1650s, "physician; medical student," from Latin medicus "physician" (see medical (adj.)); modern sense of "serviceman in a military medical corps" is recorded by 1925.

"medical technician," 1970, back-formation from paramedical. The meaning "medical corpsman who parachutes" is 1951 from parachute + medic.

by 1851 as a shortening of medic. As a colloquial shortening of medicine, by 1942. With a capital M and short for Mediterranean, by 1948. Meds as a shortening of medications is attested in hospital jargon by 1965.