How to Succeed in 18D and SOCM - Ep. 26

18-Delta, the Special Forces medic qualification course, and SOCM, the Special Operations Combat Medic course, are among the most difficult schools in the US Special Operations pipeline. 

The people who attend these courses are special operators who have already been through their selection programs, and in some cases have already gone through several work-ups and deployments with their units. They’re smart, motivated, and highly-capable people. And yet, only about half of them will make it through a given course. It’s just that hard. 

On this call, we talk with two different graduates of this course. A former Green Beret and 18D medic named Jack, and a former Navy SWCC and SOCM medic named Chase.

We discuss what this school is like, what to expect if you’re a student on your way there, and some of the best practices for successfully completing the course.

Some of the resources we discussed on this call:

Complete Anatomy Study App

Mental Skill: Segmenting

Mental Skill: Compartmentalization

Khan Academy free online courses, such as this one on calculating units and dosages. 

Supermemo and Anki spaced repetition flashcard programs