay grade of Med Tech (Q) - (CPO pay grade). The Med Tech for the past 5-6 years does not have the rank prefix of PO/CPO, as that would imply Billet Grading for each class of ship, which would not work as there are not enough Med Tech's (27) to allow that to work. Though if a Med Tech (Q) had a requirement to wear No.1 uniform, then CPO buttons would be worn!
26-01-12, 09:36 #10Member
- Join Date
- May 2006
- Posts
- 76
Epaulettes for MT and MT(Q)s are all the same though? I can't remember now whether they have PO's bars below the red cross or not. What's the score with the shore post (i.e. Bob) where he wears CPO's laurels around the red cross (looks like the old CPO(MT)'s badge)? Is that the only instance where that badge is worn? Is he on the same pay/conditions as seagoing MT(Q)? Originally Posted by Mad-Doc
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks