Marlborough military medic mixes it with NZ's best
Former Marlborough Girls’ College student Abbey Brown has drawn on her surf lifesaving skills to mix it with the top military medics in the country.
27 October, 2022
The 22-year-old Able Medic was one of three Royal New Zealand Navy representatives and the only female in the 15-strong field for the New Zealand Defence Force’s Medic Match 22, held around Auckland this month.
They spent a gruelling three days testing their skills.
The competition is designed to find the best all-round medic and includes physical endurance activity, shooting, advanced medical skills, cognitive problem-solving and public speaking.
All of the medics were competing for the first time and experience ranged from recent graduates of the Defence Health School, who will have just met the full medic competency requirements, through to medics who have spent more than 15 years in the field.
On day one, the medics were tested for resilience at the shooting range at Auckland’s Tamaki Leadership Centre, followed by a ‘Rescue Randy’ scenario: dragging an 80kg casualty more than 75 metres and applying a tourniquet and pressure bandage.
“I was very nervous at the start of the competition, knowing I’d need to compete against a lot of males. I really wanted to prove a female can do anything a male can,” Able Medic Brown said.
“The most challenging part was definitely on day one, trying to keep my mind-set strong through the physical challenges and pushing on."
"I was also really nervous about shooting at the range, because I don’t use weapons that much. But once we did dry drills I was absolutely in to it.”
On day two competitors completed a swim rescue and resuscitation at Devonport Naval Base, and Able Medic Brown came in to her own and took out the swim test.
“I was really in my element and could show my skills and abilities more. Working out the best way to drag a dummy in to the pool, I could draw on my techniques I learned from my surf lifesaving, and then working really hard on keeping a consistent CPR rhythm,” she said.
Able Medic Abbey Brown discovered she was mentally tougher than she anticipated during this year’s competition to find the NZDF’s top medic
Medic Match 22 co-ordinator Lieutenant Aidan Bilbe said the competition was designed to find the best all-round medic.
“There’s something to challenge everyone from any service, whether it’s a physical endurance activity, shooting, advanced medical skills, cognitive problems, public speaking or just turning up with the right kit. Competitors need resilience, trade skills, and technical excellence to win,” he said.
Unfortunately, Able Medic Brown was not one of the four medics who made it through to the third and final day.
However, she was not disappointed.
“I’m definitely going to compete in Medic Match again. It was a great experience and I found that I can push myself a lot harder than I thought I could. I’m a lot more mentally tough than I thought I was.”
She joined the Navy straight from school and said a career in the Navy and medicine combined the two things she enjoys most.
“I always wanted to be a medic, I did a lot of surf lifesaving growing up at home, so combining the Navy and being a medic is so awesome. They are two of my favourite things.”
NZ Army’s Staff Sergeant Andrew Kennedy eventually won the Medic Match 22 competition, followed by Lance Corporal William Wallace and the RNZAF’s Leading Aircraftman Scott Endres.