Santa Fe which he shares the countermeasures launchers and numerous pipes and valves. “I’d probably compare it to a broom closet at best.” Take the scope of responsibility, the number of Sailors an IDC cares for and add to it a confined, industrial work environment and you have what Lazarin calls a challenge. “I knew being assigned to a submarine would be a challenging job. That’s what I wanted," said Lazarin. "On a submarine you are independent of any other medical professional on board. It really pushes you to learn as much as you can about medicine.” While much of what is learned by IDCs is learned on the job, before ever setting foot on a submarine a corpsman will go through an extensive course of instruction to ensure they are fully qualified to serve their shipmates. The Naval Undersea Medical Institute (NUMI) in Groton, Conn., offers a 58week course of instruction for eligible
corpsmen who want to become submarine IDCs. “The course NUMI teaches equips corpsmen from a variety of backgrounds with the medical and administrative knowledge and skills required to administer all aspects of the medical mission aboard an operational submarine,” said Master Chief Hospital Corpsman Kevin Boyce, Force Medical Master Chief for Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Students in this course of instruction attend Basic Enlisted Submarine School followed by training in radiation health, medical administration, gas free engineering/atmosphere control, clinical medicine and clinical rotations. Approximately 25 corpsmen become submarine IDCs through NUMI each year. In the 12 years he has been in the Navy, Lazarin has qualified in surface warfare, air warfare and submarine warfare. For the last three years, he has served as an IDC on submarines.
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii - While serving as an independent duty corpsman (IDC) onboard USS Santa Fe (SSN 763), Chief Hospital Corpsman Robert Lazarin, from El Paso, Texas, reviews patient’s medical records, verifying all of the information is correct and up to date. IDCs are responsible to the submarine commanding officer for the health and wellness of a crew that can range from around 140 to 160 Sailors. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ronald Gutridge / Released)
FALL FAL L 2010 2010
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By Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet
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reventative medicine specialist, emergency medical technician, nurse, lab technician, radiation health officer – it sounds like the list of personnel on the staff of a hospital. Those who serve on submarines know that these jobs only begin to describe the one person on board known simply as “Doc,” the submarine independent duty corpsman (IDC). Aboard USS Santa Fe (SSN 763), Chief Hospital Corpsman Robert Lazarin, from El Paso, Texas, thrives on all of the responsibilities he has as the submarine’s sole medical provider. “You are basically the gap between first aid and emergency care at a higher echelon, at a hospital. You have to fill in the gap between all of that – from anything a nurse or EMT will do to what a doctor’s going to do. You are the first line of treatment and you have to stabilize a patient for sometimes up to four or five days until you can get him to a hospital trauma center or treatment center.” IDCs are directly responsible to the submarine commanding officer for the health and wellness of every Sailor on board. Depending on the type of submarine, that crew can range from 140 to 160 Sailors. “The workspace is quite confined. There’s not a whole lot of room,” said Lazarin of the small office he has aboard