From Medic to “Doc”: Earning Your Place on the Team

I was recently invited to sit in on a meeting to discuss proposed protocols and scope of practice for Tactical Medics in my state.

At one point, during a discussion about what sick call medications should be included on the approved list, someone asked:

“What medic is going to tell a SWAT cop he has to sit out because he took something?”

I have. Multiple times.

That is our job.

That single question highlights the difference between simply being a medic on a team and being the team’s “Doc.”

Becoming “Doc”

It does not happen overnight, and it should not.

Becoming “Doc” is a badge of honor. It is not a title you assign to yourself. It is earned. It represents trust, credibility, and acceptance into a group where you were once an outsider.

When I was first selected for my team, I was not “Doc.” I was “the new medic.” Sometimes just “the medic.” It took time before they even called me by name.

Even after returning from CONTOMS with my EMT-T training, I was still on the outside.

So I kept showing up.

Earning Your Place

I was at every training. Every call-out. I spent time learning everything I could about their job and shared everything I could about mine.

Over time, credibility builds. And with it, acceptance.

Then one day, it changed.

During team assignments for a training exercise, the Team Leader, a former infantry Marine like myself, looked over and said:

“…and Doc, you’re with me.”

That was not a small moment.

It meant I had earned my place. Not the same as them, but accepted as part of the team.

What It Takes

Assessment and Selection is only the beginning. It is the tryout, not the destination.

To truly integrate, you have to go beyond your medical skillset.

Be an expert in your field.
Strive for excellence in theirs.

Their wellbeing must always come first.

Teach them medical skills.
Ask how they are feeling.
Make sure they have water and clean socks.

You are not a shooter, but you must understand their world.

Know their movements.
Understand their tactics.
Be familiar with their weapons.

Even if you are not permitted to carry a sidearm, train with them. Shoot with them. And shoot well.

Be an asset, not a liability.

No one wants to babysit the medic.

If you learn the stack, understand how they move, and master your role, they will respect you.

Even if you are dropped at the door or held at the last point of cover, they will know you earned your place.

Building Trust

After every mission or training evolution, ask every operator:

“Are you okay?”
“Are you injured?”

At first, you will get short answers.

Over time, that changes.

They start coming to you. First with questions. Then with aches, pains, and things they do not want anyone else to know about.

Operators do not want to be sidelined. They worked just as hard as you did to get there. Most will push through injuries and hope no one notices.

But when they trust you, they will come to you because they know your goal is to keep them in the fight whenever possible.

And when you tell them they need to sit out, they will understand why.

The Responsibility of “Doc”

The medic who is willing to tell a SWAT operator to sit out when necessary is doing exactly what the role demands.

That is not weakness. That is leadership.

That is responsibility.

That is Tactical Emergency Medical Support.

That medic is not just “the medic.”

That medic is Doc.